Trinity Six 11th July 2021
Hi everyone,
What a mixture of
weather we have been having this week, we continue to remember in our prayers
those who have lost home and possessions because of last Monday’s floods. The
plus for us is the sudden growth spurt in the garden and trying to keep up with
the fruit as it ripens.
The story this week from
Mark brought to mind my childhood, do you remember when you did something that
maybe you shouldn’t of and somehow your mum, or significant other in life, knew
exactly what you had been up to! I never could quite work out how did she find
out what I had said or done; it was a complete mystery. When I became a mother
myself I discovered the secret.
There is also a saying
isn’t there “be sure your sins will find you out” and I am sure that Herod had
that quite prominently in his mind when he heard about the way Jesus was
gaining a following. The stories of his disciples going out and proclaiming the
good news and bringing healing to some of the afflicted. He was sure John the
Baptist had come back, wonder if he was scared or just worried about what was
to come?
The great historian
Josephus recorded at the time, that the local population were quite indignant
with Herod Antipas for killing John, whom they regarded as an honourable and
true prophet of repentance. Then three years later, the father of Antipas’s
first divorced wife, King Aretas of Nabataea, invaded Antipas’s western territory
and massacred his army. The populace saw in this defeat God’s revenge on Herod
for his crime. Everyone recognised that John died merely because he had spoken
the truth: “it is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife”. But this was
the truth that the powerful did not want to hear”.
The people had held the
story of Herod’s actions and would have seen this as his comeuppance.
Prophets can condemn kings and rulers, as well as those who cheat on
their wives. They are concerned about the life of nations, they will also
condemn those who steal from the poor, or those who do not practice decent
morals. There is no point threatening a prophet and hoping they will go
away quietly, God has empowered and compelled them to speak and all human power
is redundant.
This is not Herod the Great who indifferently
slaughtered his wives, his offspring, and Bethlehem’s babies, but his son Herod
Antipas, tetrarch of Galilee — Herod "the fox", according to Jesus
(Luke 13.32).
His sin was to have married someone too closely related to him, a woman who was
both his sister-in-law and his niece. The old Book of Common Prayer has a page
on which is recorded 'A table of kindred and affinity, wherein whosoever are
related are forbidden by the church of England to marry together.'
A man may not marry his
mother, daughter, father's mother, mother's mother,
son's daughter, daughters daughter, sister, father's daughter, mother's
daughter, wife's mother, wife's daughter, father's wife, son's wife, father's
father's wife, mother's father's wife, wife's father's mother, wife's mother's
mother, wife's son's daughter, wife's daughter's daughter, son's son's wife,
daughter's son's wife, father's sister, mother's sister, brother's daughter,
sister's daughter. No chance for Herod and Herodias .
John the Baptist would not be silenced, he had his conviction and he was
steadfast in proclaiming the need for everybody to be ready to meet with God.
God working his purpose out through those who would
listen and hear and action in their lives.
Be Blessed Rev Georgina
Be Blessed Rev Georgina
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