The Vehicle

Now when Jesus heard that John had been arrested, he withdrew to Galilee.  …and made his home in Capernaum by the sea.  From that time Jesus began to proclaim, “Repent, for the kingdom of Heaven has come near.”  Matthew 4:12-17  I’ve wondered why is it that John was killed? When John remarked “He must increase but I must decrease (John 3:30)”, why could he not just go back to where he came from and live a quiet life? No doubt, John’s ministry was growing, but while his time indeed was short, the message of repentance is carried forward through the love of Christ. I suppose, once the decision to move forward in Christ is made there really is no going back, no matter how hard we try. It is the Spirit within that holds the body and yet refuses to be contained. Today, we each have a ministry, not to be possessed, but a gift of the Spirit for the moment at hand to be carried openly forward in Christ’s love. When the time comes we too will “decrease.”  Yet the one true message of repentance and love is carried forward by the same Spirit that moved from John to Christ, from Christ to his disciples and from Christ’s disciples to us. As the Kingdom today, together we are the vehicle by which The Message continues to be carried forward in those who will come after.