Today’s Scripture Reading (August 5,
2014): Matthew 3
Preparations and the excitement (at least in some circles) continue to mount
over the next episode in the Star Wars saga (and just to note, this will be the
first episode of the series that the number actually reflects the number of
movies that have been made on the topic. Not matter how you count it, this is
Star Wars 7.) But I am still old enough to remember seeing the first Star Wars,
which just to confuse people was actually marketed as Episode 4, while it was
in the theaters. As dated as the movie looks now, we had never seen anything
like it – and a number of fans (me included) couldn’t get enough of the movie –
we paid admission to theater after theater just to watch the story of the boy
(Luke Skywalker) and the princess (Leia) and all of the rest of the cast of characters
that had been created by George Lucas one more time.
One of my
favorite scenes in the movie happens very early in the story. Leia sends her
droids (robots) to a planet to search out a long forgotten war hero rumored to
inhabit the planet, Obi-Wan Kenobi. But the droids get delayed and the message
is finally given to Luke Skywalker who has no idea who this Obi-Wan Kenobi
might be. However, Luke knows of a man who lives up in the hills named Old Ben
Kenobi. He and the princess decide to pay old Ben a visit to see if maybe he
knows who this Obi-Wan might be. Of course, Old Ben and Obi-Wan are the same
person. And much later in the saga we find out that Old Ben (Obi-Wan) has been
living in the mountains for the sole purpose of keeping watch on the son of his
former student. The student had turned evil (Darth Vader) and the book was –
and still is – being written on the son, the young Luke Skywalker.
Every time I
read the story of John the Baptist, in my mind I see Obi-Wan Kenobi. There are similarities
(and a difference) between the stories. But first the similarities. Both men
are guardians of a society changing philosophy – for Obi-Wan it the disciplines
of the Jedi and for John it is the teachings of the prophets of Yahweh. Both
have separated from the dominant society and live outside of the norms of other
people – Obi-Wan becomes Old Ben and lives in the hill country, there is every
indication that John the Baptist had joined the Essene community, a community
that had separated itself from the mainstream and lived in caves in the
mountainous areas because of their belief that society could not be redeemed
and must be destroyed. Both proclaimed the evils of the present government -
Obi Wan spoke out against the evils of the Empire, and John against the evils
of the kings and religious leaders in Judah. Both proclaimed the coming of a
Messiah – for Obi-Wan it was Luke Skywalker, for John it was Jesus. Both believed
that for the Messiah to increase that they must decrease, and both were willing
to die for what they believed – and had a deep understanding that life would
continue after they were gone, and that the world would be safe in the hands of
the one who was destined to follow them.
The main
difference was that Old Ben was – well, old. But John Baptist was just entering
the prime of his life. But maybe that is also the point. John had so much more
that he could give, but he was willing to give it all up to proclaim the coming
of the Christ to anyone who would listen. And in the end it would be that attitude
that would cost him his life, but he didn’t seem to care – because he knew that
the Messiah had finally come.
Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Mark 1
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