Sticking Together
On hearing of this, John’s disciples came and took his body and laid it in a tomb. (Mark 6:29)
In light of all that our country is facing right now, people wonder, and perhaps rightfully so, where is the Church? It is a question that has risen from those who have been disaffected with and disappointed by the Church. It is a question that comes from those outside of the Church. And it is a question that also comes from those within the Church who are simply looking for answers about the presence of God, the problem of evil in the world, and the role of the Church in the midst of a crisis.
We can see a beautiful example of how the Church should be in a crisis when we read about the death of John the Baptist in the Gospel of Mark. John was the dear friend, close comrade, and cousin of Jesus. Unfortunately, through a series of incredibly odd circumstances, John found himself the victim of a demonic deal cut by King Herod while he was under the influence of alcohol.
As a result, John the Baptist was decapitated, and when the news hit the streets, Mark records something quite interesting about the Church and its response to this tragedy. He describes how the disciples of John (the Church) came and took his body, and then laid it in a tomb. In other words, when John died, the Church stuck together.
Throughout this verse, Mark is particular about using plural words to amplify the point that when the Church was in crisis, they stuck together. They were unified, and that is an example we should be following today as we face one crisis after another. For if we stand together, if we have a unified front, we will be much more effective in standing against the schemes of the enemy and as a result will be able to point more people to Jesus as they, too, ask “Where is the Church?”
In light of all that our country is facing right now, people wonder, and perhaps rightfully so, where is the Church? It is a question that has risen from those who have been disaffected with and disappointed by the Church. It is a question that comes from those outside of the Church. And it is a question that also comes from those within the Church who are simply looking for answers about the presence of God, the problem of evil in the world, and the role of the Church in the midst of a crisis.
We can see a beautiful example of how the Church should be in a crisis when we read about the death of John the Baptist in the Gospel of Mark. John was the dear friend, close comrade, and cousin of Jesus. Unfortunately, through a series of incredibly odd circumstances, John found himself the victim of a demonic deal cut by King Herod while he was under the influence of alcohol.
As a result, John the Baptist was decapitated, and when the news hit the streets, Mark records something quite interesting about the Church and its response to this tragedy. He describes how the disciples of John (the Church) came and took his body, and then laid it in a tomb. In other words, when John died, the Church stuck together.
Throughout this verse, Mark is particular about using plural words to amplify the point that when the Church was in crisis, they stuck together. They were unified, and that is an example we should be following today as we face one crisis after another. For if we stand together, if we have a unified front, we will be much more effective in standing against the schemes of the enemy and as a result will be able to point more people to Jesus as they, too, ask “Where is the Church?”
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