I have to admit that the beheading of John the Baptist is not the easiest text for me to preach. I've posted about John before, how I am almost jealous of him for knowing from his earliest days what his role was to be. But this is a difficult text for me because John's persecution and death remind me of my brother pastors who have been removed from their Calls by congregations who, as Paul would say, have itching ears, sending away their faithful preachers because they don't like their faithful preaching. But it was the text I needed to preach today. Please continue to pray for your pastor and for all the ordained men without congregations who desire to serve.
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Losing Your Head
Mark 6:14-29
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Today we encounter three people who are losing their heads. One of them, John the Baptist, had spent his life preparing the way for Christ. He had preached the message of repentance, a message which is never popular. He was finally imprisoned for preaching that message to what the world would consider the wrong people. Those wrong people were Herod and his mistress, Herodias. Herod had set aside his own wife and separated Herodias from her husband, his own half-brother, Philip. It was bad enough that Herodias had married her own uncle in Philip. But then both Herodias and Herod left their legal spouses to come together. There was no way John could overlook such sinfulness, not even for someone in a position of great authority—not even for the sake of his own freedom or even his very life.
Rather than heeding John’s message of repentance, Herod had John arrested at the request of Herodias. But she wanted John dead for daring to speak against her. She had lost her head. Despite his sinfulness in this relationship, Herod apparently had enough of a conscience to deter him. Besides, he found John to be amusing. So he was content to keep John imprisoned.
Herodias had already lost her head regarding John and his message. But she needed Herod to lose his, as well. Herodias needed him to let go of the scruples which kept him from killing John. And when her own asking would not do, she devised a plan. She sent her daughter out to dance for Herod and his company. Influenced by his libido and desiring to impress his guests, Herod offered to give the girl whatever she wanted. At the urging of Herodias, the daughter asked for John’s head on a platter.
What his wife’s pleading could not do, his step-daughter’s dancing finally achieved. Herod lost his head, too. Herod knew that he’d made a promise he shouldn’t keep, but he didn’t want to back down in front of his powerful guests. He caved. He ordered that John should be beheaded. So finally John lost his head, too.
Herod refused to heed the Word of God which John preached to him. Herodias refused to heed the Word of God, so much so that she wanted the messenger killed. We can look with disdain at Herod and Herodias, but we’re just as guilty. You see, it’s easy to heed the Word when it comes to matters of which we approve. “You shall not murder.” Of course it’s wrong to murder a man. We all know that. But what about a fetus? What about embryonic stem cells? What about that guy who cuts you off in traffic when you’re already having a bad day? “You shall not commit adultery.” Fair enough, Lord. But what if she’s gorgeous? After all, Lord, You’re the one who gave me these hormones that affect me this way, so if You didn’t want me to be attracted to her, You shouldn’t have made her so attractive. And what if I’m not married; it wouldn’t apply to me, would it? “Remember the Sabbath day.” I guess I can come to church every Sunday. Well, most of them, anyway. But surely You didn’t mean for us to believe everything You teach in the Bible; after all, a lot of that is so out of place with how things are in society today. Do You really expect me to agree that my druid cousin and Pentecostal aunt can’t receive the Lord’s Supper in the Lutheran Church? Are You telling me that babies need forgiveness as much as everyone else? And surely You don’t mean for us to hold to the Word if it means persecution or even death, right?
The Word of God causes people to lose their heads. Some, like Herod, hear the Word of God and find it a mere amusement; others, like Herodias, seek to destroy those who bring that faithful Word to them because they don’t like the message. No one likes to have their sins pointed out to them, and some even react with violence. But even in the midst of his imprisonment, John didn’t step down, knowing that a whim could—and eventually did—send him to his death. God strengthened him for this service.
He does the same for you. We live in a sinful world, and we are sinful people. It is never easy to live according to the Word of God. That’s what makes it so easy for non-believers to think of us as hypocrites; it’s easy not to be a hypocrite when you don’t believe in anything. Our Lord knows how hard it is to remain faithful, especially when we face trials and persecutions. Who could understand that better than Jesus? He was put to death for preaching that He was the promised Messiah and the Son of God. But He rose again as well, so that you would have forgiveness for your failure to live according to His Word. When you confess your sins, God is faithful to forgive your sin.
Our Lord understands all too well. He knows that you may be called upon to suffer, and maybe even die, for your faith. After all, they treated Him that way. He prayed that the cup of suffering could be removed from Him, though He drank it to its bitter dregs on your behalf. And knowing that you may be asked to suffer for the sake of His holy name, Christ gives you a cup to drink as well, a cup filled with His precious blood which, along with His holy body, forgives you all your sins and strengthens you for this life and even unto life everlasting.
John the Baptist lost his head. Some would think of this as a bad thing; and to be sure, none of us desires to be beheaded or to face any other kind of gruesome death or persecution for the sake of Christ. But we thank God for John the Baptist and for the death which he died, because John died in faith. More than that, we thank God for Jesus and for the death that He died, because He died for you. God grant that you, too, may be faithful even in the face of death; for the crown of life awaits you. In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
The peace of God which passes all understanding will keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus always. Amen.
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