Good News? Yes, Good News!

After today's Gospel lesson (Mark 6:14-29) we had the audacity of saying the above words, but is this story of the beheading of John the Baptist really good news?

2 Samuel 6:1-5, 12b-19
Psalm 24
Ephesians 1:3-14
Mark 6:14-29

 

During Holy Week we hear the Passion of Our Lord. We read an account on Palm Sunday and hear the Evangelist John describe Jesus’ suffering on Good Friday. During those moments the Church mercifully leaves out the traditional introduction and the congregation’s response. Today though, we did not have that luxury.

After hearing this brutal story of a corrupt, powerful, and witless figure I said, “The Gospel of the Lord.” And, you all responded—perhaps sheepishly—“Praise to you, Lord Christ.” How are we to offer our praise after hearing this? What about this is good news? Can we even describe this as positive? Is there any good news in this passage at all? Maybe. But, first we must hear the bad news. (Buechner: The Gospel is bad news before it is good news)

This bit of Mark’s Gospel account opens so strangely. King Herod Antipas, the tetrarch of Galilee, a man who reported directly to the emperor, was worried. Herod’s anxiety arose because he began to hear of Jesus of Nazareth. This upstart rabbi reminded him of someone else—John the Baptizer. And, Herod had just beheaded John. But, this is where the story gets even stranger, for the next anecdote—the longest in Mark’s Gospel account—is a flashback. This recollection depicts how Herod’s family used his power against him to murder John the Baptizer. This is bad news indeed. 

Now even though Herod answered directly to the emperor, most historians depict him as a blundering, weak fool. A colleague described him as a “murderous, lecherous, gluttonous, incestuous enemy of God.” That about covers it. But, this long flashback sequence still deserves a little more scrutiny.

At the beginning of this remembrance the Baptizer had spoken an unwanted truth to the king. John said one is not to take his brother’s wife. Leviticus clearly outlined this rule. Now, this ought not be confused with caring for a brother’s widow. No, what Herod did was steal his brother Philip’s wife. So, John the Baptist told Herod and Herodias that God did not approve. 

Herod, the worm of a man he was, made a weak compromise with Herodias. Herodias wanted John the Baptist killed. Herod, although he was perplexed by John, enjoyed hearing him speak. So, Herod decided to keep John alive, and under lock and key. But, then came Herod’s ill-fated birthday party.

Mark tells us that an opportunity arose when Herod threw a birthday party for himself and invited a bunch of his powerful friends. The word opportunity stands out here for two reasons. First, opportunity means “happy day.” Herodias saw the day when she could kill John as a joyful occasion. Murder then or now is antithetical to the abounding joyfulness of God’s peace! Second, opportunity is the same word used later in Mark’s Gospel account when Judas betrayed Jesus turning him over to his death, which brings us to a larger parallel. 

This story of John’s betrayal and death at the hands of the systems of power prefigures Jesus’ own betrayal and death. It is sounding more and more like bad news, right? Back to today’s story and the opportunity.

Herodias in a ghastly move of desperation sent her daughter into the birthday party to please Herod and his guests. Herod was this young girl’s step-father and uncle making the entire encounter disturbing enough. However, the foolish king quickly gave the girl a chance to make this party even more sadistic. For Herod promised the younger Herodias she could have whatever she wanted, up to half of the kingdom. In the midst of this disgusting birthday party, the Herodiases had the king right where they wanted him.

The mother-daughter combination pounced on the opportunity, as they asked for John the Baptist’s head. The girl added the gory detail of “on a platter” to her request. Then, the deed was carried out by a hapless soldier. When the man of the guard returned with John’s head on a salver he did not take it to the powerless king, but straight to the girl who promptly and proudly displayed it to her mother. This cannot be good news. Right?

This story has to fall under the category of bad news. Jesus is nowhere to be found. The terrible triumvirate of Herod, Herodias, and Herodias never reappear in Mark’s story. And, perhaps most horrifically this flashback to John’s death is truly a foreshadowing of what Jesus would face on Good Friday. So, why are we to face Jesus’ death, our Faith’s darkest day, here in the middle of the summer? Why are we thrust into the despair of Holy Week during this long season after Pentecost? Why must we endure this bad news and where is the Good News?

Everything in Mark’s Gospel connects. Right before this nightmarish flashback the twelve were sent out to do the work of curing the sick and preaching repentance—and they did it well. Right after this story Jesus takes the disciples away to rest, but ends up feeding the five thousand. This gross story we heard today then points simultaneously in multiple directions. 

First, the power of Jesus’ name was spreading. As Jesus sent out his disciples there were consequences. The power of his name had not only reached those people who yearned for God’s Kingdom to come, but also to those who were threatened by this Good News. We are to share in Jesus’ Good News—that God’s Kingdom has come to all—even with those in power.

Second, when the disciples brought healing and word of God’s Kingdom coming to the towns where they visited, they were attended by success. This was not the case with John. For the Baptizer also shared the Truth of God, but he was killed for it. Those in power could not handle what John had to say. We can—when we speak truth to power like John—undergo resistance, persecution, and even harm. God still calls us to preach this Good News even if it gets us into good trouble. 

Third, most of this ghastly flashback story took place at an exclusive banquet for the elite. As we look forward to next Sunday’s Gospel lesson we see another gathering. Jesus’ feeding of the Five Thousand was a counter-banquet to the murderous, lecherous, gluttonous, and incestuous birthday bash for Herod. All were invited to take part in Jesus’ mass on the grass—everyone got to attend the outdoor, pop-up party with Christ.

Thus, we see in these directions our own opportunities, our own happy days in which God transforms even this gruesome story into something more. God switches what we are sure is bad into what God knows is good. But, God yearns for us to be a part of this.

We are called to be like the disciples. Friends, we must make Jesus’ name known. For this world needs his message of healing and hope and love. And quite often it will be like the disciples in last week’s Gospel story. We will be met with peace and smiles and hospitality. Sometimes though it will be different.

We will be called to share God’s Truth like John the Baptist. God desires for us to share Good News, and not just with those whom we know will like it. There are countless examples of Christians like Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Edith Stein, Óscar Romero, Jonathan Daniels, and Martin Luther King Jr. who in their day spoke truth to power, even though it led them to death. They were people not unlike us, they were folk like you and me. They and John help us to know that we cannot sit on God’s truth—why would we keep Good News all to ourselves?

Finally, we are called to make our gatherings ones that look like the feeding of the five thousand, not like Herod’s birthday party. God showed us through Christ Jesus that all are welcome to feed at God’s Table—and yes, that includes the elitists from Herod’s own gathering. How will you invite EVERYONE—and I mean everyone—to be part of God’s banquet where all are welcome? 

Make Jesus’ Good News known in all the world. Share God’s Truth with all even those in power who may be threatened by it. Let us invite everyone to God’s Table where we will all feast together. Amen.