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Repent
It can be hard to work with people. But God promises to fill our hearts with gladness. The first step is to “Keep Awake” to how you feel. Sometimes you feel angry, like John the Baptizer, because there is injustice in the world. Jesus can purify your heart from injustice with the fire of the Holy Spirit, and restore justice to the Earth. Listen to John the Baptizer. Repent from unjust behaviors.
Feeling Angry
"St. John the Baptist"
John the Baptizer was angry because he saw and experienced injustice. He was a religious and spiritual man that lived in the wilderness area near the Jordan River outside of Jerusalem. He experienced an unfair difference between country priests like himself, and those who lived in the big city, Jerusalem. In Jerusalem the city priests, called Sadducees, were very cozy to the Roman rulers who had conquered and occupied Israel and Judah. Those priests were relatively rich and powerful. But because they were so close to this foreign power, their ability to care for the spiritual needs of the people was compromised.
John the Baptizer wasn’t alone. There were other people who felt angry and disgusted by the injustices they saw in Jerusalem. They chose to live in the wilderness and focus on living a stringent and strict life according to God’s laws. This group of people were called the Essenes. Qumran, is the name of one such place where the Essenes were known to live. You might have heard of Qumran because some years ago that is where the “Dead Sea Scrolls” were discovered. The Dead Sea Scrolls were one of the greatest archeological finds of the modern era. They were original scrolls of the Hebrew Bible. They are still studied to this day.
Flavius Josephus
Because of Injustice
John the Baptizer was so powerful in his preaching that his life isn’t just remembered in the holy scriptures. He is also found in another historical record of that era. Flavius Josephus wrote about him in, “The Antiquities of the Jews” book 18, chapter 5, secion 2:
“When others too joined the crowds about him, because they were aroused to the highest degree by his sermons, Herod became alarmed. Eloquence that had so great an effect on mankind might lead to some form of sedition, for it looked as if they would be guided by John in everything that they did. Herod decided therefore that it would be much better to strike first and be rid of him before his work led to an uprising, than to wait for an upheaval, get involved in a difficult situation and see his mistake.” Josephus Jewish Antiquities 18.5.2
Shamefully Herod killed John the Baptizer. Herod was afraid that the people were so moved by John’s preaching that they would seek to overthrow him as king. It is totally understandable, therefore, that John the Baptizer felt angry. He lived in a deeply unjust world, and died because of it.
God Purifies Hearts
John the
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By Rev. Wesley MenkeIt can be hard to work with people. But God promises to fill our hearts with gladness. The first step is to “Keep Awake” to how you feel. Sometimes you feel angry, like John the Baptizer, because there is injustice in the world. Jesus can purify your heart from injustice with the fire of the Holy Spirit, and restore justice to the Earth. Listen to John the Baptizer. Repent from unjust behaviors.
Feeling Angry
"St. John the Baptist"
John the Baptizer was angry because he saw and experienced injustice. He was a religious and spiritual man that lived in the wilderness area near the Jordan River outside of Jerusalem. He experienced an unfair difference between country priests like himself, and those who lived in the big city, Jerusalem. In Jerusalem the city priests, called Sadducees, were very cozy to the Roman rulers who had conquered and occupied Israel and Judah. Those priests were relatively rich and powerful. But because they were so close to this foreign power, their ability to care for the spiritual needs of the people was compromised.
John the Baptizer wasn’t alone. There were other people who felt angry and disgusted by the injustices they saw in Jerusalem. They chose to live in the wilderness and focus on living a stringent and strict life according to God’s laws. This group of people were called the Essenes. Qumran, is the name of one such place where the Essenes were known to live. You might have heard of Qumran because some years ago that is where the “Dead Sea Scrolls” were discovered. The Dead Sea Scrolls were one of the greatest archeological finds of the modern era. They were original scrolls of the Hebrew Bible. They are still studied to this day.
Flavius Josephus
Because of Injustice
John the Baptizer was so powerful in his preaching that his life isn’t just remembered in the holy scriptures. He is also found in another historical record of that era. Flavius Josephus wrote about him in, “The Antiquities of the Jews” book 18, chapter 5, secion 2:
“When others too joined the crowds about him, because they were aroused to the highest degree by his sermons, Herod became alarmed. Eloquence that had so great an effect on mankind might lead to some form of sedition, for it looked as if they would be guided by John in everything that they did. Herod decided therefore that it would be much better to strike first and be rid of him before his work led to an uprising, than to wait for an upheaval, get involved in a difficult situation and see his mistake.” Josephus Jewish Antiquities 18.5.2
Shamefully Herod killed John the Baptizer. Herod was afraid that the people were so moved by John’s preaching that they would seek to overthrow him as king. It is totally understandable, therefore, that John the Baptizer felt angry. He lived in a deeply unjust world, and died because of it.
God Purifies Hearts
John the