Long Arms

Matthew 14:3-12

Herod had arrested John, bound him, and put him in prison on account of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife, because John had been telling him, “It is not lawful for you to have her.” Though Herod wanted to put him to death, he feared the crowd, because they regarded him as a prophet. But when Herod’s birthday came, the daughter of Herodias danced before the company, and she pleased Herod so much that he promised on oath to grant her whatever she might ask. Prompted by her mother, she said, “Give me the head of John the Baptist here on a platter.” The king was grieved, yet out of regard for his oaths and for the guests, he commanded it to be given; he sent and had John beheaded in the prison. The head was brought on a platter and given to the girl, who brought it to her mother. His disciples came and took the body and buried it; then they went and told Jesus.

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Oh Mama, I'm in fear for my life from the long arm of the law
Law man has put an end to my running and I'm so far from my home
oh mamma i can hear you a crying you're so scared and all alone
hang man is comin down from the gallows and i don't have very long

"Renegade" by Styx

The story of Herod and John the Baptist is notorious in scripture. John is arrested not so much for his subversive activities in the name of the coming Messiah, but because he put his nose in the family business. John said that it was unlawful for Herod to marry his brother Philip's wife. Now, Herod feared the crowds since they thought John a prophet, but Herod could take the abuse from John and the crowds. He even liked verbally sparring with John, but Herodias was not amused.

Well, you know the rest of the story, Herodias' daughter dances for Herod who is greatly amused and that sets the wheels of history into motion. Herod is so overwhelmed he offers her anything up to half of all that is his. A good girl, she asks her mother what to request. There it is, the head of John the Baptist.

Well, rather than shame himself in front of a house full of guests, Herod fulfills his vow to his wife's daughter. John's head comes off.

John was imprisoned. The long arm of the law had caught up with him and his time had come.

There are times in this life when you have to do what is not popular. You have to stand up for what is right and just. If you don't, you end up like a diner at Herod's palace. Or it could be worse, you could be Herodias or her daughter who set the wheels of history in motion. Worse yet, you could be as Herod and set the works in motion through a foolish vow. Again with the foolish vow.

Now mamma's cryin', scared and all alone. But John goes with joy because he knows he has gone for all the right reasons. He is not glad to be taken to the executioner, but he knows he has gone in the name of God. How do we go? In the name of God or in our own words? The hangman's coming, it may be tomorrow or it may not be until the twilight of life, but the long arm will still reach each of us.

Where Two or Three Are Gathered

Matthew 18: 19-20

Again, truly I tell you, if two of you agree on earth about anything you ask, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven. For where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them.”

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Come together,
Right now,
Over me.

"Come Together" by John Lennon and Paul McCartney, performed by Aerosmith from the movie "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Heart's Club Band"

This piece of Matthew's gospel is at the end of a discussion on church discipline. What it tells us is that when you have a disagreement with someone you should speak to them directly. If that doesn't work, if the other will not listen, then you are to take witnesses who can confirm what is going on. Then and only then do you take it to the church.

Now, this was a time when the Rabbi was a trusted scholar and moderator. The Rabbis worked things out by asking question after question to seek truth, so they were uniquely qualified to serve as moderators over conflicts.

Just a reminder, don't begin with the Rabbi. Only when people can't work it out, that's when you go to the Rabbi. If this doesn't work, then you cut them off from the community.

It sounds like an intervention, doesn't it. First casual conversation with the addict, then you bring in others who are harmed by the addict's actions, finally you bring in the specialist. Does the intervention always end well? No, it doesn't. But that's not enough reason not to try.

Still, what we are called to do is come together. We are called to come together with those who have harmed us. We are called to come together with those we have harmed. We are called to reconcile with those all around us. We are called to make reparations and to accept proper reparations being made. What is bound will be bound and what is loosed will be loosed.

It is when we come together, it is when we come together in agreement, it is when what we seek is in accord with what the Lord wants for us and our lives that what we seek will be done by our Father in heaven. This doesn't say that God will smite your neighbor on your behalf, only rarely can you get your neighbor to agree to that.

It is when we seek God, seeking answers in accord with the will of the Lord that we can ever truly agree, and then thy will be done.

Come together, right now, over the will of the Lord our God.

No Time Like the Present

Acts 8:34-40

The eunuch asked Philip, “About whom, may I ask you, does the prophet say this, about himself or about someone else?” Then Philip began to speak, and starting with this scripture, he proclaimed to him the good news about Jesus. As they were going along the road, they came to some water; and the eunuch said, “Look, here is water! What is to prevent me from being baptized?” He commanded the chariot to stop, and both of them, Philip and the eunuch, went down into the water, and Philip baptized him. When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord snatched Philip away; the eunuch saw him no more, and went on his way rejoicing. But Philip found himself at Azotus, and as he was passing through the region, he proclaimed the good news to all the towns until he came to Caesarea.

