Sermon for January 31

The reading

Mark 6:1-29

He left that place and came to his home town, and his disciples followed him. On the sabbath he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were astounded. They said, ‘Where did this man get all this? What is this wisdom that has been given to him? What deeds of power are being done by his hands! Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary and brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon, and are not his sisters here with us?’ And they took offence* at him. Then Jesus said to them, ‘Prophets are not without honour, except in their home town, and among their own kin, and in their own house.’ And he could do no deed of power there, except that he laid his hands on a few sick people and cured them. And he was amazed at their unbelief.

Then he went about among the villages teaching. He called the twelve and began to send them out two by two, and gave them authority over the unclean spirits. He ordered them to take nothing for their journey except a staff; no bread, no bag, no money in their belts; but to wear sandals and not to put on two tunics. He said to them, ‘Wherever you enter a house, stay there until you leave the place. If any place will not welcome you and they refuse to hear you, as you leave, shake off the dust that is on your feet as a testimony against them.’ So they went out and proclaimed that all should repent. They cast out many demons, and anointed with oil many who were sick and cured them.

 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.’ But others said, ‘It is Elijah.’ And others said, ‘It is a prophet, like one of the prophets of old.’ But when Herod heard of it, he said, ‘John, whom I beheaded, has been raised.’

  

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. For John had been telling Herod, ‘It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife.’ And Herodias had a grudge against him, and wanted to kill him. But she could not, 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. But an opportunity came when Herod on his birthday gave a banquet for his courtiers and officers and for the leaders of Galilee. 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.’ And he solemnly swore to her, ‘Whatever you ask me, I will give you, even half of my kingdom.’ She went out and said to her mother, ‘What should I ask for?’ She replied, ‘The head of John the baptizer.’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.’ The king was deeply grieved; yet out of regard for his oaths and for the guests, he did not want to refuse her. Immediately the king sent a soldier of the guard with orders to bring John’s head. He went and beheaded him in the prison, brought his head on a platter, and gave it to the girl. Then the girl gave it to her mother. When his disciples heard about it, they came and took his body, and laid it in a tomb.

The message

Last week, we shared the story of Jesus’ very publically healing a woman who was sick for 12 years and then quietly restoring life to Jarius’s daughter.  In both cases, Jesus knew something that the crowds, Jaruis and his family and even Jesus own closest followers did not realize.  On the way to help Jaruis daughter, a sick woman who lost everything due to her illness, sneaks up and with the faith that Jesus can heal her, touches him. Immediately she is made well.  Jesus knew that power had left him, that someone in the crowd touched him with such faith and that person was made well.  Jesus knew God’s power was strong in whoever touched him, which turned out to be a poor, ill woman.  When Jesus stops, even his own disciples think its ridiculous to ask “who touched me” in such a chaotic scene.  God’s power came though, God was there and Jesus saw it when no one else could.  This was a teaching moment.  Jesus wanted the crowd to see God acting in the world through people of faith.  Jesus is not in a hurry to get to Jarius daughter before she dies.  Contrary to everyone’s belief that healing was possible but dead was dead, Jesus knew that God has power over everything, including the ability to restore life.

This week our reading starts right after Jarius’ daughter is very quietly healed. Now, Jesus knowledge gets him in trouble.  Jesus returns home to the place he grew up, to where he was known as Jesus, the son of mary and joseph, a carpenter like his father and a good but ordinary child and then a good but again ordinary adult.  The people wondered how could God act through someone so ordinary, common and unexceptional, someone just like them.  They could not see it and they could not believe it. Jesus knew that God works through everyone, that God is present with the poor and suffering, that God hears the cries of all people.  That is what today’s reading reveals to us, Jesus approach to the world is very different from what people are used to, especially from people with religious or political power.  Today, the story of John the Baptist illustrates Jesus approach to the world, where people trust in God and act accordingly.  Meanwhile, the story of King Herod, shows us the traditional, frightening view of the world, where people trust in themselves, wealth and power. That’s the world view that made all the trouble back then and still does today.      

Like Jesus, John the Baptist also recognized things that no one else did.  Most people aware of the Jewish scriptures, traditions and history of God’s interaction with the world knew the messiah was coming, but John understood the signs that Jesus was doing, he knew Jesus was not just some magician, charismatic speaker, celebrity, wise teacher or sideshow attraction. John saw things differently.  John knew that Jesus was the long expected Messiah, the one who would restore the world.   The work and life of John the Baptist is in the background of much of Jesus ministry, after all John was the one who started some years before Jesus, announcing  “repent for the kingdom of God has come near” and calling people back to a faith that offered hope, comfort, joy and forced change in their lives.   John also knew that there were two different ways of life, one centered around God, truth, inclusion and faith and one centered around things of the world, power, status, wealth and exclusivity.  John knew you could not be totally in both places.  You could not really experience God’s gifts of joy if you are anxious about maintaining your wealth, power or status.  John’s life is ascetic, a word used to describe someone who lives in the middle of the wilderness, eats whatever he can find, rejects all of the comforts of life and uses this sacrifice, this elimination of distractions, to fully place themselves in a spiritual, unapologetically truthful, God centered life experience.   

Herod, on the other hand is an example of the ways of the world, someone who cares about their own wealth and power.  Herod is a sort of King, in power simply because of his family line and the whim of the Roman empire.  Herod might be king but he constantly acts out of fear and weakness.  He is afraid of everything. If the crowds protest to Rome about him, the empire’s authorities will replace Herod just to keep them quiet, if the leaders of the community around Herod complain, again, the Roman authorities will replace Herod just to keep them quiet. At first, Herod does not kill John the Baptist because he was afraid of John’s followers, the crowds of 1000’s who proclaimed John prophet. Later, Herod, did not keep John alive because he was afraid of his guests, the rich and powerful decision makers of the community.  Make no mistake, Herod makes this mess himself, promising a young girl anything she wants, up to half his kingdom is a ridiculous, foolish, arrogant, even delusional move.  Herod makes this promise because he is desperate to show how rich, important and powerful he is. Herod is even afraid of a dead John the Baptist, believing that he was raised from the dead (and assuming he would not be happy with Herod having him murdered).  Herod makes his decisions out of fear and concern for other people’s opinions.   

In contrast to Herod’s fear, Jesus follows John’s model of a God centered life.  Jesus sends his disciples out with basically nothing to depend on other than God’s word, the call to repentance, and promise of new life.  Here, we have common, unknown, powerless people doing amazing things.  Now the focus is not on any pair of disciples, the focus is on God’s power and God’s ability to work through anyone, anywhere.  They are pointing to God.

No one is going to notice them, no one is going to suspect that they are carrying the power of God to act in the world.  Their actions will shock, amaze and teach that God acts in the world in unexpected ways and through unexpected people.  The great signs of power that Jesus has taught and empowered his followers to perform take people by surprise.  People are left with 2 feelings: 1: a sense of awe and wonder at what God can do and 2: a sense of awe and wonder,  at how such ordinary people could do such amazing things.  Today’s reading shows us 2 sides of life. We have Herod’s trust in himself, which creates fear, greed and bad decisions. In contrast, we have John the Baptist, Jesus and the pairs of his followers whose bold trust in God, leads them to do great things.  We are asked to figure out which people we want to be.  MLK: The end of life is not to be happy, nor to achieve pleasure and avoid pain, but to do the will of God, come what may.