“…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.” (Mark 6:20)
So what’s up with this? Those ancient Jews had some weird laws. If, for example, a married man died without having had a son, his brother was expected to marry his widow, knock her up, and produce a son who would be considered the son of his dead brother.[i] Nobody had a problem with that. But, if a gal just got tired of her old man and decided she liked his brother better, that was a whole different story. This would be considered adultery, and John the Baptist took a pretty dim view of this in the gospel lesson for Pentecost 7, Year B (Mark 6:14-29)
You can’t blame John. For the same reason even loyal Democrats got a little miffed when Bill Clinton got caught fooling around with a White House intern. People just want to know that the folks in charge are honest, decent, dependable people. You may think a law is silly—and Herod and Herodias had a right to fall in love if they wanted to—but the law is the law until someone changes it. The people who make the laws aren’t supposed to break the laws.
Once upon a time I used to run into this guy—and it seemed I was running into him whenever I went out—and I’d see him with this chick I knew wasn’t his wife. I have to admit I was pretty embarrassed by this—especially since the guy was my boss. Back then I’d never have the courage to confront him about this. Instead I just thought this was his private life and it was none of my business. He fired me anyway.
Mark sticks the story of John the Baptist’s arrest and execution right between Jesus’ sending out of the disciples and the return of those disciples. Smart Bible scholars think this might be one really graphic illustration of the truth the saints will face—telling people what they don’t want to hear will not be fun. Sometimes you’ll just be able to shake the dust off your feet and get back to the business of casting out evil spirits of falsehood, hatred, ignorance, and doubt. Sometimes you might get your head cut off. Jesus will be killed himself.
It’s been said that political leaders are rarely motivated to do the right thing just because it is the right thing. Old Herod knew that John was a good dude, but he still had him beheaded. Some of the greatest motivators for people already in power are ambition, greed, and fear. Herod let this holy man be killed so he could keep a stupid oath he never should’ve made in the first place and not look like the dumbass he was in front of his wife and his pals. Basically, he committed murder out of fear of embarrassment.
I think this story begs the question: What are you afraid of? What might keep you from speaking out against racist speech or gossip? What might keep you from keeping your own promise never to allow anyone to be humiliated in your presence? Why would you keep silent when you see a situation that’s about to go over a cliff, or a person whose life is headed into the dumper, or a perplexed soul who really needs to understand the gospel? Maybe your call to repentance will be slung back in your teeth. But maybe it won’t. And maybe you’ll make an incredible impact on someone.
We all have a little Herod in us, don’t we? We like to hear the Good News, but it perplexes us at times. We want to be holy—but just not too holy. We know we’d be better off just fessing up to our faults, giving in to some red-faced embarrassment, and trying to correct our course, but it’s easier to blame the ones who call our bone-headedness to our attention.
It might seem easier to be Herod than to be John the Baptist. Both men struggle, but, I suspect only one rests in peace.
Thanks for dropping by, my friend.
[i]
See Deuteronomy 25:5-7. Yup. It’s in there.
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