Be Still And Know

Luke 3:19-20 John the Baptist had a ministry of confrontation. He called the crowd a brood of snakes and delivered an uncompromising message. He believed that his ministry was to call the nation to repentance – and that included the king. Anyone looking for a quiet life would have kept quiet about the king’s marital arrangements. It was well known that, on a visit to Rome, Herod Antipas had met and fallen in love with Herodias, the wife of his half-brother, Herod. Herodias was the daughter of another of Herod Antipas’ half brothers and so the marriage was totally improper by Jewish standards! Added to that, Herod Antipas was already married. You couldn’t make it up! Most people chose to keep quiet about this scandal, knowing that the king would respond violently to any opposition. But that didn’t bother John the Baptist. He knew what his job was and he got on with it, even though he was imprisoned as a result. Jesus called his followers to be peacemakers, and it is important to recognise that making peace