Scripture: Mark 1:14
Now after John was arrested, Jesus came to Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God…
Thought for the Day: Those who proclaimed the arrival of God’s Kingdom did not find the message well received by the gatekeepers of change. You know the people I’m talking about – the administrators of maintenance, the enforcers of conformity. Both John and Jesus were not simply street corner preachers who had people rolling their eyes in disgust. If anything, it was just the opposite. They were drawing crowds, and their preaching used language that challenged the establishment – religiously, politically and socially. The religious community did not have the authority to do much more than complain, but the Roman political structures were not amused. Rome arrested John and would eventually kill him and Jesus because their message did not encourage conformity to Roman values and structures. These two men didn’t appear all that dangerous, but Rome recognized the subversive power of their language and practices.
Prayer: O God of the alternative way, keep me focused upon the lives of John and Jesus. Allow them to challenge all of who I am, shaping me more fully into a follower of your way of hope and justice. Amen.
