It's time once again for this weeks rendition of the Shimmering Points of Scripture. I have to admit that this week was difficult one to choose. For whatever reason, nothing really shimmered out for me. I actually had to dig a little deeper and settled on Mark 6:14-29 which is the authors account of the death of John the Baptizer.
I think I had trouble this week, partially because I didn't feel like exegeting the passages all that much, but also because I had to dig a little deeper, I myself had to confront some harsher realities in what the scriptures were saying this week.
1. The first point that shimmered out for me was one word "Afraid!" Verse 20 says that Herod Antipas "feared John, knowing that he was a righteous and holy man, and he protected him." But his fear of John is only a mirror image of Herod's overall fear of his self image and holding on to what power he thinks he has. My son asked me a few weeks ago why people shot Martin Luther King. I struggled for a minute on how to answer that question in a way that an 8 year old would understand, and finally I came up with it. "Because they were afraid of him" I said. That tends to be humanities response when we are confronted with our collective sin. King, just like John, called the powers that be to accountability, to change their life and repent of their sin. But when people's power is threatened, when we have to examine our lifestyles and make changes, our response is to snuff out the source of our discomfort, in this case, it was John. Later it will be Jesus.
2. Herod's fear of losing face in front of his guests at his birthday party led him to make a choice. Herodias, his wife's daughter, danced and pleased him, so in a moment of haste, he says that he will give her anything she asked for up to and including "half of his kingdom." Not the best way or time to be making decisions. So the girl, not knowing what to ask for, goes to her mother, and the next thing you know John's head was on a platter. Now Herod was grieved we are told, about this but he did not want to embarrass himself in front of his guests. When faced with the choice of doing what is right or doing what was pleasing to others, he chose to please others.
The question I have to ask is this: Is the church today, more like Herod, or is it more like John? Is the church willing to tell truth to power, or even to our community, and risk being unpopular in some people's eyes, or is it like Herod, ultimately caving in because we don't want to upset or offend anyone. People pointed out that at times it is both. We do great mission work and charity work around the world and at home, yet at other times the church is conspicuously silent. We may make a grand statement about hunger or homelessness, or children and poverty, but then at other times not say anything about health care, the environment, or war because we don't want people to get upset. They may stop coming and take their money with them.
3.When we look at this story as a whole, we see how John's death is a foreshadowing of Jesus death. Jesus notoriety spreads, and people begin to ask who he is. Herod says that he is John reborn. John is executed for speaking the truth, Jesus will be executed for speaking the truth and much more as well. I think the question we in the church ask is, could that happen to us? Does our own sense of self preservation keep us from proclaiming the word of God? What would the risk be for us to truly stand up against injustice to bring release to the captives, to give sight to the blind, to set the prisoners free and proclaim the year of the Lord's favor? The world in many places like it that way just fine. It cost John his life, it caused Jesus to be crucified, which through his resurrection enabled people like King to speak out, which ultimately cost him his life. Are we afraid?
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