#John the Baptizer

[santmat]

John the Baptist's Wilderness Vegetarian Diet Explained - Spiritual Awakening Radio Podcast

Not A Caveman Fixated on Bugs and Bees After All: John the Baptist's Wilderness Vegetarian Diet - Locust Beans Not Bugs - An Exploration of Early Christian Writings and Scholarly Texts Today on This Spiritual Awakening Radio Podcast.

Nevermind the old Sunday school notion of John the Baptist being some weird caveman dude dining on bugs! John may have a tarnished caveman reputation of eating locusts and honey out in the wild, but this is really a story about copyists mistranslating a Greek word as "locust" ('a-k-r-i-d-e-s') instead of "carob" ('e-g-k-r-i-d-e-s'). (Henry Ford: "Anyone who stops learning is old, whether at twenty or eighty. Anyone who keeps learning stays young." Albert Einstein: "Intellectual growth should commence at birth and cease only at death.")

Since my original research on this topic, a couple more early Christian apocryphal writings have come to light, have been made available in English. These add to the surprisingly large collection of vegetarian references in early Christian writings regarding the diet of John the Baptist. New Testament Apocrypha, Vol. III, by Tony Burke was published and some John the Baptist books are included. In one of the earlier volumes there was a John the Baptist text made available for the first time in English that has a vegetarian passage regarding John's diet in the wilderness. Included in the third volume are, The Birth of Holy John the Forerunner, and, The Decapitation of John the Forerunner, both containing plant-based passages about John's diet consisting of "locusts from the tree" (in the Middle east called "the Saint John's Tree", and "Carob Tree") and "wild honey", also "an abundance of bread and wild honey dripping from a rock". Clearly there was an understanding in early Christianity that this was referring to locust beans (carob pods), not insects. Carob pods do look a bit like locusts hanging from tree branches, hence the name. Locust beans can be ground up and used to make a kind of Middle eastern carob flour flat bread. There's a "cakes dipped in honey" reference in the Gospel of the Ebionites. The wild "honey" was not from bees but sticky desert fruit of some kind. So, as you'll hear being documented during this pod...cast, there are all these plant-based references to John's diet coming from many different sources, and scholars have noticed and discussed these: "Probably the most interesting of the changes from the familiar New Testament accounts of Jesus comes in the Gospel of the Ebionites description of John the Baptist, who, evidently, like his successor Jesus, maintained a strictly vegetarian cuisine." (Professor Bart Ehrman, Lost Christianities: The Battles for Scripture and the Faiths We Never Knew) "His [John the Baptist's] food was wild honey that tasted like manna, like a cake cooked in olive oil." (The Other Gospels, Accounts of Jesus from Outside the New Testament, by Bart Ehrman)

John the Baptist was a prophet with large number of followers in Israel and Transjordan regions. After his passing, several of his successors headed what became various rival Nasoraean (Nazorean) sects, one of those being Jesus and the Jesus movement. "Again Jesus said to his disciples: Truly I say to you, among all those born of women none has arisen greater than John the Baptizer." (Matthew 11:11, George Howard's translation of Shem-Tob's Hebrew Gospel of Matthew, described as "the oldest extant Hebrew version of the Gospel of Matthew") 

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May the Blessings Be,

James Bean

Spiritual Awakening Radio Podcasts

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[kramlabs]

James, Dead Sea scrolls and Sicarii Essenes

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Shelfie:

[adragonflyaway]

looking for the chosen queer fans, interested ones, dm me, we need to talk about our gay otps and headcanons, thank you 💐

[the-chosen-fanfiction]

John (the Baptiser) | Wherever The Spirit Leads Us | Romantic

Dialogue prompt: “As long as we’re together, we can deal with this.”

Requested: Yes

There has always been more between you and John, but the voice of God is louder than any earthly relationship. Both of you are aware of that, no matter how much it might hurt.

You have always been proud of John. 

