Good afternoon, Zane.
Well…my work plan for today did not work out…hoping to put a large fir tree on the ground, I think I had a good plan and strategy cooking—but it failed to anticipate the difficulty of trying to climb the tree through the tangled ivy vines that wrap the lower truck—with the essential flip line being blocked by the ivy. I simply could not flip the flip line up the back side of the trunk properly. I plan to return another time with the boom truck and try again by firstly removing the ivy.
Please bear in mind, Zane, how seldom I hear back from you with your own thoughts and ideas surrounding these Bible readings.
Blessings on the rest of your day. Love and prayers—Tua (Ray)
This character that we know as “John the Baptist” absolutely amazes me. With no formal training and experience that we know of, the depth of his insights and attitudes appear to me to be clearly God-inspired. This statement he makes is an example of great maturity and clarity of vision. Some of John’s disciples approach him and say, “Have you noticed that you no longer have a monopoly? This new guy (Jesus) is now heading up a competitive baptismal campaign!” I’ve been around Christian ministry enough to know that lots of ministers would have become rather irritated, threatened, and maybe call the new guy a “sheep stealer.” But John simply states, “The bride belongs to the bridegroom.”
My brother and a couple close friends stood with me when I was wed to Becki nearly just over 53 years ago. She was MY bride. No one else’s. My “groomsmen” were invited to participate in the wedding, but had no right to participate in the marriage—if you know what I mean. In the same way, John recognizes who’s who in this scene as well as the boundaries of each one’s rights and responsibilities. I think we can be benefitted by a similar view, keeping in mind that Jesus is the Bridegroom of the Church, the Great Shepherd of the sheep, and the Sovereign Lord over us all. We are mere stewards, representatives, and custodians—not owners.