Neglecting the Persecuted?
In His most dramatic depiction of the last judgment, Jesus tells about when He will divide the nations gathered before Him into two groups, the sheep and the goats. To the sheep He says, among other things, "I was in prison and you came to visit me" (Matt. 25:36, NIV).
Read the following texts in the light of Jesus' judgment pronouncement. Give your immediate impression on how you think the text relates to His prison reference in the judgment.
How is Jesus' conduct during the imprisonment of John to be explained? Upon first hearing of John's incarceration, He returns to Galilee (Matt. 4:12). And all the evidence suggests that John did not receive a visit from his illustrious contemporary while in the dungeon, a clear implication of Matthew 11:2, 3. According to the passage, John dispatches his disciples to Jesus with a question; that being, apparently, the only means of contact available to him. Following the visit of John's people, Jesus launches into high praise for the embattled prophet but does not visit him.
One of the most persistent questions we face as human beings centers around the issue of suffering: "Where is God when we hurt?" In the experience of John, we have a partial answer, in terms of Jesus' conduct. Though He was God in human flesh, with power to act, Jesus does not intervene to rescue the one who had helped prepare the ground for His own ministry. And following John's murder, all we get from Jesus (Who, we suspect, felt it keenly) is silence. Nor is it likely that He or His disciples attended John's funeral.
How would you explain Jesus' conduct during this dark time for John? What were the probable extenuating circumstances that might have played a role in His decision? (See The SDA Bible Commentary, vol. 5, p. 316, which suggests that the authorities were attempting to silence both John and Jesus.)
No comments:
Post a Comment