What price?

What price do we pay for the Love of Christ, who gave his blood and life on the cross for us. The beginning of the Gospel message for this day tells us, that John the Baptist paid the ultimate price. for his faith . The gospel story begins in a lonely place and ends with a crowd of people. But, I jump ahead. At a time when Christianity was at the high place of persecution, when John stood up to King Herod and denounced him for waiting to marry his brother's wife. John had told King Herod,  Whom (Jesus called that old fox), that God would not approve, and so he was arrested and thrown into jail. How would he fair today, if, the truth be told twenty-centuries later and John was here, he would be the first to tell it again. He would defend the word of God again to  the death.  Abortion, homosexuality, same sex marriage, in this day and age , we only talk about it behind the doors and walls of our cloistered religious surroundings, even though the price isn't as high as John paid. We prefer others to step forward, to speak for us, and stand amid the heat that they will generate, Some times have not changed,in twenty centuries, now we understand, that " God"  has went back to the garden, contemplating, his message in Revelation, That the destruction of his creation at last, will not be like it was in 'Noah's day,over in 40 days? It will stay (7 years of pain, to remind us of our sin that He couldn't take anymore.  ( He had enough!)
John lost his head for the truth of God. He did not care about public opinion. being filled with the Holy Spirit from birth as the Bible tells us, in the "birth narrative"  in the gospel of Luke: " that John leapt in his mothers womb, when Elizabeth greeted Mary who told her of the great event, through the Angel GABRIEL, "THAT SHE HAD FOUND FAVOR WITH GOD AND WOULD CARRY GOD'S SON, and that He would be named JESUS!"
 John was no small time player in God's plan for the redemption of all his creation. Without John to fulfill the prophecy of the coming of the Messiah, the one who would herald in the Christ. Now John is sitting in prison, at the demand of Herodias, his brother Philip's ex-wife. But Herod would of killed him, but he was afraid of a riot, For  most of the people believed John was a  prophet.  He was the hope of restoration which New Testament scholars use as the context for understanding the ministry and message of John the Baptist.  As the records show, he regarded his mission as sifting the nation by his call to repentance so that they would be prepared for the coming purging and restoration.  He was the hope of Israel's fulfillment.But not every child of Abraham would buy into it.
We can see how Jesus accepted and agreed with his message and recognized his significance for the fulfillment of the hope of Israel.
 All the gospels begin their accounts of Jesus ministry with his baptism by John.  If John was the one who had been sent to prepare Israel for its eschatological restoration, (end time) by God himself,  Jesus was the one who had been sent to accomplish it.
 But at a  birthday party for Herod, Herodia's daughter (Salome) performed a dance that greatly pleased him. So he vowed to give her anything she wanted! Consequently, at her mother's urging, the girl ask for John the Baptist head on a platter. I mention this episode, to put in perspective, our little contribution towards the kingdom, which is not very much. Do we stand for the truth of God's word, and are we willing to pay the price? Herod put himself into the position where he could not back down, for he made this promise in front of his guests.
 So John was be-headed in the prison, and his head was brought on a platter and given to "Salome," who took it to her mother. So John's disciples came for the body and buried it, and came to tell Jesus what happened. You might say Oh! Well, that was 2,000 years ago,  but remember, Jesus is the same today, as he was yesterday and he will be tomorrow. God's truth is the same today as it was yesterday, and he will be tomorrow. As soon as Jesus heard the news, he went off by himself in a boat, to a remote area to be alone. It was Jesus way, that he would go to a high place and pray to the Father, to clear the sadness in his heart.  After John was murdered, Jesus desires a time of solitude, still his compassion for others will not allow him to dismiss those who still need him but, rather, moves him to perform one of his greatest miracles, feeding the 5,000. When Jesus came out of the wilderness, a  vast crowd was waiting for him and he pitied the sick. That evening the disciples came to him and said,'It is already past time for supper, and their is nothing to eat in the desert, send the crowds away so they can go to the villages and buy some food. But, Jesus replied, " That isn't necessary- you feed them! WHAT! they exclaimed. We have exactly five small loaves of bread and two fish.
 " Bring them here." He said. Then he told the people to sit down on the grass; and he took the five loaves and two fish, looked up to the sky and asked the Father's blessing on the meal. Then he broke the loaves apart and gave them to his disciples to place before the people, and they ate until they were full, and when the scraps were picked up afterwards there were "Twelve" baskets  left  over"
."think about it?" After John's death, Jesus began his ministry in Galilee, proclaiming, " the good news of God,", and saying, the time is fulfilled and the kingdom of God is near; Jesus speaking the same words John spoke on the banks of the river Jordan; "REPENT" the Kingdom of heaven is at hand.
 In view of what happen to John, Jesus certainly might have considered the option of withdrawing permanently from his ministry. Instead he turned toward the need of the great throng before him with compassion. By evening the disciples saw that all of them were in a lonely place. Here was another opportunity to scatter and flee. but, Jesus chose to keep everyone together and feed them until they were satisfied.
  It seems that lonely places provide their own nourishment. These are places where the mystery of God speaks to the needs in our minds and hearts. Think of the people of Israel, fed in lonely isolation of the wilderness. Think of Elijah, running from certain death, fed and nourished by Ravens in a lonely place.
 Sometimes it is the lonely places where we find the courage and compassion, to serve Christ; the same lonely place, Jesus took up the cross and offered himself. We may not have  all the gifts needed, to defend God's truth. But, we have one gift, "the gift of prayer."