Friday 29 August 2008
- Bible Book:
- Luke
"In the fifteenth year of the reign of Emperor Tiberius, when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, and Herod was ruler of Galilee, and his brother Philip ruler of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias ruler of Abilene, during the high-priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John son of Zechariah in the wilderness. He went into all the region around the Jordan, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins, as it is written in the book of the words of the prophet Isaiah, 'The voice of one crying out in the wilderness: "Prepare the way of the Lord..."' So, with many other exhortations, John proclaimed the good news to the people. But Herod the ruler, who had been rebuked by him because of Herodias, his brother's wife, and because of all the evil things that Herod had done, added to them all by shutting up John in prison." (v.1-4, 18-20)
Background
Luke opens his story much as a film-maker would. He jumpsstraight into the action and then comes back to introduce the mainpart of the story. Luke is enough of a historian to set the storyof Jesus in its geographical and political context.
Herod was ruler of Galilee and the son of the Herod who ordered thedeaths of the children of Bethlehem at the time of Jesus' birth (
Luke's opening two chapters convey extracts of some of the eventssurrounding the birth and childhood of Jesus. Spliced into theChristmas story is also the story of the birth of John the Baptist,the son of Mary's cousin Elizabeth (
The gospel story Luke wants to tell focuses on the three years ofJesus' public preaching. It is the arrest of John the Baptist thatcreates the moment for Jesus to begin his public preaching. Lukerecords that much later, Jesus was brought before Herod when Pilateattempted to sidestep his responsibility for the trial of Jesus (
The record of the beheading of John the Baptist is told in moredetail in Mark6:19-29. It is this event that is traditionally commemorated on29 August.
To Ponder
Are there other occasions when the death of aprophetic voice does not silence it but broadcasts it? Which ismost significant for you?
Have you ever responded to a flagrant act ofinjustice by taking some action for the first time? What promptedyou to do this?