Scripture

So John was beheaded in the prison, and his head was brought on a tray and given to the girl, who took it to her mother.

Observation

Herod Antipas, the ruler of Galilee, hears about the miracles Jesus is doing. He thinks that He is John the Baptist come back to life.

Sometime earlier, Herod had arrested and imprisoned John because John had been telling him that it was against God’s law for Herod to marry Herodias. At a party for Herod’s birthday, Herodias’s daughter had performed a dance for which Herod promised to give her anything she wanted. She demanded John the Baptist’s head brought to her on a tray. So John was beheaded. His head was taken on a tray to Herodias’s daughter, who gave it to her mother.

Application

The rich and powerful have always wielded control over people’s lives and punished those who criticise them.

These days, their power is more subtle than in the past. People are cancelled from social media or their jobs for expressing the wrong opinion.

Christians must not be afraid to speak the truth, regardless of the threat of reprisals. We must always speak the truth in love, but we must speak it anyway.

In his book, “Letter to the American Church,” Eric Metaxas writes that the Nazis were able to wield power ruthlessly because pastors and other Christians were afraid to speak up.

In our day, Western civilisation is rapidly falling apart, and Christians have a duty to confront evil and promote God’s righteousness.

Prayer

Father, thank you for the testimony of Christians through the ages who have stood up for truth at the expense of their own lives. Please give me that kind of courage. Amen.

Scripture

“The kingdom of Heaven is like a treasure that a man hidden in a field. In his excitement, he hid it again and sold everything he owned to get enough money to buy the field.”

Observation

Jesus tells more parables about the kingdom.

The kingdom of Heaven is like a man who finds treasure in a field. He sells everything he has in order to buy that field. Again, the kingdom is like a merchant who comes across a pearl of great value. He sells everything to buy the pearl.

The Kingdom of Heaven is like a fishing net that catches fish of all kinds. A sorting takes place, like the judgement that will happen at the day of judgement.

Jesus travels to Nazareth where the people reject Him because they saw Him grow up as a normal person. Consequently, Jesus could only do a few miracles there.

Application

God’s Kingdom is more valuable than anything else in this life. Like a man who finds treasure or a merchant finding a pearl, the kingdom has to be our number one priority.

For many Christians, their belief is just a part of life. But when you really understand how great God’s love for you is, then you realise that serving the Lord has to be everything.

This is not about going into ministry. Every Christian is called to serve God full-time, just not necessarily in preaching ministry.

Jesus is telling us here that everything – money, career, family, where we live, possessions – all of this is at God’s disposal because the kingdom of heaven is worth more than all of it.

Walking in friendship with God is the most precious thing any of us will ever have.

Prayer

Father, thank you for the kingdom of God. Please help me to always put you first in every part of my life. Amen.