Speaking Prophetically - Sermon on Mark 6:14-29 - 07.15.2018

Listen to the gospel reading and sermon here.

Mark 6:14-29

14 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." ¹⁵ But others said, "It is Elijah." And others said, "It is a prophet, like one of the prophets of old." ¹⁶ But when Herod heard of it, he said, "John, whom I beheaded, has been raised." ¹⁷ 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. ¹⁸ For John had been telling Herod, "It is not lawful for you to have your brother's wife." ¹⁹ And Herodias had a grudge against him, and wanted to kill him. But she could not, ²⁰ 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. ²¹ But an opportunity came when Herod on his birthday gave a banquet for his courtiers and officers and for the leaders of Galilee. ²² 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." ²³ And he solemnly swore to her, "Whatever you ask me, I will give you, even half of my kingdom." ²⁴ She went out and said to her mother, "What should I ask for?" She replied, "The head of John the baptizer." ²⁵ 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." ²⁶ The king was deeply grieved; yet out of regard for his oaths and for the guests, he did not want to refuse her. ²⁷ Immediately the king sent a soldier of the guard with orders to bring John's head. He went and beheaded him in the prison, ²⁸ brought his head on a platter, and gave it to the girl. Then the girl gave it to her mother. ²⁹ When his disciples heard about it, they came and took his body, and laid it in a tomb.

SERMON:

The Gospel of the Lord?

This is one of those rare days where my call to preach and proclaim the good news of Jesus is directly challenged by a gospel text that isn’t really about Jesus.  In fact, Jesus is only mentioned in passing as a set up.  Ya know so often we read and hear stories of Jesus that teach us a lesson or moral, a lesson that challenges us or affirms our calling, but today rather we get a story that is a bit tangent to the rest of the gospel.

Mark’s gospel account begins with John the Baptist.  From the first verse of chapter one, JTB is proclaiming out of the wilderness.  “Prepare the way of the lord” he says. “Make straight his paths”. Recall the season of Advent when John the Baptist saying, “the one who is more powerful than I is coming after me and I am not worthy to stoop down and untie the thong of his sandals.  I baptized you with water but he will baptize you with Holy Spirit.”

John spent his days as a prophet, proclaiming the arrival of the Messiah.  He was the one crying in the wilderness, prophesying a word of hope among the people.  With prophetic and faithful witness, he proclaimed the coming light into the world. A light not darkness can overcome.  And of course, Jesus arrives right on cue to be baptized.

And we hear this marvelous story unfold about Jesus emerging from the waters of baptism, and the heavens being torn apart, and the Spirit descending like a dove and God say, “You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.”  Jesus wandered the wilderness, ignoring Satan's temptations.

And as Jesus leaves the wilderness to call disciples and embark on his Galilean ministry, there is one small, quick verse that is often overlooked.

The 14th verse of Mark’s first chapter says, “Now after John was arrested, Jesus came to Galilee, proclaiming the good news…”   How subtle of Mark. The author begins his gospel with this wonderful prophecy by John the Baptist, but once Jesus arrives, John seems to become old news.  Oh, and he was arrested, but back to Jesus.

And yet, for some reason, four chapters later, Mark finishes the story of John.  It’s a side story, a flashback really. And if you’re reading the gospel of Mark straight through, chances are you have forgotten all about John, and probably don’t recall that he was even arrested.  

We’re so focused on Jesus being active and present as the Messiah, Jesus healing and teaching in the synagogue, Jesus sending the disciples out two by two….but all of a sudden Mark is says, “Oh by the way...remember that John the Baptist guy?...have you ever wonder what happened to him?”

Well as the story goes, King Herod married the wife of his brother.  In other words he married his sister-in-law. Her name was Herodias. And by the law in Leviticus, their marriage was to be considered unlawful.  

So, John the faithful prophet and witness calls attention to their unlawful marriage.  He spoke a hard truth to those in power and authority. This does not sit well with Herodias.  She held a grudge against John.

So Herod has John arrested, whether to appease his sister-in-law turned wife, or to silence the faithful prophet and save face among his people, he arrests John none-the-less.

But what is interesting is that the text tells Herod feared John, knowing that he was a righteous and holy man.  So Herod protected him. Even more so it tells us that Herod was intrigued by John the Baptist and enjoyed listening to him.  John made him think. As John prophesied and proclaimed, sowing seeds we might say...Herod thoroughly liked John’s company. Never-the-less, John spoke a hard truth to hold the king accountable, and he found himself imprisoned.

So it was Herod’s birthday, and during the party his niece, now step-daughter dances for Herod and his guests.  And to be clear, it is likely Not a suggestive or inappropriate dance. Rather she was a young girl, likely performing an innocent routine, hamming it up for Herod’s guests.  

So he summons the girl and says “whatever you ask me, I will give you.”  So the girl runs to her mother, seeking advice on such a big ask.

And Herodias, with her festering grudge against the truthful yet convicting prophet, says, I want John the Baptist dead, with his head on a platter.  

So the girl conveys her wish to her uncle, now step-father.  And rather than appear weak or face embarrassment, Herod is bound by his word.  Thus John the Baptist is beheaded and brought on a platter to the girl. I can only imagine her reaction.  The girl gives the platter to the mom and John’s disciples came to collect the body. The end..

