Hollywood or here and now?
29 August 2018
The Gospel story today has all the ingredients of a television series. At a wild party with rich, powerful immoral people and bawdy dancing, an outrageous promise throws the evil wishes of an embittered woman against a fearless fighter for truth. The story ends in a gruesome death with scenes exposing a decapitated head. I’m pretty sure I’ve seen this episode on CSI.
In real life, we can take John the Baptist as our example of a life given for truth. He courageously lived his life proclaiming the truth and pointing people to Jesus. He was not seduced by popularity or swayed by disapproval even from the most powerful, and he paid the ultimate price.
With every choice we make we choose either for truth, like John the Baptist or for comfort, success and popularity like his murderers. The outcomes of our decisions rarely look as extreme as this dramatic scene, but the littlest decisions we make, point in a direction towards life or away. To become courageous people of faith we need to be aware of the implications of choosing well at every moment, even in small matters, so that ultimately, we live authentic lives that reflect Jesus.
Lord Jesus, give us the courage to live the truth when it is unpopular and even dangerous. Help us to see that our words and actions either lead us closer to you or away.
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