From your early childhood in Judea, the two of you had been friendly with one another. There was something about him that drew you to him, no matter if it made you an outcast, too. Since you stuck up for him one day when a few children from the village picked on him, a friendship was born, one that extended into adulthood.

Crazy John and his crazy friend (Y/n). It was what you often heard throughout your youth and it didn’t sting anymore. Even now, when overlooking the river Jordan, leaned against a tree for some shade, the strange glances cast your way go over your head.

“Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!” John preaches time and time again, “For this is He who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah when he said, "The voice of one crying in the wilderness: ' Prepare the way of the Lord; make His paths straight .'"

You know Jesus - used to play with Him when He came over to visit John when you were children. He had always said that God would use you for His Kingdom some day. You had never understood what He meant, until now.

Day after day, you assist him with his baptisms, guiding people to the front that want to repent of their sins.

One morning, a familiar face pops up, smiling kindly at you as a greeting. 

“Jesus!” you call out, rushing towards Him. John falls silent in his passionate preaching and lowers the finger he had pointed up to the heavens, all eyes turning to the One Who had caught the Baptiser’s attention. 

“It’s good to see you, (Y/n),” Jesus softly says when you arrive at His side and you smile, looking over your shoulder to face your friend John, who gestures towards Jesus. 

“Behold, the Lamb of God, Who takes away the sin of the world! This is He of Whom I said, ‘After me comes a Man Who ranks before me, because He was before me.’ I myself did not know Him, but for this purpose I came baptising with water, that He might be revealed to Israel.” 

Your breath hitches in your throat as goosebumps spread all over your skin. As the people step aside to let Jesus through, you maintain eye-contact with John, who nods slowly at you. It sends butterflies through your system.

The crowd falls silent as Jesus steps into the water, wading towards his cousin until he is waist-deep, smiling gently as he waits for him to move, but John seems reluctant.

His voice wavers as he speaks up: “I need to be baptised by You, and You come to me?” 

Jesus is patient and reassuringly hums. “Let it be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfil all righteousness.”

You manage to get yourself to the front when John guides Jesus into the river, engulfing Him fully. With a coiling gut, you watch the scene with bated breath as do the rest of the people around, and right as He rises from the water, an almost blinding light bursts from the heavens for a split second.

When your squint relaxes, you witness how a crisp white dove descends from above and lands on Jesus’ bare shoulder, remaining there for a few moments. A voice calls out – too loud to be John, too intense and warm to be mortal – and you nearly fall to the ground as it rumbles through the sky.

“This is My beloved Son, with Whom I am well pleased.”

The horde erupts in a cacophony of shouts, exclamations of awe and pure puzzlement. Within a second, everything is chaos, though amidst it all, you find Jesus and John on the shore of the river, droplets of water gathering underfoot. The dove has left but Jesus seems to glow, and you can’t do anything else but let out a shaky exhale when He locks eyes with you, a wide grin spreading over His face.

“What did you think of that, huh?” He queries, winking at you. 

John slowly shakes his head, grinning, “Oh, that was… I can’t even put words to it! Transcendental!” 

“It was!” you gawk, “Is… Is the Kingdom of heaven truly at hand?”

Jesus hums and gives a slow nod, looking around at the dispersing crowd. Nobody seems to be paying attention to the three of you anymore now that everyone is either fleeing in panic or running back to tell the village what they had been witness to. 

“May I invite you for dinner tonight?” you immediately ask, “I’ve got so many questions about what just happened!”

He chuckles and puts a hand on your shoulder, then looks at his cousin and back to you. 

“Thank you for your offer, (Y/n), but maybe that you could invite John to go in my stead. He looks like he needs a decent meal and I’m going into the desert for a while.”

Shaking your head in confusion, you open your mouth to speak, but it is as if John steals them away from you. “The desert? Why?”

“I need to spend some time with my Father. Now friends, I will return. It will be a while, but do not be alarmed. This is something I must do Myself.”

