It was a very brave thing for Jesus to do. When John was thrown into prison, King Herod and the other authorities thought that they had shut down John’s prophetic ministry. The Wildman of the wilderness had been effectively eliminated and totally silenced. He would no longer be able to upset the king and his wife, nor would he be able to challenge the religious leaders like the Pharisees and Sadducees that John had called vipers and hypocrites. He was cut off from the rest of the world to languish in a dreary, damp, and dark dungeon cell. John’s ministry was finished, and his opponents could not have felt better.
But then Jesus appeared and took up the ministry that John had been forced to relinquish. He even started His mission by proclaiming the same words John had used to rouse the crowds of people who came to be baptized at the Jordan river. Jesus declared that “The time has come. The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!” John’s radical ministry was not over; it was extended and expanded by his successor, Jesus.
Now Christ could have remained silent for a while until the ruckus that John caused had died down. Jesus could have quietly begun His ministry among family and friends without disturbing the peace or challenging the authorities. Instead, He boldly proclaimed that the Kingdom of God was imminent and that everyone – kings and priests, soldiers and citizens, prophets and the people had to repent – to turn away from the things that distracted them from God and to turn toward God to receive forgiveness, grace, and truth. Christ was preaching a radical message, just like John; and in time, He would also be opposed, arrested, and killed, just like John.
As we continue to extend Christ’s ministry in our community and across the world, we should ask ourselves what do we need to boldly speak out against in our present society? When we are faced with leaders who are corrupt liars and spread false news, do we remain silent, or do we speak out against them? Are we willing to let truth be tarnished and people be exploited? Or will we follow in Christ’s footsteps and speak out against prejudice, injustice, and hatred, even though it will cost us friendships and relationships, reputations and privileges?
Today’s scripture lets us know what Jesus would do, so are we willing to follow His example?
Point to ponder: How radical is my faith? How ‘woke’ was Jesus?
Prayer:
Lord Jesus, You boldly went out into the world to challenge everyone to change
their ways. You spoke words that would anger Your opponents and disturb those
in power. Help us to have the courage to stand up against the liars and haters
in our world, to boldly speak out against those who would corrupt and mislead
Your people. In Your Holy Name, we humbly pray. Amen.
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