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Gospel: Mark 6: 14-29
King Herod heard about Jesus, for his fame had become widespread,
and people were saying,
“John the Baptist has been raised from the dead;
That is why mighty powers are at work in him.”
Others were saying, “He is Elijah”;
still others, “He is a prophet like any of the prophets.”
But when Herod learned of it, he said,
“It is John whom I beheaded. He has been raised up.”
Herod was the one who had John arrested and bound in prison
on account of Herodias,
the wife of his brother Philip, whom he had married.
John had said to Herod,
“It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife.”
Herodias harbored a grudge against him
and wanted to kill him but was unable to do so.
Herod feared John, knowing him to be a righteous and holy man,
and kept him in custody.
When he heard him speak he was very much perplexed,
yet he liked to listen to him.
Herodias had an opportunity one day when Herod, on his birthday,
gave a banquet for his courtiers, his military officers,
and the leading men of Galilee.
His own daughter came in and performed a dance
that delighted Herod and his guests.
The king said to the girl,
“Ask of me whatever you wish and I will grant it to you.”
He even swore many things to her,
“I will grant you whatever you ask of me,
even to half of my kingdom.”
She went out and said to her mother,
“What shall I ask for?”
Her mother replied, “The head of John the Baptist.”
The girl hurried back to the king’s presence and made her request,
“I want you to give me at once on a platter
the head of John the Baptist.”
The king was deeply distressed,
but because of his oaths and the guests
he did not wish to break his word to her.
So he promptly dispatched an executioner
with orders to bring back his head.
He went off and beheaded him in the prison.
He brought in the head on a platter
and gave it to the girl.
The girl in turn gave it to her mother.
When his disciples heard about it,
they came and took his body and laid it in a tomb.
The Gospel of the Lord.
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The death of John the Baptist is sandwiched in between Christ sending out his Apostles on their first missionary journey and their eventual return.
The Lord sent them out with nothing – no food, no money, not even a second tunic – with the exception of one thing:
He gave them his divine power.
Upon their return, “The Apostles gathered together with Jesus and reported all they had done and taught.”
Presumably, they spoke about the sensation of driving out demons; the wonder of healing the sick, lame, and blind; the spellbound eyes of their listeners who drank in Christ’s teachings falling from their lips.
It must’ve been one of the greatest “highs” the Apostles experienced in their time with Christ on earth. They not only witnessed him perform miracles; they did it, too.
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However, Mark sandwiches the death of John the Baptist in between the Apostles’ sending out and their return to offer a harsh reality check.
John, too, was a servant of the Lord. Yet in spite of – or even because of – his divine mission, he’s beheaded by King Herod.
Thus, the Good News which the Apostles have been preaching, and backing up with miraculous healings, is good news, but not for all.
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This is the difficult balance which every Christian must grow accustomed to.
While love for Christ has set our hearts on fire – and, naturally, we want to share this Good News with others in our words and deeds – we must temper our hope with the possibility of rejection. Think no further than John and Herod.
Thus, you may offer forgiveness to those who’ve wronged you as Christ has taught us. That doesn’t mean you’ll receive the same mercy from others.
You may seek to serve Christ in your neighbor. That doesn’t mean they’ll thank you; sometimes people take charity for granted.
You may quote the words of Christ to a friend. It doesn’t mean his Word will fall on fertile ground.
But, as Mother Teresa said, “Do good anyway. In the end, it is between you and your God; it was never between you and them anyway.”
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Image credits: (1) Pinterest (2) Pastor Chris Bass, WordPress (3) Mother Teresa