The good times being
enjoyed by John and Jesus are not going to last forever. There are difficult times for both of them
looming on the horizon. The wheels of
persecution and prosecution are already turning in the lofty halls of
power. Most of these machinations are
aimed at John, since he is the one who had been creating the majority of the
waves affecting the religious status quo.
It is during this
time that John and Jesus are reminded of the forces that are seeking to
unsettle and disrupt this ministry they believe is such a threat to their power
base. The text mentions that a
disagreement arises. Other translations
call it everything from a discussion to an argument. All we know at this point is that the
conflict is regarding Jewish purification ceremonies. It's probably not a coincidence that there is
also a reference to six ceremonial washing jars during the narrative of the
miracle at the wedding at Cana (John 2:6).
The issue at stake
we will deal with when we understand the objection. All we have to deal with now is a disagreement
between people of faith. Both the
disciples of John and the gentleman raising objections are men of Israel--
believers in the God of heaven.
Disagreements will arise. There
is nothing inherently evil with disagreeing-- but certainly there is danger in
how I choose to deal with disagreements.
It is tragic if I lose my Christianity trying to defend it. There is no place for contempt and demonizing
those who do not see things as I do.
Perhaps there will be something to be learned about how to deal with
disagreements as the journey through this portion of Scripture continues.
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