Now, where were we with Jesus and his friends…

It’s an oddly placed story in the middle of Mark’s gospel.  Jesus is thriving in ministry. Sure he just faced a cold greeting in his hometown, but things are going well.  We, the hearers, along with Jesus’ disciples are learning more and more about this Messiah, his power, and his purpose.  Then out of nowhere...oh, do you remember John?

It’s a strangely-timed flash back that closes the book on a character we’ve long moved past.  And there is only a passing mention of Jesus in order to set the story up. So what could the author of Mark possibly be teaching his audience?  Then and now? What, if any, is the good news in today’s text?

Perhaps the key to first understand the author.  Mark is a brilliant writer, and part of his style is to bookend stories within his writing.  Throughout his entire gospel account, uses bookends to write in rounds. He has a clever and subtle way of writing the narrative so that the format tells as much of a story as the text does.  He draws subtext parallels and expands metaphors. He foreshadows much of what is to happen later. Today’s text is a perfect example in two ways.

First, the story of John the Baptist being beheaded foreshadows Jesus’ death.  From speaking hard truth the those of authority and power, to dying at the hands a timid and reluctant political leader.  John’s death prepares us for a greater and more traumatizing death that is to come.

Second, and this might be the key, the beheading of John the Baptist is preceded by Jesus sending out the disciples two by two, and followed by the disciples returning to Jesus and Jesus feeding 5000.  

Jesus encounters resistance in his hometown, making clear the difficult reality of the call to preach, teach, proclaim, and heal.  The message and work of the one called is not always welcomed warmly. Then Jesus sends his disciples into the villages two by two, to teach and heal.  To be vulnerable and risk everything. To take nothing for the journey and trust in God and the message of hope.

It’s precisely in that moment, as the disciples leave, that the author flashes back to the story of a familiar and faithful prophet losing his life to wealth, power, and authority after speaking hard, faithful truths.  The timing isn’t ironic. The placement of this story isn’t an afterthought. For Mark, the message is intentional. We may not know exactly what the disciples encountered on their journey, but Mark is sure to tell us what they risked.

It makes me think about the phrase “Don’t shoot the messenger.”  We always hear in a context that says, “It’s not my fault you’re receiving the bad news, I’m just delivering it.”  But when I think about John and the prophets it makes sense because history may kill them but the message never dies.

Even centuries before John came crying out of the wilderness, the prophets spoke truths.  Hard, faithful truths in the face of opposition. They challenged authority. They offered warning to the hard of heart and hard of hearing.  

And many of them were killed for their prophetic voice.  Isaiah was sawn in two. Jeremiah was starved to death. Even Amos, from our 1st lesson was said to suffer a violent death after giving a powerful word of warning to the Northern Kingdom.  But despite a cold welcome by a resistant world, the stories of the prophets have life and meaning today because of the message they proclaimed. Not because of who they were speaking to, but because of in whose name they spoke.

The voice and witness of those who are called to teach, preach, proclaim, and yes prophecy is more powerful than death.  The message is greater than any earthly kingdom or unlawful ruler that may feel challenged by their words.

Power, wealth, and authority may arrest, imprison, beat, challenge, oppose, belittle, smear, slander, dismiss, behead or even crucify the prophet, but the message that prophet proclaims is far greater.   

Yes, they risked their lives, but their story and their proclamation are still told.  Herod killed John, but John’s life and prophecy to prepare the way of the Lord is far more powerful.  They killed Jesus, but God’s story of hope was far too great for sin, death and the devil.

So what do we do with this text that feels out of place?  Perhaps there is truth to be told today? Jesus sends out the 12 disciples to teach and heal, and we are reminded of our call as well to journey village to village and share in the stories of God and our neighbor.

I always think the hard part of being a follower of Christ is being sent two by two to strangers homes and sharing in their time, food, and stories.  But in light of today’s gospel, perhaps that is is the easiest part of being a Christian. And the most challenging and vulnerable thing for us to do is speak with Christ’s authority to people in power.

As Christians, it is our power and privilege, our call to speak prophetically to unlawful powers and unjust systems.  It’s our call to preach, teach, and heal with authority. With passion. With fervor and power. We are called to name sin and sinful behavior.  To encourage and empower repentance. To challenge unjust and unlawful systems. To prophecy against oppressive power.

And the prophets message is always one of hope.  Hope in a God who is far more powerful, far more just, and far more fair than any Earthly kingdom or rule.

Sure, Proclaiming Christ, being a prophetic voice and witness of hope in a world that is burdened by wealth, status, power, greed, and destruction is risky business.  But what is far more risky, is if the prophet never speaks at all. If sin is never named. If truth is never told. If hope is never proclaimed. If repentance and forgiveness is never offered.

So as the disciples leave for their first missionary journey, Mark closes the chapter on John the Baptist not to say that being a prophet is too risky.  Rather, Mark reminds us that power of the prophetic witness is far greater than the risk of speaking out. Jesus calls us to be prophetic in spite of the risk.  It seems that in today’s world there will always be unjust, unlawful, and unruly systems of power. And if that’s true, then there will always be a need for prophetic proclamation too.  That is our call, here and now. No matter how strange the timing may seem.

Amen.