“King Herod heard of it, for Jesus’ name had become known. Some were saying, “John the baptizer has been raised from the dead; and for this reason these powers are at work in him.” But others said, “It is Elijah.” And others said, “It is a prophet, like one of the prophets of old.” But when Herod heard of it, he said, “John, whom I beheaded, has been raised.” For Herod himself had sent men who arrested John, bound him, and put him in prison on account of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife, because Herod had married her. For John had been telling Herod, “It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife.” And Herodias had a grudge against him, and wanted to kill him. But she could not, for Herod feared John, knowing that he was a righteous and holy man, and he protected him. When he heard him, he was greatly perplexed; and yet he liked to listen to him. But an opportunity came when Herod on his birthday gave a banquet for his courtiers and officers and for the leaders of Galilee. When his daughter Herodias 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.” And he solemnly swore to her, “Whatever you ask me, I will give you, even half of my kingdom.” She went out and said to her mother, “What should I ask for?” She replied, “The head of John the baptizer.” Immediately she rushed back to the king and requested, “I want you to give me at once the head of John the Baptist on a platter.” The king was deeply grieved; yet out of regard for his oaths and for the guests, he did not want to refuse her. Immediately the king sent a soldier of the guard with orders to bring John’s head. He went and beheaded him in the prison, brought his head on a platter, and gave it to the girl. Then the girl gave it to her mother. When his disciples heard about it, they came and took his body, and laid it in a tomb.” (Mark 6:14-29)
“In what way is Herod like a first-century Richard Nixon, so blinded by ambition that he is willing to sacrifice his principles for political gain? Or maybe he seems to you more like a Don Draper of Mad Men, so mired in a life of deception that he can hardly tell the difference between a pitch and a profession of good faith. Can John possibly be like Martin Luther King, Jr. or Oscar Romero, spiritual leaders willing to tell truth to power whatever the costs? Or does he seem more like the moral, and somewhat moralistic, Will McAvoy of The Newsroom? Perhaps Herodias reminds you of Game of Throne’s Cersei Lannister, who in a dramatic scene late in the first season justified the brutal course of action she would soon take on the basis of her love for her children. Might Herodias also want to protect herself and her children from John’s claims, even if they are true, and have we considered the lengths to which we would go to protect our family from harm?
I think it’s worth delving into this story because Mark puts it here for a reason. While I can’t be absolutely sure of Mark’s motives, I have a hunch he wants to impress deep into the imagination of his readers two things. First, Jesus’ ministry, like John’s, has significant political implications. And I don’t mean “political” in the sense of who to vote for. No, I mean that the kingdom Jesus preaches challenges our penchant for the status quo and our all too easy acquiescence with the cultural presumption that might (or wealth or status or fame) makes right. Proclaim God’s kingdom of mercy and grace and, as with Jesus and his forerunner John, there will be costs to pay.
Second, Mark wants us to take seriously that this is, indeed, the way of the world. Those who stand up to City Hall often take a beating, and those who advocate an alternative to the status quo can usually expect those who benefit from the status quo to come down on them hard. We watch programs like Mad Men, The Newsroom, Game of Thrones, West Wing, The Sopranos, and the like because we see ourselves in them. We might not always like what we see, but at least it seems real. And Mark is, if nothing else, a realist. He is writing, after all, in the wake of the devastation caused by the Romans exercising their brutal power by destroying the Jerusalem Temple. So part of why he tells this story is because this is the world as he knows it, the world he lives in and, by extension, the world we live in as well.” (David Lose, Tell the Truth Twice, working preacher.org, July 8, 2012)
You know, you gather stories as you live your life. Stories can be a reminder of how crazy, or how interesting, or how full our lives are. And of course, we all want to live a life that is full – with a full bank account, a full house, full stomachs, and full relationships. But then, there is another sense of the word “full” that we all also crave to be – “success-ful”, “power-ful”, “beauti-ful”. How full we are, or how “ful” we are depends on the placement of our plumb line. The plumb line is used to build something (usually a wall) that is straight and true. If the plumb line we use is one based on worldly standards, then our lives will be built, and defined by those standards.
John the Baptist, on the other hand, was NOT successful from many perspectives, but his life and his ministry was successful, because he was “Significant”. And he was willing to sacrifice everything to remain “Dutiful”. You see, his plumb line was discerned from his calling by G-d – he was called to be an instrument of the Lord – to prepare the way of Jesus Christ. And because we are followers of Jesus, then we are called to have lives that are more “significant” than “successful”. You see, because we are followers of Jesus, we are already “Successful”. Jesus makes us successful – Jesus has done all that needs to be done for our success – and G-d has given us the plumb line of Jesus for us to conform our lives to his. And because Jesus is “Truthful” and “Merciful” then our lives will be “Bountiful” and “Graceful” when our lives are defined by the plumb line of Jesus.
Pastor Dave
Lutheran Schreff 