Blood Money // Rev. Matt Kennedy // October 20 2024

It is a Biblical tradition for Hebrew Prophets to use provocative images to get a reader's attention. John, the author of Revelation is no different. In chapters 17-18 of the book we meet a woman who in the King James Version of the Bible is called, "the Harlot".In modern parlance, she's a prostitute. She is dressed in the most expensive clothes and jewelry, she's intoxicated, and she is saddled on top of a seven-headed beast (17:2-5). Has John got your attention yet?Last week we talked about how Revelation's beast represents the unholy alliance of political/religious powers in defiance of God. This week John zooms into two particular ways we most often get caught in the orbit of these power corruptions: sex and money. Revelation does not pull its punches when it comes to God's judgement upon sin, but we keep in mind these words are spoken by a God who stakes his reputation on forgiven drunks, forgiven adulterers, and forgiven thieves (Matthew 11:19). We read these provocative words of judgement for the purposes of resting in God's amazing grace.