After John

After John was put in prison, Jesus went into Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God. (1:14)

Mark is telling that Jesus started working after John was put in prison. There is no explanation yet, but the reason of John’s arrest was because he had criticized the immorality of King Herod. If John pretended not to see King Herod’s action or criticized him a little loosely, he could avoid such hardships like imprisonment, but he criticized very harshly. Eventually he was killed in prison.

Was Baptist John’s choice to fight against the immoral leader and his power right? Or, should he have fighted in a way at least to save his life with a further perspective? When I think of John’s death, I cannot help thinking John’s death seems to be such a non-sense. It is possible to think that if he could live a little longer than that to shout for justice, he might help Jesus to proclaim the kingdom of God in more effective way. But we cannot turn history backwards. We cannot say John’s fighting is so ruthless and also we cannot say like no matter what, he is right. But definitely it is evident he was trying his best at his position.

John’s fate seems to be happening over and over again these days as well as 2000 years ago in his days. Some power group who has political as well as economical hegemony could suppress the opposing party simply and as a matter of fact, actually they do. America who has superpower oppresses North Korea without limit. Regarding economical growth as the most important value, South Korea brings Saemangum under its controls without limit. The theory of almighty power of growing churches make impossible to reform churches. The second and the third John are still in the process of being put in prison.

But look at this. The history of God is not finished even though the Baptist John, the last prophet in Judea, who used to proclaim the words like fire, was arrested. God is doing his own sovereignty again seriously out of the desperate situation. A new history of God through Jesus Christ restarts ‘after John was put in prison’. To our eyes ‘after John was put in prison’ could be despair, but to God’s eyes it means hope. Christians are not who rely on the situations that they are in, but only on God who controls everything on his own beyond that situation. People who rely only on God do not loosen their grips for hope under whatever situations they are. This hope is not self-desire or an illusion. It is not delusion like escape from reality, either. It is waiting which might happen only to the person who could recognize God’s sovereignty in an unexpected way.

In this respect there are two different kinds of people. One is a person who frustrates because of hardships in reality, and the other is a person who is looking forward to God’s sovereignty over reality. These two kinds of people keep on fighting with each other even life in wilderness for 40 years of Jewish history. One side is the people who are missing the lives in Egypt because of hardships in wilderness, but the other people are waiting for the freedom in Canaan. The Old Testament teaches that the will of God came true by the people like the latter.

Today are our lives like ‘after John was put in prison’ so dark? Do you feel like the atmosphere for reality of our community of Korea is so dark? And then it could be the opportunity that God could work. It might be the moment to wait for imminent God’s work seriously. Let’s live in such mystery of salvation.

Lord, help us to see the fact that a new history begins even after John was put in prison in our lives today. Amen.