Puzzled yet trusting that He knew what He was talking about, you whisper an affirmative answer. In silence, you and John watch as Jesus redresses, mutters a final greeting and heads off into the distance.

“Do you think He’ll ever not be an enigma to us?” you wonder out loud. John laughs and puts a hand on your back, something that makes your gut positively swirl with the butterflies you have mustered towards the odd preacher since the moment you met him. 

“Are you seriously asking me if you and I could ever comprehend the mystery of God’s ways? I think not, (Y/n). But as long as we’re together, we can deal with this. ”

You flush and lower your gaze. “Ah, you’re right, that does sound silly.”

“Not at all,” John tells you, “I’ve got those questions, too, even though He is related to me. Now, does that offer for dinner still stand? I’ve got a feeling that I’ll be busy soon with my new students and I’d love to spend a quiet evening with just the two of us,” he smiles, “If that is alright with you?”

“Of course,” you breathe, helping him get the few belongings you’ve brought along. 

_

Your heart is heavy. 

Under the darkness of the cloud-packed sky, you stand in a barren field with Jesus, John and a recent addition to the group – Simon the Zealot. There is tension in the air that you cannot quite place, and your throat tightens when your eye falls upon John, who holds onto the strap of his bag, his hair blowing into his eyes. It has always been too long, too unkempt, but he always refused to have it cut, jokingly telling you that you’d only make it worse.

It always hurts to see him leave, but it’s nothing new. When you met Jesus, it had always been clear that you and John would not spend your lives being together, but rather in service of God. 

A gust of wind blows a stray tear over your cheek as you stare at him, your bottom lip trembling. You do not trust your voice, so instead wait until Jesus finally speaks up. 

“So, you're really going for it?” He muses. 

“You know I can't be silent.” John says, smiling a bit. You mirror it, watery, almost desperate. Of course he couldn’t keep his mouth shut. It was in his nature.

“Soon, I will break My own silence as well.” Jesus promises to His cousin.

John clicks his tongue. “ Soon. Such a strange word, soon . It could mean anything.”

Your throat runs dry when the cousins embrace one another tightly. “I love you.” Jesus mutters, patting him on the back. 

“And thank You… For letting me see that. I heard about the miracles, but I never thought I'd actually get to see one.” John muses with a sparkle in his eye. 

Jesus hums. “Well, timing is everything, I guess. Now, go on, say goodbye to our friend.” He gestures towards you. You gladly accept John’s hug and inhale deeply, tears running down your cheeks despite your best efforts to stop them. 

“Hey, hey, don’t you cry about me. I’m just going to do what is needed, alright? You and I will always be connected, no matter what happens. We’ll be alright, okay?”

You sniffle as he runs the back of his hand over your cheek, smiling sweetly. Passionate, Spirit-filled John, whom you will never call yours despite your feelings and the fact that he reciprocates them.

It’s time. He kisses your forehead before backing off slowly, his hand grabbing yours yet eventually slipping out of it, your arm awkwardly flailing in front of you for a moment before it slumps back to your side.

Jesus breathes in to call after him: “John… What you are about to do–”

“I've lived my whole life with warnings,” the Baptiser interrupts. “Warnings are how I know I'm on the right track!”

“It's not a warning. You're doing what you're supposed to do. I'm just reminding you to be sure to listen to God's voice as you do it.”

John waves. “Always.”

Always. 

Jesus sniffles whereas you are full-on crying albeit silently. You stand like that as you watch John walk off, hoping that he’d cast one final glance over his shoulder.

One more time.

Before he disappears behind the hill. 

He doesn’t look back.

An arm is draped around you and it takes as second to realise that it is Jesus who is pulling you into an embrace, which you immediately welcome, hugging him tightly whilst you remain in your state of grief for a minute before Jesus’ voice sounds against the top of your head.