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Gonna hitch a ride
Head for the other side
Leave it all behind
Never change my mind
Gonna sail away
Sun lights another day
Freedom on my mind
Carry me away for the last time

"Hitch a Ride" written by Tom Scholz, recorded by Boston on their self-titled debut album.

So the Ethiopian Eunuch has discovered who Jesus is. The Eunuch is excited to learn the truth and take the truth back to his Queen and his people. Obviously, as Philip proclaimed the Good News of Jesus Christ, he told the Eunuch about baptism. I imagine Philip told him of John the Baptist. I imagine Philip told him of the Baptism of the Lord and the Spirit lighting on him like a dove. I imagine Philip told him about the baptism of other peoples.

Ritual washing is important in these cultures, and has been since before anyone can remember, but Philip must have made sure this official of the Queen of Ethiopia knew that this washing was different, wonderful, and more glorious than they could hope or imagine.

With this, the Eunuch notices the water alongside the road and asks what would prevent him from being baptized by Philip right there and right now. Philip, wonderfully does not have to take this request any further than to the Lord who lives in him by the Holy Spirit and says that there is no time like the present. They head to the water where this foreigner is baptized into the household of God.

Then suddenly and immediately after the baptism, the Spirit of the Lord snatches Philip away. The Eunuch is left by the side of the road, but what was to be done was done and the Eunuch returns to the court of the Queen rejoicing.

Talk about hitching a ride to the other side.

Philip and the Eunuch had freedom on their minds. Freedom of the word of God; the Eunuch had the word from the prophet Isaiah and Philip had the word from the Word become flesh. They both had the truth, but until now only Philip had the truth of Jesus Christ. The word was shared and the word set them on their ways. The way for both of these men changed at this moment. Philip was snatched away to a new place, the Ethiopian went to his home with the greatest gift of all.

From there Philip hitched a ride to the other side, to Azotus. The Ethiopian, he went home. In this one minute they both said yes, they said that there is no time like the present to become one in the household of God. Because they didn't hesitate, we share this glorious story.

They didn't change their minds. They left their old ways behind. The eunuch left his pagan ways behind and Philip, he left the eunuch behind. One in the dust of a chariot one in the dust of the whirlwind, they left their old ways behind. Swept away, hitching a ride on the waters of baptism.

Lucky?

1Samuel 23:19-24

Then some Ziphites went up to Saul at Gibeah and said, “David is hiding among us in the strongholds of Horesh, on the hill of Hachilah, which is south of Jeshimon. Now, O king, whenever you wish to come down, do so; and our part will be to surrender him into the king’s hand.” Saul said, “May you be blessed by the LORD for showing me compassion! Go and make sure once more; find out exactly where he is, and who has seen him there; for I am told that he is very cunning. Look around and learn all the hiding places where he lurks, and come back to me with sure information. Then I will go with you; and if he is in the land, I will search him out among all the thousands of Judah.” So they set out and went to Ziph ahead of Saul.

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Well, I've got to run to keep from hidin',
And I'm bound to keep on ridin'.
And I've got one more silver dollar,
But I'm not gonna let 'em catch me, no,
Not gonna let 'em catch the Midnight Rider.

"Midnight Rider" written by Gregg Allman and Kim Payne, recorded by The Allman Brothers Band, from "Idlewild South"

There's an old expression, "it's better to be lucky than good." Another that goes with it should be "chance favors the prepared mind." When you put these two things together, they say that "luck," as it is, complements preparation. When the unexpected happens, people who are ready for anything are more prepared than people who haven't.

So if you want to say you don't believe in luck, chalking it up to preparation, that's fine.

One of the key narratives of 1Samuel is Saul chasing David through the countryside. Saul is the one who is lucky at least once when David could have killed him, but didn't. Saul was King and David is faithful. Sometimes though, especially when Saul was losing his mind, faithfulness is just the foundation of a kingdom rotting from the top-down.

David is running because he is being chased. He's got his men. He has allies. He has provisions. He's got to run to keep from hiding. He's got one more silver dollar. And he's not going to let anyone catch him. He may seem lucky, but in truth he is prepared.

David has one more big thing in his side. He has been blessed by God.

