“What I think most people find compelling about Nelson Mandela’s life is the twenty-seven years he spent in prison serving what was supposed to be a life sentence for speaking out against the oppression and injustices of the ruling white elite. He suffered mightily for sharing his vision and speaking out for the cause of freedom,” says Phillip Martin, pastor of Epiphany Lutheran Church in Richmond, Virginia. He continues, “Today, millions of Christians gather to pause and consider the life and witness of one of the giants, you may say, of the first century. John the Baptist, revolutionary prophet and agitator of the powerful elite, appears in our Scripture text this morning, Matthew 11:2-11, very much like Nelson Mandela, in prison and awaiting execution.” Both men waited for good news from the outside world that their work was not in vain. Martin implores us to be the messengers in today’s passage, those who bring the good news of Christ to those around us.
Manuscript available: click HERE