“It’s okay.” He whispers, “I know what John means to you. I know what you feel for him and what he feels for you , and that it hurts the both of you very much. Not everybody is meant to marry in service of the Kingdom. What you will receive in return is so much more than this, and what you share with John is so much deeper than an earthly relationship.”

“I know.” you whimper, “I know,” for you completely trust in Him. 

Jesus holds you for a while longer whilst you look at the road where John had gone, secretly hoping that he’d turn up back at the horizon, but you knew that he would not be back.

Mixed feelings of being both empty and fulfilled tugged at your heart as your tears dried on your face, until Jesus said it was time to go.

[asimpledemonbadger]

Jandrew shippers wya??

Since I guarantee that name is already taken, do they have a ship name yet?

[minnesotafollower]

The Prayer Jesus Taught: “Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven”

On March 5, 2023, Rev. Dr. Tim Hart-Andersen, the Senior Pastor at Minneapolis’ Westminster Presbyterian Church, delivered the second of his five sermons on different passages of the Lord’s Prayer.[1] This sermon was on the second sentence (in bold) of that Prayer: “Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this…

[edelweissacermacrophyllum]

The whims of the apathetic

Exodus 29-30, Proverbs 5:15-23, Mark 6:6-29

I promise you anything, up to half my kingdom! That's been a recurring theme in a lot of childhood stories, the cliche sister of a genie in a bottle. Usually, the wisher makes some wish and then suffers consequences from it, either because the wisher is foolish or the wish granting entity is malicious.

In this story the wisher is malicious and isn't the one to be hurt. It's remarkable how well Herod is portrayed in this story, as someone who respects and fears God and John but also makes foolish decisions. This story could just be a normal historical account of blaming women for the mistakes of men, but I see here in this passage the worst kind of man. I see a powerful, insecure, cowardly man who understands the consequences his actions have for other people, but doesn't change because it might inconvenience him somewhat.

I have these habits too, mostly expressed in the way that I buy food and spend my time and money. My food is cheap because people were exploited in the production of it. My laptop cost as much as life saving care for a dozen people. And I could take aim at the billionaires and say that they're far more like Herod than I could ever be but I cannot possibly expect them to change. And besides, they're the ones who sold me my laptop and food.

It's a weird moral to take from this story, and I think I was sucked into this tangent by the urban farm podcast I've been listening to, but I think a good question when we think about these powerful hurtful people is not about how we protest them but how we stop supporting them in the first place.

So John died because Herod was afraid of looking silly in front of his guests. And thousands of people have died because Putin was afraid of losing his power. And thousands lost their jobs because Musk doubled down on a joke tweet. I don't know how to resist these people. But I think I should at least, insofar as it is possible, stop paying them.

[vaguelyasian]

[curiosity-killed]

covenant

[ALT ID: A digital painting of Vash from Trigun and a Dependent Plant. Vash's hands are seen, cupping starry water that bleeds down from the veins in his wrist over the Plant's head. The Plant rises from dark, starry water with multiple sets of wings and glowing eyes.]

[wecanbeperfect]

THE BAPTISM OF THE BELOVED SON

Matthew 3:16 And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him:

[thermodynamic-comedian]

i was born and raised atheist so i am by no means an expert on religious trauma. but maybe possibly john gaius has a little bit of it

[fideidefenswhore]

When in 1533, Richard Lyst, a lay brother amongst the Franciscan Observants in Greenwich, wrote to Anne complaining about his bullying superior, John Forrest, he included his thanks for her 'good and beneficial' charity to his mother. According to Latymer [...] Anne substantially increased her alms for [Maundy Thursday]. Hearing that an honest recipient confessed she had inadvertently received too much, Anne had her share doubled in reward.

