Matthew 14:1-12
Yet, I failed again to upload my blog by 12 o'clock last night. Sorry about that. I had a homework assignment that took forever. I actually didn't even finish it and ended up having to give up on it. I'm so lazy with assignments these days. I need help. I need to motivate myself to start these assignments a little earlier and complete them before the night BEFORE the day it's due. That's my goal from here on out. Keep me in check guys. Thanks.
I had my first oral progress report for my senior design today that was really really tough. Though a lot of the people told me they experienced the same thing, I felt like I was being pushed. In the end I didn't even realize that I spent 10 minutes talking with my professor. You're supposed to spend 5 minutes explaining your research and your project and leave 5 minutes for the professors to ask you any questions. However, they ended up asking only one question and I spent the other 9 talking. I have no idea if that's good or bad, but I ended up feeling depressed the entire day.
John The Baptist Beheaded
Michelangelo Merisis da Caravaggio, "The Beheading Of John The Baptist"
The passage today was rather grim. Remember John the Baptist from before? Well this was about his death. Reports came to Herod about how John was associated with Jesus and that he was able to perform miracles because John was risen from the dead. Herod was the one that kept John in jail because John told Herod that it was unlawful to have Herodias, Philips's wife. Herod felt angered and threw John in jail. Herod was not able to kill John, however, because he was afraid of what the reaction from the crowd may be. Many of the people thought of John as a prophet, and Herod was afraid of that.
Then on the night of Herod's birthday, the daughter of Herodias danced for the crowd and it pleased Herod a lot. Herod told her that he would grant her with an oath. When asked, the daughter replied that she wanted the head of John the Baptist on a platter. This was prompted by her mother, Herodias. The king was distressed, but because he had made an oath, he had John beheaded and put on a platter for the daughter. The daughter gave the head to her mother.
In the end Jesus's disciples buried John's body and told Jesus what had happened.
This story is very tragic in the sense that John really didn't do anything wrong but tell Herod that what he had done was wrong. Herodias was somebody else's wife, yet Herod decided to keep her next to him. While Herod didn't kill John immediately, somehow this had angered Herodias. Perhaps she wanted to live in the riches that Herod provided for her. Regardless , John was a servant of God and it's very tragic to hear of his death. He has done much for the kingdom of God and yet his life was taken away for nothing. He is a martyr and it's always to take in stories of martyrs.
In the end, would we be able to do the same for God? Are we not afraid of anything and willing to work for God not knowing what the end may be like? Death can come to us unfairly and our heads may end up being a gift to somebody else. Yet, are we still able to serve and follow. Remember what Jesus had told us before. We need to be able to take the cross and follow Him. Or we are not recognized by God. I think that's the scarier path.
On a side note, it's interesting to note that the death of John is recognized by churches around the world. I wiki'd for some information about his death and found the following churches have services for his death:
-Roman Catholic Church has a feast called "Martyrdom of St. John The Baptist" on August 29
-Church Of England and other Anglican Communion groups have a feast called "The Beheading Of John The Baptist" on August 29
-Eastern Orthodox and Byzantine Catholic - fast on August 29
-Armenian Apostolic Church - celebrates Decollation of St. John on Saturday of Easter Week
-Many other churches have other traditions as well recognizing martyrs. Let's pray for them.
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