Mark 6: 14-29
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The New
Testament Witness of the Apostle
Peter |
The Pulpit at Pilgrim's Rest Christ Covenant Reformed (PCA) |
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Working at the higher political levels of resistance to the Nazi wickedness in the late thirties, the German pastor, Dietrich Bonhoeffer encouraged the military authorities who made up the Kreslau Circle. Early on, he was arrested and held in prison, like many other Christians who openly condemned and opposed Herr Hitler. Like many men of conscience, he did not survive World War Two. In fact, there is a report that when Americans were fighting there way into the prison where Bonhoeffer was held, the Nazi guards hurriedly moved through the prison with a "must not survive" list and shot him and others down in cold blood right in their cells.
His crime? To use a modern phrase, Bonhoeffer was considered politically incorrect! Why? Like many Christians he told the truth and was willing to abide by the consequences of condemning the dangers and madness of Hitler and his occultic Black Shirted Strassen Soldaten. While history does record the fact that the first admittees to the Nazi concentration camps were by and large Christian, by the end of the war - their immediate numbers were overwhelmed by those Jews who had neither the finances or opportunities to escape the growing persecution in the mid forties. People of faith, to use another contemporary term were harassed, harangued and eventually destroyed because the pagan power of the Nazi state must be built up at any social cost, thus any who did not support the state were deigned enemies of the that state! So it always has been and will be in the worldly history of mankind. Where ever absolutism raises its ugly head and demands the respect if not acceptance of any and every moral error or theological heresy.
In our text for today we read about such political subtleties and even learn anew the old worldly proverb, "Hell has no fury like a woman scorned." Because into the political niceties of Herod's day there intrudes the presence of the second and third most wicked women in all of recorded history.- Herodias and Salome. Between them they almost out do the prime record of Jezebel herself! Here is the situation, just like the plot of a Shakespearean play, the so called king, Herod takes his brother's wife as his own. To complicate that relationship, Herod shows an undue interest in the dancing abilities of his own step daughter. Like any number of live in boyfriends today, the daughter of their current significant other, seems to be fair game for predatory conquest.
A study a few years ago shows that Herod's predilection is widely imitated and if we would only prosecute what used to be called statutory rape, we might be able to dampen the enthusiasm for over one third of teenage pregnancies. Those of Royal blood in every age, like Herod, seemingly believe that they are above the law and can live any old way their hormones dictate. Just try to be prophetic in this area of morals in the public sector today and you will discover that there are many kin to Herodias and Salome in our time as well!
A teacher was once asked by her class what she thought of Sensuous Licentiously Unrestrained Teens. When she simplified the appropriate letters of that acronym into a specific word now no longer considered politically correct, the whole group complained to the administration and the good lady whose morals and upbringing predated the sexual revolution, was reprimanded for insulting the wayward waifs. My oh my, Sodomites, registered Pagans, knaves and all kind of sordid characters have feelings which must be tickled so that they feel good about what and who they really are! John the Baptist wouldn't last a week in the public sector employment today! While, he might not lose his head just yet, continued employment would be out of the question.
Just look at the unrighteous indignation directed at the popular Jewish radio personality, Dr Laura - who has had the unmitigated gall to describe the practitioners of Sodomy as much less than honorable healthy people! Some things, like wickedness and aversion to being called sinful simply never ever change. Herodius holds a blood thirsty desire of revenge against the Lord's prophet John the Baptist. And why, simply because he publicly spoke against her lusty illegal relationship with her brother-in-law, whereby she could remain in close proximity to the political power!
Herod, like so many randy unmarried stepparents today is not without his own guilt. However, Herod appears to be somewhat restrained in his use of public policy when it comes to capital punishment. In fact, he must be tricked into doing the bidding of his notorious significant other. You know, there is a lot that can be said in how you say "significant other". Even when we are compelled to use worldly terms to maintain our public station, the truth of the term can be brought out with an improper enunciation! Being John "the cautious" Baptist, does have its moments, as well as its political dangers. In an era of increasing randiness, one can still convey a lot of necessary information with an appropriate look, a peculiar raised eyebrow and the ever popular teenage game of put-downs!
But at some point, there remains the cultural necessity of dear Dr Laura, who holds no punches and has gained a huge following because of her commitment to the biblical commandments. Were that Christians were half as spirited in maintaining the old public decorum of a generation and a half ago!