Hunting the Falcon, Julia Fox & John Guy

[angedemystere]

What if the chosen episode about John the Baptist’s death opens with the baptism of Jesus? While John is doing the make way for the lord thing, we see Jesus walking to the river Jordan but we don’t see his face as they are long shots, shots of his legs and feet as well as the back of him. We don’t see Jesus’ face until John notices him. Maybe when John sees Jesus he runs to him and gives him a big hug. Jesus his very happy to see his cousin.

I would love to see that!

I know Dallas makes a point of portraying famous Bible moments from a new perspective, especially one with a strong emotional core for the characters. Sadly I'm not counting on actually seeing Jesus's baptism in the show since it's been referenced by the characters a couple times, and there have been lots of portrayals of it. HOWEVER, I could see the writers working in a flashback with Jesus and John that harkens to the baptism - maybe when they're children or young men visiting each other and having an epiphany about who they are and what God has planned for them.

Then it cuts to John in prison. We realize the flashback is a memory he's reflecting on as he wonders what God still has planned for him.

Then again, they could do this with the baptism where we're seeing it exclusively from John's perspective and what it means to him, then jump to him in prison as he questions why Jesus hasn't rescued him yet. And then comes the buildup to his execution.

[the-chosen-fanfiction]

John the Baptiser | Focused On Him | Platonic

Dialogue prompt: “That’s the stupidest idea you’ve ever had. Count me in.”

Requested: No

John has the most dangerous and perhaps dumbest idea on Earth, but Spirit-filled, you don’t feel like remaining silent either.

John had paved the way far before Jesus’ ministry started and continues as He slowly gains momentum. Although John’s preachings have become less frequent after Jesus is baptised, for the attention shifts from the rugged wanderer to Him instead, he goes from place to place to preach the Kingdom of Heaven being at hand, that people must repent and turn away from their sinful ways, for the Son of God is here at last.

Growing up together in the mountains in Judea, you and John had always been close, for you didn’t have much. He had often told you about many things you didn’t understand, but as time passed, you slowly began to see it unfold in front of your eyes during the visits of his cousin Jesus. Into adulthood, John began to take lengthy trips to the wilderness to preach near the Jordan River, and you remained living in your childhood town.

And every so often, he comes into the village to spend some time with you, like right now, as he is standing on the threshold of your house, a wide grin over his face, looking and smelling like he hasn’t touched a clean spring in weeks. 

“Shalom, (Y/n)!” he beams, opening his arms. Despite his unkempt state of being, you can’t resist embracing him tightly, not minding the smell as much. “It is good to see you.”

“Shalom John, happy to see you alive and well. You feel thin, have you been eating at all?”

He gives a small shake of his head as you pull away, stepping back to look at him. “Not really,” he admits, “Did some fasting as I was going through some spiritual warfare. Things are better now. They always get better when spending time with God.”

“I’m glad to hear that, but now it’s time for you to recharge. Come, I was just about to prepare dinner, so you can take a quick bath in the meantime.”

John hesitates yet slips his bag off his shoulder, intending to stay for a bit longer. “I don’t mean to soil your water nor to drain you from any resources regarding food. I know that it’s difficult enough to get by already.”

You hum. “I only have myself to care for. My parents have passed, I have no siblings nor am I married. I always eat alone and thus I’m nothing but delighted to share a meal with my best friend.”

A little more convinced now, John gives you a bright grin. “Thank you.” he says, “I appreciate it.”

“You need enough energy in your system to properly preach the Kingdom, hm? I trust you know where you can wash up?”

John nods and gives his feet a quick rinse before heading inside. “Of course, (Y/n). I have not forgotten you telling me that your home is my home.”

With a soft smile, you head for your kitchen whilst John goes into the bathroom, where a tub of water still stands. Although you adore John, you make a mental note to put in clean water before using it yourself tonight. 

“Would you like some warm water, John?” you call out to him. 

“No thank you, I’m good!” he shouts back, voice muffled due to the distance and a thick curtain as well as a door separating you two, “Can’t allow myself too much luxury.”

