Sermons

Eighth Sunday after Pentecost

Text: Mark 6:14-29

Pastor Jean M. Hansen

 

     This is one of those times when, after proclaiming, “The Gospel of the Lord” at the end of the Gospel reading, I think, “Yeah, right!” This is not Good News; it’s a sordid tale containing revenge, deception and murder. It follows the account of the disciples of Jesus being sent out to area towns to proclaim the Good News, that is, to introduce people to Jesus and bring hope and healing to their lives. Evidently their mission went well, Herod heard about it, and surmises that John the Baptist, whom he beheaded, has been raised from the dead.

     Then, the Gospel writer Mark uses flashback to tell the reader how John died. There is no shortage of colorful characters in this story. First, we are introduced to Herod Antipas, tetrarch of Galilee, called “King” as a sarcastic jab since he wanted to be a king, but never was one. He had married his brother Phillip’s wife, dumping his first wife to do so, which made him guilty of multiple sins. History presents him in a negative, self-serving light

     Next, we meet Herodias, Herod’s wife; she also has a mean streak and is so furious at John’s criticism of her marriage to Herod that she wants him dead.

     Then there’s her daughter, Herodias #2, identified by Jewish historian Josephus as Salome, who danced at Herod’s birthday banquet, when all the elite gathered to show “the king” their loyalty (and no doubt get on his good side). The performance so enthralled Herod that he made a foolishly extravagant offer as a reward. “Whatever you ask me, I will give you, even half of my kingdom!”, he proclaimed, no doubt engaging in hyperbole, but nevertheless, that’s what he promised.

     Scholars question whether the step-daughter was willingly following in her mother’s footsteps or was a pawn in the scheme to murder John. Maybe she was being taken advantage of; yet her request that she be given John’s head on a platter does raise the hair on the back of one’s neck.

     Finally, there’s John the Baptist, cousin and forerunner of Jesus, preparer of the way, prophet extraordinaire, who actually had the courage to stand up to Herod, questioning his morality, which landed him in prison. Here’s an interesting detail, John the Baptist interested Herod who liked listening to him and wanted to keep doing so. Until today’s account Herod has purposely kept John alive out of a mix of fear and admiration.

     However, when he went overboard in rewarding Salome (that should teach him not to drink so much) and he did not want to risk embarrassment in front of his elite guests, he allowed John to be beheaded for the sake of his own vanity and to protect his own interests. The man was certainly lacking in a moral compass.

     That’s the story, but what’s the point? Why stick it in-between Jesus’ disciples being sent out to proclaim the Good News and their excited return from that successful mission to prepare for even more challenging ones? Some scholars propose that the intention is to draw a contrast between the two kingdoms available to Jesus’ disciples, and to all of us: the Kingdom of God and the Kingdom of Herod/the World.

     Quoting Pastor Shelby Etheridge, “Herod’s Kingdom is dominated by the desire for power, the will to gain influence over others. This is the world where competition, fear and envy are the currency….” Contrast that with the Kingdom of God where “vulnerability, sharing, mercy, justice and grace lead to abundant life for all people.” (1)

     Think about it, as the disciples went out on their mission of mercy and grace, they already knew what had happened to John the Baptist, and no doubt tried not to think about the fact that it could happen to them. And what about their beloved Jesus, might he also face persecution and death as he threatened the established power? Was following Jesus worth the risk?

     When they returned, having experienced the Kingdom of God in their travels as people were cured of illness and disability and demons were cast out, the choice before them was clearer: the Kingdom of Herod or the Kingdom of God?

     That same choice is ours; it’s not an easy one to make because showing mercy can make us feel taken advantage of and justice is hard to define and even more difficult to create and grace is easy to receive but not to give. On top of all that, in the Kingdom of God, the last are first; it’s where we die to what the world values and the rewards for serving may not be all that tangible.

     Quoting Pastor Etheridge, “The contrast between these two kingdoms: the kingdom of God and the Kingdom of Power here on earth, shines light on the deepest, darkest realities of who we are. We are people who are more likely to save face than to do the right thing, who are more likely to keep what we have than to share it with others, who are more likely to look at the stranger and say out of fear “you don’t belong here,” than to open the doors and let them in.” (2)

     Making the choice also is a struggle because the Kingdom of God and the Kingdom of Herod/the World get conflated, as if characteristics of the latter are acceptable in the former. But the Kingdom of God is not about power or winning (unless you’re referring to Jesus’ defeating sin and death … which required sacrifice). It’s not about words or actions that hurt others for the sake of some “greater good”. Some may say that it is, but it’s not, as far as what Jesus taught and represented.

     Today’s story of John the Baptist’s death is not where the Gospel ends, thankfully. But it, and stories like it, remind us why we need the Good News of Jesus. The Kingdom of Herod/the World lives on in 2024; we were shaken by that reality last evening in an assassination attempt on former President Trump, that resulted in injury and death among his supporters. Such violence is a stark reminder of the divisiveness that permeates our nation. But, the Kingdom of the World does not have the final word; there always is hope for restoration as we, like John the Baptist, by the power of the Spirit, challenge the ways of the world, so that God’s kingdom comes among us … perhaps not perfectly … but with hope for healing that transforms. AMEN