I have been reading through the Gospels and have been struck by the life of John the Baptist. For a guy with such a short career, there’s quite a bit mentioned about him. We’re introduced to John in Luke 1, when his barren parents receive the news of his miraculous, impending conception. They are old and barren, and this is not feasible from a human standpoint. His father, a high priest of Yahweh, doubts the word of the angel, and is struck mute for 9 months.
John’s entire life was ordained for a purpose, told to his father, Zechariah, before he was even conceived – “He will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God, and he will go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready for the Lord a people prepared.” (Luke 1:16-17) His purpose on earth was to prepare people for the coming of God-incarnate, in the person of Jesus – who just so happens to be John’s cousin.
John seems to be a young man very tuned in to the Spirit, even before his birth. While still in utero, John leaps with joy when his Savior, also yet unborn, draws near. He humbly tells his large fan-club that he is not the main attraction and would not even be worthy of helping the main Guy with his shoes.
But John’s life is tragically cut short. He is arrested by Herod for calling him out on his immoral lifestyle. Herod, however, is intrigued by John’s forthrightness and theological bent, so he keeps him around. In prison, but around, nonetheless. He liked to listen to him. (Mk. 6:20)
Until his fateful birthday party…
Herod’s illicit wife’s daughter dances provocatively for his party, and thrills all of the male attendees. (I’ll leave it to your imagination to determine what sort of dance this was…) Herod is so “thrilled” with the dance, that he tells the young woman that he’ll give her anything she wants, up to half his kingdom. (Can kings even give away their kingdoms like that? Especially puppet kings under an oppressive military regime?? Anyway…) The young woman has never had such an offer before, so she goes to ask her mom, who has also been decried by John, what she should ask for. Bitter about John’s criticism, she tells her daughter to ask for John’s head – on a platter.
I’m imagining this young woman is thinking, “Man, I should have asked my friends for advice instead of my vindictive mother! What do I want with a gruesome head when I could have been rich!!” At least that’s what I’d be thinking…
I find it fascinating that Herod, in this clarifying moment, is more concerned about the men attending his party thinking that he’s not good on his word than that he might be a diabolical murderer. But, that’s his fear, so he reluctantly has John beheaded, and hands his stepdaughter John’s bloody head on a platter.
John is only 30 years old. And his ministry was very short. It seems like a tragic loss. But here is how Mark puts the context:
Now after John was arrested, Jesus came into Galilee, proclaiming the gospel of God, and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.”
It’s like a great cosmic drama –
John – exit stage right…
Jesus – enter stage left…
John’s role was done. He had completed his mission. He was sent to earth to prepare the way for the Savior, and he did. And when he did, his “time was fulfilled.”
We would say John’s life was cut tragically short. But that was literally what he was sent to accomplish. And he did it faithfully, even under persecution.
We have this idea that we are entitled to live to a ripe old age. Like we are somehow guaranteed the “seventy, or by reason of strength eighty” years that most get. (Psalm 90:10) But we are not.
John was given 30 years – and a purpose.
And I think that’s what we are all given. We are not given a life on this earth. Our time here is merely a sojourn. We are eternal beings. Our life goes on after our stay here on earth.
We are given a purpose here on this earth. A God-ordained purpose. And when “the time is fulfilled,” we move on to our real life. Our work here is done.
Our job is to live into our purpose, the purpose for which God placed us here on earth. But we don’t get to decide the length of days. That is for God and God alone.
Lives are not cut short – not in reality. We are given the number of days ordained for us, and we are to fulfill the purpose for which they were given.
This weekend the nation mourns the “untimely” death of Chadwick Boseman. Only 43 years old. From all that I’ve read and seen this weekend, Chadwick was a believer who was unashamed. And it seems that his character off-screen was as stellar as his character was on-screen as King T’Challa of Wakanda or Jackie Robinson in 42. I think Chadwick lived his purpose, and the time was fulfilled.
We mourn “short” lives. And we should. Death was never the plan. Jesus mourned the shortened life of John the Baptist as well. Or at least he tried… (Matt. 14:12-13) But rather than asking “why” in a manner that indicates it’s not right, maybe a different question would be “what was the fulfilled purpose in this person’s life?” What did God ordain through the life of this person?
What is YOUR purpose? Are you fulfilling it?