John 1:29-34
Have you ever wondered what John the Baptist's elderly parents thought about thier son? His father was a priest, he and his wife "...were upright in the sight of God, observing all the Lord's commandments and regulations blamelessly."(Luke 1:6). John grew up in a godly home then left for the desert to eat locusts and honey, wear clothes made of camel hair. He preached repentence for sins and baptized in the Jordan river. Surely, in that day, his lifestyle was considered radical by the religious community. Why, today his behavior might seem radical to the religious community!
We are a people of comfort. Living in the desert would be hot and dusty, and just thinking about wearing a camel hair tunic in the sun makes me itch! For most of us this lifestyle would fall out of our comfort zone. So why did John choose to live this way?
The answer may be found in John 1:32-33 "...I would not have known him, except that the one who sent me to baptize with water told me...". God called (sent) John the Baptist to go into the desert, preach repentance and baptize people. He was there in obedience to God. The dust, heat, scratchy clothing, and locusts didn't get in the way of doing God's will. Lack of comfort didn't stop him from obeying.
As the result of his willingness, John the Baptist was given the privilege of announcing Jesus Christ as the "Lamb who takes away the sin of the world." , baptizing Jesus, and seeing the Spirit descend like a dove and light on Christ. He was one of the first to know that Jesus was the long awaited Messiah.
This scripture shows me the necessity of getting past my own comfort zone. It made all the difference in John's life and I think he would've agreed with Paul when he wrote Romans 8:18 "I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us."
I'm hoping that doesn't include locusts!
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