Chuckling, you shake your head whilst you continue preparing dinner, increasing the originally intended portions due to your unforeseen guest, and chop up a cucumber that you sprinkle with lemon juice because greens are an essential part of any healthy diet.

John finishes washing up surprisingly quickly and pads into your kitchen with a content look on his face, already appearing so much fresher. “It smells good in here,” he compliments the scent of the mutton roasting above the fire, and you smile.

“Better than crickets and honey?”

“Crickets and honey aren’t very difficult to beat. However, when it comes to your cooking…”

“Hey!”

You point your ladle at him and he holds up his hands, chuckling. “I’m just teasing you.” he laughs, and you huff a laugh before continuing to stir lest the vegetables get burnt. 

“Can you lay the table?”

John doesn’t need to be pointed to the place where he can find your bowls and cutlery, for he has been here plenty of times before. 

“It has been some time since I’ve had mutton,” he says, sighing. “Usually, I refuse anything. But I reckon that for this, I can make an exception. I’ve known hunger, so I also know how to appreciate a meal offered by a friend who is also close to Jesus.”

You smile and scoop some food into the bowls that he is still holding in front of him, and you chop the mutton into a few even pieces to add on top.

“I would have asked for the more fatty kind if I had known that you’d be stopping by.”

“Anything from you is wonderful, (Y/n). You don’t owe me a thing, so thank you.”

Once you’ve tossed your apron over the hook on the wall, the pair of you sit down at the dinner table and say blessings over your meal. When opening your eyes again, John is looking at you with a beaming smile on his face. 

“I’m excited to eat this.” he breathes, grabbing a spoon to dig in. You watch how he bites down into the food, relishing in the taste with great fervour. “Mmm!” he hums, huffing a bit to cool down the food inside his mouth, and you watch with great amusement how he fans his tongue with his hand, as if that would work at all. Upon offering him a clay cup of water, he gulps it down, gratitude in his eyes.

You take it easier upon taking a bite, blowing on the food to cool it down beforehand, and prod around your bowl whilst John wolfs down half of the contents before realising he might appear rude, and he forces himself to slow down. Wiping his mouth on the back of his hand, some food stuck to his beard, he swallows his food in order to speak up. 

“This is marvellous. Thank you, (Y/n), I don’t deserve this.”

“But you most certainly need it,” you tell him, concerned. “You’re skin and bone. I know that you’ve surrendered yourself to this lifestyle to follow Adonai, but it is difficult to see you like this.”

John falls silent and takes another bite. “I know you’d rather see me with more flesh on my bones, (Y/n), but as you say, it’s so that I can completely focus on my ministry. Of course I appreciate your concern, my friend, but I am glad that you can also see why I live this way. Indulging in a good meal like this one is not something I can do too often.”

You nod in understanding and take a slice of cucumber. “So, what have you been up to?”

Your friend takes a deep breath and smiles. “Well, a lot, actually. I’m sure that word about Jesus has travelled here, too.”

“It has.” you reply, grinning, “It’s hard to miss it.”

With a spoonful of food hovering in front of him, John hums before putting it into his mouth. “Right, so that’s going on. I’m going to see Him soon. We’ve got some things to talk about before I am going to do something important.”

You raise an eyebrow. “Something important? What is it? Can I come with you, like I used to do before Jesus’ ministry started? I’ve still got that fire, you know.”

John hums and scratches through his beard with a thoughtful look on his brow. “I’m going to do something potentially dumb.”

Curious, you narrow your eyes. “That is nothing new for you, John,” you say with humour in your voice.

Letting out a small noise, John rubs his chin. “This time around is different,” he explains. “It’s possibly the most foolish thing I’ve ever done, but sometimes it is necessary to do the unthinkable in order to spread the Word of God to those who need to hear it.”

“So, what are you going to do?” 

A short silence falls over the two of you as John scoops the final bit of food into his mouth and slowly chews it away, avoiding eye-contact for a few moments.

