2024_10_09 Insight Post- Rusty Coram
This week’s reading- Luke 1:5-80, Mark 1:1-14, Matthew 3:1-17, Matthew 11:1-19, Luke 7:18-28, Matthew 14:1-12
As Kim Feld reminded us earlier this week, John the Baptist was a genuinely humble man of faith. Unlike the caricature of humility as weak and wimpy, John shows us true humility is living so that our abilities, insight, and opportunities are governed by our overriding commitment to love God and others well. As we read in Philippians 2:3–4, “Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. 4 Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too.” (NLT)
As his influence grew, John developed a relationship with King Herod “for Herod respected John; and knowing that he was a good and holy man, he protected him. Herod was greatly disturbed whenever he talked with John, but even so, he liked to listen to him.” Mark 6:20 (NLT) We don’t know where or how often they met, but we do know that John shot straight with the king, including the situation with Herod’s new wife, which got John in trouble: “For Herod had arrested and imprisoned John as a favor to his wife Herodias (the former wife of Herod’s brother Philip). 4 John had been telling Herod, “It is against God’s law for you to marry her.” Matthew 14:3–4 (NLT) I would like to know the details of what happened, but the implication is that John went directly to the king and confronted him. This would align with the Biblical call to speak directly to others and address issues. In our country today, it has become fashionable to talk trash about people we have not talked with directly. When we do this, we end up attacking a person rather than attacking a problem. John addressed Herod and challenged him to walk with integrity according to the law that Herod was entrusted to uphold. Although Herod respected John, he did not follow John’s instructions and bowed to the pressure of his angry wife, Herodias, who hated John for calling out their immorality. No doubt John knew the risk, but he chose to get involved and speak up anyway.
One of the things I admire about John is his desire to honor God even if it cost him his position as a religious leader (Jesus became the focus of the crowds) or his freedom as a citizen. John’s primary audience, the one he chose to please the most, was his heavenly Father. John didn’t just talk about honoring God; he made a practice of living it and resisting the temptation to protect his position by being silent when truth needed to be heard.
Rusty Coram
Senior Pastor