David has been anointed. He has been called to be the next king. So as Saul is chasing David, suddenly there is word that the Philistines have attacked. Instead of leading the army against David, he has to lead it against the invaders and protect the kingdom.

Is this coincidence, luck, or the hand of God saving David? Is it serendipity or the Sovereign Lord taking care of his own?

David knows, to God goes the glory.

Traveling Companions

Luke 10:1-2

After this the Lord appointed seventy others and sent them on ahead of him in pairs to every town and place where he himself intended to go. He said to them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.

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Do you need anybody
I just need someone to love
Could it be anybody
I want somebody to love.

Oh, I get by with a little help from my friends

"With a Little Help from My Friends" by Joe Cocker

God bless the "Lone Wolf", but the truth is that people live longer when they live with somebody. With a partner in life, life is fuller, life is more wonderful. As it says in Genesis 2, God did not make man to be alone. So it's a wild world out there. The going is not easy. We need people in our lives, we need partners. We need traveling companions on the big blue marble. We need people to share the ups in life and maybe even more, we need people to share the downs.

Jesus knew this too. He knew when he sent the disciples out in the world that while seventy disciples could cover more territory; it would be more effective, more efficient, and better for everyone concerned to send 35 couples. Jesus knew it would be better for the disciples and better for those hearing the gospel if the disciples went out in pairs. Pairs bring balance. Pairs bring different views of the same Lord, just look at the gospels for an example of that. Pairs make a single person a group of three, and where two or more are assembled...

Well, that just goes to show the Lord is not a lone wolf.

Joe sings of wanting someone to love, anyone to love. This is the what God expresses in creation. We were created so that the Lord would have someone to share creation with. We were created to be in a couple with our Lord. This is the emphasis upon being the Bride of Christ. We are called into a loving relationship with God and with each other through the church. God created us to join him in that journey together.

What begins as a simple couple, what begins with the a pair of disciples going out two-by-two is just a reflection of how we are called into relationship with the Lord God. We are called to be God's traveling companions in this life. So find a partner, a prayer partner or a life partner, an evangelism partner or a study partner, and go into the world with the one who has called us to be traveling companions, to bring in the harvest in the name of the Lord.

This is how we get by, with a little help from our friends.

Follow, I Will Follow

John 1:35-39

The next day John again was standing with two of his disciples, and as he watched Jesus walk by, he exclaimed, “Look, here is the Lamb of God!” The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus. When Jesus turned and saw them following, he said to them, “What are you looking for?” They said to him, “Rabbi” (which translated means Teacher), “where are you staying?” He said to them, “Come and see.” They came and saw where he was staying, and they remained with him that day. It was about four o’clock in the afternoon.

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If you walkaway, walkaway
I walkaway, walkaway
I will follow

"I Will Follow" by U2 lyrics by Bono, music by U2, from "Boy"

According to U2 legend, Bono wrote these lyrics about his mother who died when he was a teen. The song is about a mother's unconditional love. In Rock and Roll Devotional this could be the obvious choice, but some choices are not always so obvious.

John the Baptist was a Teacher, a Rabbi. By the people in the temple he was considered a weirdo-in-the-wilderness, but he had followers. One day, Jesus was walking along a ridge and John cries out, “Look, here is the Lamb of God!” John had been preaching about the coming of the Lamb and what he would do. The work of the Lamb was so impressive, so important, that two of John's disciples left to follow Jesus. One of these was Andrew and the other was unnamed in scripture.

They must have followed at some distance. Jesus noticed them, of course and asked the big question, "What are you looking for?" They asked their question, "Where are you staying?" I can only imagine a coy smile and maybe a cock of the eyebrow as the Lord said "Come... and see." There they stayed. They stayed together until the crucifixion and until the ascension.

Jesus walked. They followed.

When they followed their world opened up. They lived the greatest story ever told, and went on to tell it themselves. Andrew is known as the great evangelist, and the first person he brought to the Lord is his brother Simon, the man who would become Peter, the Rock upon whom Christ would build the church.

Jesus walked. They followed.

On that first day and on every day until that last fateful day before Pilate, Andrew, his brother Simon, and all of the rest except for Judas followed. They traveled over all of Judea. They went throughout the nation of Israel. They didn't have a home base much less a home. They stayed with friends. They stayed with family. They stayed where someone longed to hear the word. And after the ascension, the kept following.

Jesus ascended. They kept following... they followed where the Spirit led.

Bono wrote "I Will Follow" as an expression of a mother's unconditional love. No matter how far a child strays, the mother follows. That's the difference between a mother's love and the love of God. No matter where we stray, there is no where the love of God is not already there to meet us and meet us with unconditionally.