“I am going to head to the fortress of Herod Antipas down at the Decapolis. He is planning on marrying the former wife of his own brother, which is of course disgusting behaviour that should be reprimanded. If I don’t do it, nobody else will, so I will take it upon myself.”

Your eyes widen.

“You’re right. That’s the stupidest idea you’ve ever had. Count me in.” you exclaim, “I mean it, let’s go there together. I’d pay good money to see the looks on their faces once you give them truth they cannot avoid for once. Plus, it would mean that I could keep an eye on your antics in case you get yourself into trouble. Come on, John! Just like we used to go on these trips together.”

John’s eyes meet yours and at first he grins, but as a few seconds pass, his smile falls into a concerned frown. “I don’t know if I want you to come. Not this time.”

You narrow your eyes. “Why not? I don’t want you to go in there alone, it may be dangerous!”

“(Y/n), you know that I’m never alone, right?” He points up at the sky and you sigh, realising what he means – and you know that is right – but it remains difficult. 

Suddenly, your eyes feel hot, and you rapidly blink to fight the urge to cry. 

“You’re a great friend, John,” you whimper, “And I care about you a lot. Which is what makes it difficult to see you running off into the blue every so often and just praying that you’ll pop back up one day or the other. I just… I fear that there will be a day that you don’t return, you know?”

A few tears now roll down your cheeks and you sniffle.

“Hey now,” John shushes, rubbing your arm up and down in an attempt to console you, “Don’t you worry about me, now.”

You huff. “But I do, John. Have done so since we were children. You have the tendency to get yourself in trouble because you just speak your mind no matter the situation. Don’t get me wrong, it’s good that you know how to speak up for yourself, but… It’s dangerous in some situations, and that worries me.”

John sighs and his brow furrows, a thoughtful look falling over his face. “I know.” 

“And-And I know that you’ve got God on your side, but that doesn’t make letting you go any easier. You’re my friend and I’d much rather see you in a safe situation. They’ll eat you alive over there.”

Smiling softly, John leans closer to you. “You know that safety on this Earth means nothing when it comes to the Kingdom of God? There is no use in being anxious. Although it is okay to feel emotions, they should not overpower us. The state of your soul is way more important, and with Jesus around, things are going to change so much. Aren’t you excited that we are part of that?”

His eyes are glittering so brightly that you cannot help but smile. “I am,” you breathe, “Truly. My fear regarding your wellbeing does not overpower me, but it’s there.”

“Healthy fear,” John clarifies, then sighs and seems to zone out for a second, chewing his bottom lip. “But… We can make a compromise, (Y/n).”

“That being?”

“If you were to join me, I want you to keep your distance so that people do not know you belong to me lest something happens to you as well. I’m not saying that things will turn sour, but if they would, you’d be able to run away.”

You are almost offended at that final insinuation: “I wouldn’t run away if you were in trouble!”

“In that case, I don’t want you to come.” John firmly states, but at that, you inhale sharply. 

The words of protest get stuck in your throat and you sigh. “Fine,” you say at last. “I will keep my distance. If things go wrong, I will flee and wait for you for about a day. If you don’t return before then, I’ll get help.”

John chuckles. “You would break me out of a cell in Machaerus? Who ever would you ask for that?”

You let out a small sound of amusement and then almost embarrassedly rub your neck. “The fishermen from Capernaum? Philip and Nathanael?”

Laughing lightly, John slowly shakes his head. “My friend, don’t put yourself in danger for my sake. I know what I’m getting myself into and shouldn’t drag you into this.”

“Hey, I’m not doing it just for you. You forget that I, too, am fond of Jesus and want to see how God works through you. I have been at your side ever since the start and I am planning to be there until the very end.”

John bites the inside of his cheek and smiles. “You’re one of my dearest friends, (Y/n). Thank you.” He reaches over and puts his hand on top of yours, squeezing it. “But do not make such hasty decisions.”

