Out, Damned Spot! - A Reflection on Luke 9:7-9


Now Herod the ruler heard about all that had taken place, and he was perplexed, because it was said by some that John had been raised from the dead, by some that Elijah had appeared, and by others that one of the ancient prophets had arisen. Herod said, “John I beheaded; but who is this about whom I hear such things?” And he tried to see him.

 

One of Shakespeare’s most famous plays was Macbeth. To help him become king, his wife, Lady Macbeth, orchestrated the murder of the ruling King Duncan. On the night he is assassinated, her hands red with the king’s blood, she remarks casually, ‘A little water clears us of this deed.’ She didn’t know how wrong she was. Not too long after, she begins walking in her sleep, and washing her hands, crying, “Out, damned spot!” Oh, guilt can be such a terrible thing.

 

King Herod discovered the truth of this after he had John the Baptist put to death. If you recall, Herod was having an affair with his brother’s wife and John the Baptist rebuked him for it. In return, Herod chopped John’s head off. I can only imagine the nightmares the king had after this. He probably saw his head floating about his room like the Cheshire Cat’s! Anyway, Herod then hears about Jesus, and the amazing miracles Jesus was working. He also heard that people were saying he was John the Baptist raised from the dead!

 

Scripture says, “he was perplexed”. However, the gospel writers had a talent for understatement. What Herod actually felt was probably terrified! Wouldn’t you be if the guy you killed was walking around again, raising people from the dead and stuff? Scripture then says that Herod tried to see him! What does that mean? TRIED? Anybody could have seen Jesus if they wanted. He was preaching in the temples and walking in the countryside openly. So, why couldn’t Herod see him?

 

Well, remember that John the Baptist was calling people to repentance to prepare them for Christ. But Herod killed him. How do you find Christ if you kill the person who is preparing you for him? Know what I am saying? I hope you do, because we can be like Herod too. In my days as an atheist, like Herod I “killed” those who were trying to open my heart to Christ. Also, like Herod, I surrounded myself with people who fed me idiotic stories about Jesus. But, unlike Herod, I opened my heart to Jesus when I met him. And it changed me. If you haven’t, now is the time. I know what sin and guilt and shame are like.

 

Speaking for God, the prophet Isaiah said: “When you spread out your hands in prayer, I hide my eyes from you; even when you offer many prayers, I am not listening. Your hands are full of blood!” But then, he reassures those who wash themselves and do what is right: “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool” (Isaiah 1:18). As people baptized in Christ, “if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin”.

 

Out, damned spot! And it’s gone! 

 

Watch a video of this reflection by Aneel Aranha here: https://youtu.be/nUIvJGwW9vg

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Let’s Get Healed - A Reflection on Matthew 18:21-19:1

Image
  Then Peter came and said to him, “Lord, if another member of the church sins against me, how often should I forgive? As many as seven times?” Jesus said to him, “Not seven times, but, I tell you, seventy-seven times. “For this reason the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his slaves. When he began the reckoning, one who owed him ten thousand talents was brought to him; and, as he could not pay, his lord ordered him to be sold, together with his wife and children and all his possessions, and payment to be made. So the slave fell on his knees before him, saying, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you everything.’ And out of pity for him, the lord of that slave released him and forgave him the debt. But that same slave, as he went out, came upon one of his fellow slaves who owed him a hundred denarii; and seizing him by the throat, he said, ‘Pay what you owe.’ Then his fellow slave fell down and pleaded with him, ‘Have patience with me, an
Read more

Patience - A Reflection on Luke 2:33-35.

Image
  And the child’s father and mother were amazed at what was being said about him. Then Simeon blessed them and said to his mother Mary, “This child is destined for the falling and the rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be opposed so that the inner thoughts of many will be revealed—and a sword will pierce your own soul too.”   This is probably the shortest passage that we have reflected upon this year. In it, we find a man named Simeon making a prophecy about three things. One, about Jesus. Two, about the people of Israel. And three, about the pain that Jesus’ mother Mary would go through. We have seen all his prophecies came true. But who is Simeon? And what can we learn from him? Ok. On the 40th day of his birth, Jesus is taken by Mary and Joseph to the temple to be officially inducted into the Jewish faith. When they were there, a man named Simeon came in to see them.   He is described as “righteous and devout, looking forward to the consolation of Israel, and the H
Read more

Dying and Killing

  The Jews took up stones again to stone him. Jesus replied, “I have shown you many good works from the Father. For which of these are you going to stone me?” The Jews answered, “It is not for a good work that we are going to stone you, but for blasphemy, because you, though only a human being, are making yourself God.” Jesus answered, “Is it not written in your law, ‘I said, you are gods’? If those to whom the word of God came were called ‘gods’—and the scripture cannot be annulled— can you say that the one whom the Father has sanctified and sent into the world is blaspheming because I said, ‘I am God’s Son’? If I am not doing the works of my Father, then do not believe me. But if I do them, even though you do not believe me, believe the works, so that you may know and understand that the Father is in me and I am in the Father.” Then they tried to arrest him again, but he escaped from their hands. He went away again across the Jordan to the place where John had been baptizing earlier,
Read more