“I can’t believe he wants to hear more. And he doesn’t seem all too annoyed by what I have to say. He must really be listening. He must really want to know the truth . . .”
The anticipation grows for hours as you sit in the dark, silent cell you’ve come to call “home.” Your hopes for release have turned to hopes for this regular visitor of yours. Rather, the one who keeps asking for visits from you.
The governor. Yes, he landed you in jail in the first place. His wife didn’t like what you said, so something had to be done. Yet he was intrigued by your words and allowed you to keep your head and your voice.
And so, believe it or not, you hold regular conferences with the governor. While prisoner.
Yesterday’s visit only confirmed what you have been seeing. Surely the governor’s heart is open. This is most certainly the work of God.
You’re excited for the conversations to continue. Maybe he will one day turn from his wickedness to follow the Truth. And maybe one day soon!
Unbeknownst to you, a scene in the banquet hall above holds a very different outcome. While you wait and pray eagerly for victory, the governor entertains himself and his important guests with the gross immorality that has quickly consumed him. Setting aside the soul-freeing truths his heart longed to know, he grasps for temporary pleasures, power, and reputation.
And somehow it comes back to you. Your life is at stake as a result of his complete and utter carelessness.
But like the young ruler who walked away, sorry that he could not give up earthly wealth though offered eternal joys, the governor, too, sighed deeply and bowed his head in sorrow. He couldn’t come to your rescue this time. The pressure was too great. He wanted his sin more.
Your cell door opened, not to the summons of your eager governor-friend, but to the hand of an executioner. You had mere seconds to consider the tragedy of the day.
But if you could look back, you would see that the tragedy wasn’t in the head on the platter. It wasn’t in the sorrow of the friends who came to retrieve your body. It wasn’t in the long hours, days, and weeks spent in prison that suddenly seemed futile. It wasn’t in suffering. And it wasn’t in death. For therein lies victory.
No, the tragedy of the day happened in that banquet hall.
Where a naive, helpless young girl was used by her own mother in a scandalous, murderous scheme.
Where all decency was lost, and where numerous men of great power stood idly by and watched the show.
Where a man who knew the key to eternal pleasures chose instead to waste away his days on cheap imitation and to kill a man for the sake of his own name.
This is the tragedy you would see had you been given a glimpse into the banquet hall.
But you weren’t there. You were still in that cell praying for victory.
The above account is a retelling of Mark 6:14-29 from the presumed perspective of the prisoner.
[image credit: pixabay.com]
Journey of the Word 
You had me fooled. I was convinced your story was about Paul inprisoned in Caeserea found in Acts 23-24, until about halfway through. In this case, Felix the governer summoned Paul from time to time and listened to him, but it was not out of a sincere desire to know the truth. Instead it was because he hoped Paul would bribe him with money to be released. I’d speculate also that Paul was hopeful for Felix to repent and believe.
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Haha, nice! I haven’t studied Acts in-depth, so I didn’t even think about the connection! A lady in my Mark study group mentioned how John might have felt in prison knowing that Herod was showing interest in his message (Mark 6:20). I thought it was intriguing, so I ran with it.
Also, my pastor pointed out that this Herod wasn’t really a “king,” so Mark’s title in 6:14 is perhaps sarcastic. Anyway, I wondered if the “governor” in this post might throw people off a little. 🙂
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Great writing Lydia.
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Beautiful illustrated story of the Messenger Lydia.. so glad to find your site trough a purposeful faith. What a talented writer you are! Thank you for sharing your story. I am the oldest brother of five that has seen the redeeming grace of my Savior after wandering away for so many years I thank Him for His grace each and every day May God continue to richly bless you and yours in all your endeavors. Have a wonderful week.
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Thank you! So glad you stopped by!
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Nicely done.
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wonderful writing.
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Our victory we are praying for – may end in defeat or at least appear so. Thank you for sharing with us here at Tell me a Story.
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Exactly. Thanks for all your comments.
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Hi Lydia,
I’m your neighbor at Holley’s link-up today. What a thoughtful take on a story I’ve read and pondered often. Sometimes a fresh angle brings a new nugget of truth or understanding that I’ve overlooked. So nice to meet you!
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So nice to meet you, too! Yes, I love finding new angles to Bible stories. It’s amazing to see what new thoughts arise when you consider the perspective of each character in the story. Thanks for stopping by!
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Really powerful writing! Great to see a different angle to the story too. Thanks so much for sharing at #FridayFrivolity!
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What a powerful way to share a different perspective of this story which we’ve read so many times.
Thanks for sharing (and for linking up to the #SHINEbloghop).
Wishing you a lovely weekend.
xoxo
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I do love the way you told that story, we can’t always see the big picture. Thank you for that reminder.
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Beautifully written! Wonderful to read from another perspective. Thank you for sharing
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It’s all about perspective. Thank you for linking up to Open Mic Monday for the soul. Please don’t forget to link back or grab the button! Thank you. Have a blessed day.
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Yes! I am new to linkups and have been trying to get their host links up. I will be adding your site to my list of “Friends Along the Way” on my home page. Does that work?
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Hi Lydia! That sounds great! Thank you. Have a blessed week.
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Cool post and great writing. Very unique view point. I enjoyed reading it. ~visiting from Open Mic Monday.
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You are a beautiful writer. Thanks for linking up at Family Joy Link Up Party
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Hello Lydia, I love how you tell the story, coming from a different perspective than I’ve always thought.
Thank you for encouraging us at EncourageMe Linkup. I hope you do stop by next week.
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Thanks for sharing the story from the Bible. I’m sure everyone at Together on Tuesdays will enjoy reading this. 🙂
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Oh, your writing is just captivating! Thanks for sharing this with us at 100 Happy Days. 🙂
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