“I am not making hasty decisions. I want to come with you.”

Something sad glitters behind his eyes. “If I may be frank with you, (Y/n), I’d rather that you’d stay away altogether. I cannot guarantee your safety… Nor that I will come back.”

Your throat runs dry and you cannot fight your sob that suddenly escapes your lungs. 

“This is a dangerous world, John,” you whimper, “And I know that in service of the Most High we must be prepared to give up everything we hold dear. But constantly letting you go breaks my heart more often than I can handle.”

John stands and opens his arms. Wordlessly, you jump to your feet and allow yourself to fall into them, holding him close. Sniffling, you bury your face into his shoulder, your body feeling weak. “I know it is all for the Lord. And I know it’s for the best. But it doesn’t make it any less hurtful.”

Rubbing gentle circles over your back, John blinks away the wetness of his eyes and inhales deeply. 

“I know, and I’m sorry that I cannot take that pain from you. However, I implore you to bring them to the Lord. Cast all your worries on Him. He can mend your broken heart and he can still use you in your state of misery.” He pulls away and cups your face into his hands, pressing a kiss onto your forehead. “You’re one of my closest friends, (Y/n). And Adonai knows about the sacrifices you’re constantly making to keep supporting the ministry. Tomorrow, I will leave to meet with Jesus to talk over my plans to head for Machaerus. If it is okay with you, I will stay here tonight, but if not, I shall out outstay my welcome. So then, if we do not see one another anymore after tomorrow morning, then we’ll see each other in heaven.”

With tear-stained cheeks, you shake your head slowly, your bottom lip trembling. “Don’t die, John.”

“I cannot promise that.” he whispers, “But imagine what we would gain. Everything is for Him. My heart, my soul and my life is His. He gives and takes away.”

“I know.” 

“So focus on Him and all will be well.”

“I will.” you whimper. “I promise.”

John shows you a watery smile and nods. “Good.” he whispers, pulling you into another hug. 

You stand like that for a while, and even though you already dread the moment that you have to let him go, you know that John will be in the presence of God no matter what happens, be it in life or in death.

[baptst]

hows bunker ! john doing those seven long years you ask?

[edelweissacermacrophyllum]

Joseph's success and John's death

Genesis 40:01-41:40, Proverbs 2:12-22, Matthew 14:1-21

It's been late the last few nights when I've been doing these and I feel like my quality has not been great. This isn't an apology or a pledge to do better. It's just a claim that I could if I wanted to.

Joseph's story is a grand narrative, sort of the longest novella of its kind from this era. What era? I don't know, when was this story even written down. Was it an oral tradition first? The answer to the last question is yes, but I don't know how to answer the others. The narrative is fanciful in nature, partly because of the interpretation of dreams, and partly because a leader of a nation actually takes action when he hears that his people are in danger of starvation and that a climate emergency is incoming.

A teacher I listened to once told this story to kids as if Joseph was a superhero whose superpower was his likability. It got him in good with Potiphar. It got him in trouble with Potiphar's wife. And it got him back out of trouble again with Pharoah.

This is also the day we hear about John the Baptist's death. He had been killed because a ruler made a stupid bet and was afraid of losing face. It was a nonsensical reason for a person to die, but I don't think we can ever make sense of death. At least in this case there was a villain.

But at this point I begin to wonder about Jesus's childhood. He would have probably hung out with his cousin John quite a bit. They were around the same age and the communities were tight knit. What mischief did they enact? What did they talk about? They were both human after all. But I also can't imagine they were entirely normal either. Were they more calm than normal boys? Did they throw stones at birds? Did they laugh more easily, cry more easily, or emote at insignificant things as much as normal children?

I suspect that if God wanted the experience of being human, he felt things as much as any kid does. He may have been filled with the Holy Spirit, but he would have suffered all the normal aches and pains of growing up. Otherwise, what would have been the point of coming as a baby at all?