Was told the other day that the commemoration of the beheading of John the Baptist is now referred to as the 'passion of John the Baptist'. I found that weird.
Honestly, John the Baptist did not have any prolonged agony prior to his death. Most probably even when the soldiers came to his prison to behead him, he would not have known of his imminent death. So besides being behind bars for a short while, I don't see what great agony he would have undergone to now refer to it as the 'passion'.
However, on deeper reflection it struck me that perhaps he did suffer. He surely must have struggled a lot with many a thing prior to his death. I am sure he would have wondered and found it very confusing that he was imprisoned for telling a fact. He must have wondered if he was sane, because no one else in the whole kingdom felt that Herod taking his brother's wife was wrong. JB would have asked himself if he was right and the rest wrong, especially given the fact that only he seemed to say that Herod's act was unethical. To have to stand all alone is itself a great task demanding courage and will. Then over and above it to be hounded for taking a stand, that too a righteous one, would be more hurting.
However, on deeper reflection it struck me that perhaps he did suffer. He surely must have struggled a lot with many a thing prior to his death. I am sure he would have wondered and found it very confusing that he was imprisoned for telling a fact. He must have wondered if he was sane, because no one else in the whole kingdom felt that Herod taking his brother's wife was wrong. JB would have asked himself if he was right and the rest wrong, especially given the fact that only he seemed to say that Herod's act was unethical. To have to stand all alone is itself a great task demanding courage and will. Then over and above it to be hounded for taking a stand, that too a righteous one, would be more hurting.
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