Fourteenth Sunday after Pentecost
8/26/10
Mark 6:14-29
Bror Erickson
[14] King Herod heard of it, for Jesus' name had become known. Some said, "John the Baptist has been raised from the dead. That is why these miraculous powers are at work in him." [15] But others said, "He is Elijah." And others said, "He is a prophet, like one of the prophets of old." [16] But when Herod heard of it, he said, "John, whom I beheaded, has been raised." [17] For it was Herod who had sent and seized John and bound him in prison for the sake of Herodias, his brother Philip's wife, because he had married her. [18] For John had been saying to Herod, "It is not lawful for you to have your brother's wife." [19] And Herodias had a grudge against him and wanted to put him to death. But she could not, [20] for Herod feared John, knowing that he was a righteous and holy man, and he kept him safe. When he heard him, he was greatly perplexed, and yet he heard him gladly.
[21] But an opportunity came when Herod on his birthday gave a banquet for his nobles and military commanders and the leading men of Galilee. [22] For when Herodias's daughter came in and danced, she pleased Herod and his guests. And the king said to the girl, "Ask me for whatever you wish, and I will give it to you." [23] And he vowed to her, "Whatever you ask me, I will give you, up to half of my kingdom." [24] And she went out and said to her mother, "For what should I ask?" And she said, "The head of John the Baptist." [25] And she came in immediately with haste to the king and asked, saying, "I want you to give me at once the head of John the Baptist on a platter." [26] And the king was exceedingly sorry, but because of his oaths and his guests he did not want to break his word to her. [27] And immediately the king sent an executioner with orders to bring John's head. He went and beheaded him in the prison
[28] and brought his head on a platter and gave it to the girl, and the girl gave it to her mother. [29] When his disciples heard of it, they came and took his body and laid it in a tomb. Mark 6:14-29 (ESV)
But when Herod heard of it, he said John, whom I beheaded has been raised.
Herod confused Jesus with John the Baptist, and John the Baptist for the Christ. He thought John had come back from the dead, and he was afraid. He was afraid and feared Jesus, as he had feared John the Baptist. He has the two confused in the same way that we often confuse the two in a more subtle manner when we confuse Christianity with law and forget about justification by faith alone, the forgiveness of sins, salvation by grace.
We shouldn’t be too hard on Herod for thinking John had come back from the dead. As John the Baptist went about his preaching, teaching and baptizing he embodied what many thought the Christ would be. It was not without reason that the Pharisees when sent by the priests to speak with John asked him if he was the Christ. John confessed, he did not deny, but confessed that he was not the Christ. That is in denying he was the Christ, he confessed that the Christ was to come, it was more than a telling of the truth, but a confession of faith in the Christ. Yet, even as he confessed the Christ with his “Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.” People stayed with him, he was what they expected in the Christ, though he was but the forerunner, the law that must crush before the gospel can save.
John preached law, and he preached it well, too well some would say. When the law is preached well it pricks the conscience and makes it bleed, terrifies the souls of even the most righteous, the brood of vipers, as he called the Pharisees, took their fine robes back to the palaces of Jerusalem when they heard him speak. Herodias stewed in anger and plotted revenge. So hot was her anger at the words of John, words that threatened to destroy all her ambitions that she would entice her own daughter to dance in the lewd for her husband and his guests. Blind rage does not know how to blush with shame. And Herod, Herod would sit at John’s feet perplexed by the law, but not quite willing to reform his life. Herod was weak. He was led about by his brother’s wife. That normally sets a family up for disfunctionality. He felt trapped by his office, by the choices he had made. And he dared not ask forgiveness.
Yet, he admired John for his earthly righteousness. It is said of John that he came neither eating nor drinking and they said he had a demon. So austere was his adherence to the law that people found it unnatural. He preached with such conviction that it got him killed. Herod, aroused by his step daughter/ niece’s dancing, and drunk with his guests made promises and vows he later regretted. His hand was forced to behead John the Baptist to save face with his depraved guests of honor.
Perhaps you’ve been there? Being hazed onto the high school football team, or some other stupid clique. How stupid the things done to “fit in” in the military, college, frats, and sports teams. Ever had your morals compromised by that desire. Listen, a stupid promise made contrary to God’s will as expressed in the Ten Commandments is not one you need to feel guilty of for breaking. The Bible is replete with men making stupid vows to God or others, and finding themselves in trouble because of them. And the Bible is constantly telling us not to swear by his name accept in the most important of matters: marriage, and court, maybe military service. If there is a moral to be taken from this text it is don’t make stupid promises and seal them with an oath, especially when you’re hot, bothered and drunk, and it just might be wise not to get hot, bothered and drunk.
Oh we could judge Herod, but in the end is he not but a mirror to our own hypocritical lives? How functional are our families when we examine the family cupboards. Perhaps our step daughters don’t dance in the lewd for us, but what kind of smut do we watch on T.V.? Or maybe it is more respectable to live vicariously through a smut novel, or some rag picked up in the grocery store? Judge Herod, go ahead, just realize “you are the man” as Nathan tells Daniel. And those who take the law too seriously for our comfort have to be silenced one way or another. If we can’t back them into a corner with name calling, or entice them to break their moral code to fit in, well, off with their heads. It is the way of this world.
John the Baptist died by the law, just as he lived by it. His disciples laid him in a tomb, and there he stayed. But so righteous a life he lived they thought he might be the Christ.
When Christ came he came performing miracles. Some thought he might be John the Baptist back from the dead. About the time John kicked the bucket, Jesus sent out his disciples two by two performing miracles in the streets and announcing the kingdom of God, casting out demons and healing the sick. The forerunner had passed, the king had come. Repentance preached, now the Gospel proclaimed. The law had failed, this was apparent, one could see John the Baptist dead. He was not the Christ. His life bore testimony that there is no life in the law. The law leads to death. Jesus, he leads to life.
And he was so similar and yet so different. John came neither eating or drinking, they said he had a demon. Jesus came eating and drinking and they said he was a drunkard and a glutton, a call to death, it was the sentence parents were to give their rebellious children before the town elders stoned them. (Deut. 21:20) Jesus was different. The Christ was unexpected. The world could not fathom him, a friend of tax collectors, who ate even with prostitutes, as being the Christ. They still can’t. Forgiveness. He came forgiving. He forgave all. He forgave all walks of life. Yes even Pharisees the brood of vipers in fancy robes found forgiveness with Christ. And in Christ, hanging from the cross and risen from the tomb, there is forgiveness, and only in forgiveness is there life.
Oh he died, Israel’s “rebellious son” accused of being a glutton and a drunkard, would be sentenced to death by the elders of Jerusalem, king Herod would again play his part, as he suffered under Pontius Pilate. But this time the story would not end there. It doesn’t end in death. It doesn’t end in the tomb. But the story lives on, it continues even today, because Christ conquers death and lives today bringing to you the kingdom of God in the forgiveness of sins. He rose from the grave after dying for your sins. And as he lives, so he gives you life, life eternal, gathering you to his kingdom. He gives you life. Christianity is life. Faith in Christ is life. Trust in forgiveness of sins in Christ’s death and resurrection for you is life, because salvation is by grace.
Now the peace of God that surpasses all understanding keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus our Lord Amen.
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