Saving face in public however, is still the name of the game. Unrestrained revelry will remain unrestrained if it is at all acceptable. Herod, like a lot of monarchs of his era was entertained by the ravings of his pet prisoner. Whether or not John the Baptist was trotted out of prison for entertainment or curiosity - we cannot know from the few hints in our text for today. On the occasion of a birthday, a Roman and Greek habit being adopted by the worldly Hebrews of his time, Herod held a great feast and invited all of the appropriate subordinates from his province.
Then he drank too much, lusted too much, and promised too much! When Salome made her wicked request, only then did he begin to sober up and realize he had committed a grave error. Reluctantly, we may surmise from the text, he ordered up the head of the Baptist on a silver platter just as another dish might be ordered up from the kitchen. Inadvertently, the death of the Baptist by the sword instead of the cross results in some small honor being attached to his reputation.
By this means, he was executed as a citizen instead of a reprobate. In this small way, John's death is different from that of Jesus Christ. In the culture of the time, John's death was considered honorable, that of Christ better fulfills the biblical prophecy that the Lamb slain on the cross died an ignoble death. At the end of the Nuremberg trials, many of the condemned Nazi military officers begged for a firing squad so that they could be spared the criminal association of the hangman's noose. Their requests were denied and they entered the other world in the disgrace of that moment. "Despised and rejected", the biblical phrase applied crucifixion to our Lord Jesus Christ. Honor, however small we may appreciate it, is attached to the death of the Baptist by means of the sordid request of Herod's daughter-in-law.
At long last we come to the beginning of our text today. Mark's ordering here in this report is interesting as well as different from the other Gospels. Here we read that Herod Antipas, as we must distinguish him from his brother Herod Philip. Like the prize fighter George who has seven sons by the same surname, the elder Herod had sons Antipas, Philip and even a granddaughter Herodias named after himself. Herod, having heard of Jesus Christ, did not realize the similarities in their age. Mark reports that Herod mistakenly thinks that John the Baptist has been raised from the dead.
Now in the context of the times, Herod Antipas had just been defeated in war by the father of his first wife. Dr Keener reports that "Josephus claims that many viewed Herod's humiliation in the war as divine judgment for his executing John the Baptist." Wherever we are in the historical ordering, Herod keenly feels some emotion for having executed the Baptist. And like many others of his time, he completely misunderstands the pedigree, the calling and the divinity of Jesus the Christ.
Very many politically correct people today may at one level understand and appreciate the sinfulness of their ways, but having by various means been tricked by the devil to bury the sordid nature of their problem, they become guilty in the death of the prophet who would call them away from their sin. True, there may be a few moments of nervousness regarding the sins that they put before hearing the Lord's own prophet and even His one and only Son. However, as the record shows - that nervousness does not lead to repentance and belief, but only superstition. In fact the worldly ability to misunderstand the death of Christ defies all manner of belief.
Certainly, we see in the text that John the Baptist was buried by his followers. Some of whom eventually raised him up to be the Messiah he only heralded. The mistaken worship of the Baptist continued into the third or fourth century, where we thought the matter had ended. However, during operation Desert Storm, an Iraqi family of that cult was discovered alive and kicking sixteen centuries later - to be still in error. They are just as wrong in their assessment as the superstitious Herod himself. Jesus Christ, even though related by blood and baptism was not the Baptist. His role and ministry were as different as night and day.
No one was saved by the death of the good man that John the Baptist appeared to be. Yet, in the God Son Jesus, all the world is challenged to believe that Jesus was in fact the very Son of God, who had come to die a criminal death, despised and rejected by men, yet accomplishing in that dejection the salvation of those whose unrighteousness is imputed as righteous. Just as the ancient Israelites sent the goat into the desert to be their sin-bearer, so to will the role of Jesus, the Christ be also so understood. That is the world of difference between John the Baptist and Jesus Christ.
May we affirm that difference in our creeds and our understanding. Amen.
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Cole, Alan. |
Tyndale New Testament
Commentaries: |
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Keener, Craig S. |
The IVP Bible Background Commentary:
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"Bringing the Light of the Reformation to Scripture" (Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1995) |
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B2b34 |
11 June 00 |