The Courage of John the Baptist

# 404 - Today's Living Word comes from Mr 6:17,18 “For Herod himself had sent and laid hold of John, and bound him in prison for the sake of Herodias, his brother Philip's wife; for he had married her. For John had said to Herod, "It is not lawful for you to have your brother's wife."

And now we begin to look at the details of the events that led to the death of John the Baptist at the hands of Herod. First of all note the courage of John. He had the kind of courage that God gives to His true prophets. John didn't preach repentance just for the little guy. God's Law is God's Law and it doesn't matter your station in life, your position in the congregation, the amount of money you toss into the offering plate, or the amount of weight you are able to throw around behind the scenes. God's Law applies to all. And even though Herod had the power to hand John's head to him in a basket, John confronted Herod with his sin.

This overlooking of the sins of the rich and powerful in a congregation has always been a great temptation for pastors. It is much easier to go with the flow. Pastors and elders need to pray fervently in this regard, and stand firm on the Word. The congregation must come alongside their pastor and fight this type of intimidation. As James 2:1 says, “My brothers, show no partiality as you hold the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.”

I'm Duane Matz and that's Today's Living Word