543
THE KING’S BUSINESS
Jo h n ’s th a t fearlessly d en o u n ces sin in h ig h places is g re a tly n e ed e d in o u r day. W h en m en ’s p ractices do n o t h arm o n ize w ith th e tea ch in g o f th e fa ith fu l se rv a n t o f G od, th e re a re tw o w ays o f try in g to do aw ay w ith th e discrepancy, o n e is to re p en t an d th e o th e r is to silence th e p reach er. H e ro d trie d th e la tte r b u t d id n o t su cceed th ereb y in co v erin g h is s i n : Qn th e c o n tra ry , he th u s gave it w id e r publicity. Monday, June 21. Mark 6:21-25. “ H e fo d fe ared J o h n ,” an d h is fe a r o f th e m an o f G od sto o d in th e w ay o f H e ro d ia s’ h ate. Jo h n ’s rig h teo u sn ess an d h o lin ess aw ed H ero d . H o ly m en o ften in sp ire fe ar in th e h e a rts o f th o se w h o w o u ld do th em h a rm (1 K in g s 2 1 :20; M a rk 1 1 :18). J o h n ’s p reac h in g d istu rb ed H e ro d g reatly , y e t he h e a rd h im gladly. T h a t w as a g o o d sign, b u t if a m an o n ly com es to th e p o in t o f p leased listen in g to th e tru th , he w ill be lo st a t last ju s t as H e ro d w as. H e ro d n o t o n ly fe are d Jo h n b u t “w as m u ch p e rp le x ed ” (R . V .). T h e sim p lest w ay o u t o f h is p e r p lex ity w o u ld h av e b een fo r him to obey the p re a c h e r an d q u it h is sin, b u t H e ro d did n o t tak e th a t w ay. H e w as o v erm atch ed by an u n scru p u lo u s w om an. A n u n sc ru p u lous w om an is alw ay s m o re th a n a m atch fo r a frig h te n ed m an. T h e step s th a t led to th e final tra g e d y a re significant, (1 ) H e to o k h is b ro th e r’s w ife ; (2 ) H e re je cte d a fa ith fu l w a rn in g ; (3 ) H e im p riso n ed th e fa ith fu l p re a c h e r; (4 ) H e m ad e a d ru n k en fe ast (H e ro d w as n o t th e last m an w ho h as g o tte n in to tro u b le by m ak in g a w in e su p p e r fo r h is frie n d s ; (5 ) H e w atch ed a li cen tio u s dance (m o st d an cin g is L icentious in th e final an aly sis, a n d H e ro d is n o t by an y m ean s th e last m an w h o h as lo st h is h ead a n d p lu n g ed in to crim e becau se o f a b e au tifu l d a n c e r ) ; (6 ) H e obeyed th e p rom p tin g s o f h is e x cited im a g in atio n an d m ad e a ra sh v o w ; (7 ) H e k ep t h is foolish and- w ick ed o a th ; (8 ) H e m u rd ere d a holy m an ; (9 ) H e w en t to hell. H o w sin g row s a n d w h a t a cru el m o n ste r sin is.
san d to' flig h t” (D e u t. 3 2 :3 0 ). T h e tw o to g e th e r, u n itin g in p ra y e r in th e re a l u n ity o f th e S p irit, co u ld claim th e p rom ise “I f two o f y o u sh all a g ree on e a rth as to u ch in g an y th in g th ey sh all ask, it sh all be done fo r th em o f m y F a th e r w h ich is in h e av e n ” (M a tt. 18:19) a n d th a t o th e r p rom ise even m o re p recio u s, “W h e re tw o . . . are g a th e re d in m y nam e, th e re am I in th e m id s tv o f th em ” (M a tt. 1 8 :2 0 ). T o th e tw elv e as H e sen d s th em out, o u r L o rd g av e “a u th o rity o v er th e u n clean sp irits.” It' is cle ar th a t Je su s H im se lf m u st have- b een D iv in e if H e co u ld b estow a u th o rity o v e r u n clean sp irits u p o n o th ers. T h ey w ere to go fo rth to th e ir w o rk ta k in g n o th in g w ith th em fo r th e ir jo u rn ey , because H e H im se lf w o u ld p ro v id e fo r H is ow n la b o re rs. B u t th is p a rt o f th e com m ission w as ch an g ed in a la te r d ay w h en n ew em er g en cies an d circum stan ces h a d arisen . T h e tw elv e th u s sen t fo rth w en t a n d d id as they w ere to ld a n d a ctu ally h a d th e a u th o rity w h ich Je su s claim ed to b estow u p o n them . T h ey “cast o u t m an y d em o n s” a n d h ealed m an y th a t w ere sick (v s. 12, 13). I t is ev id en t from th e w o rd in g th a t d em oniacal p ossession is som eth in g m o re th a n a m ere W h e n H e ro d h e a rd o f th e w o n d erfu l w o rk s w ro u g h t by th e L o rd Je su s, h is gu ilty conscience said to him , “I t is th e holy m an yo u k illed com e b ack to e arth .” H e ro d h im self w as n o t th e first to su g g est th is (L u k e 9 :7 ) , b u t his u n easy conscience quick ly cau g h t up th e su g g estio n s. N a t u ra lly H e ro d w as h o rro r-stru c k , b u t h e w as a sh allow m an an d his a n x ie ty on th is score w as o f sh o rt d u ra tio n (L u k e 2 3 :8 ). Jo h n th e B ap tist h a d b ro u g h t d ow n u p o n h is ow n h ead th e w ra th , o f u n p rin cip led H e ro d ias b y h is fa ith fu l d ealin g w ith h e r in fam o u s sin. J o h n ’s p reac h in g w as plain, fearless, rig h t to th e p o in t a n d w ith o u t resp ect of perso n s. H e d id his d u ty a n d cleared his so u l, b u t lo st his head. P re a c h in g like fo rm o f disease. Sunday, June 20. Mark 6:14-20.
Made with FlippingBook - Online magazine maker