The
reading
Mark
6:1-29
1 He left that place and
came to his hometown, and his disciples followed him. 2 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! 3 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
offense at him. 4 Then Jesus said to them, "Prophets are not without
honor, except in their hometown, and among their own kin, and in their own
house." 5 And he could do no deed of power there, except that he laid his
hands on a few sick people and cured them. 6 And he was amazed at their
unbelief.
Then he went about among the villages teaching. 7 He called the twelve and began to send them out two by two, and gave them authority over the unclean spirits. 8 He ordered them to take nothing for their journey except a staff; no bread, no bag, no money in their belts; 9 but to wear sandals and not to put on two tunics. 10 He said to them, "Wherever you enter a house, stay there until you leave the place. 11 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." 12 So they went out and proclaimed that all should repent. 13 They cast out many demons, and anointed with oil many who were sick and cured them.
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.
Then he went about among the villages teaching. 7 He called the twelve and began to send them out two by two, and gave them authority over the unclean spirits. 8 He ordered them to take nothing for their journey except a staff; no bread, no bag, no money in their belts; 9 but to wear sandals and not to put on two tunics. 10 He said to them, "Wherever you enter a house, stay there until you leave the place. 11 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." 12 So they went out and proclaimed that all should repent. 13 They cast out many demons, and anointed with oil many who were sick and cured them.
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.
The message
Dear friends, this morning, we are here to remember and celebrate the life of John the Baptist, a young prophet whose work was completed but whose life ended too soon, a follower of God who did not live to see the incredible results of his faithful work. News of John’s undeserved death was sudden and shocking, King Herod ended up getting tricked into killing John in a very gruesome and public way. Herod once protected John, saw him as a holy man and feared the crowd’s reaction if anything bad happened to him, This care and protection was all despite John’s open criticism of Herod’s questionable marriage to Herodias, his brothers wife. After John’s death, his body was quietly cared by for some of his disciples. Afterwards Herod is afraid that John will come back and seek his very justified revenge.
I never knew John the Baptist, so I needed to depend on reports from the author of Mark’s Gospel. He was not very helpful with any information on John’s early life, I had to seek that information from others, the writers of the Gospels of John, Matthew and Luke. Even with all four of these eyewitnesses and authors there is not much information. They were all more concerned with bringing people to faith in Jesus Christ our savior, then they were in details about John the Baptist. That’s suitable since John was the same exact way.
Luke does tell us early on that while John’s father Zechariah, a priest was at work in the temple, an angel appears, which startles and scares him. “Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to call him John. 14 He will be a joy and delight to you, and many will rejoice because of his birth, 15 for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He is never to take wine or other fermented drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even before he is born. 16 He will bring back many of the people of Israel to the Lord their God. 17 And he will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the parents to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous—to make ready a people prepared for the Lord
In John’s life and work, all these promises the angel made to Zechariah were kept. To be really honest, John was not a warm and fuzzy guy, he did not fit in with other religious people of his time and didn’t get invited to too many parties. While others were fighting and jumping over each other for seats on councils, while pharisees and Saudacees were arguing with each other over the resurrection of the dead, the existence of souls and interpretations of the law, while everyone flocked to the temple, supported the temple, protected the temple, John had no interest in any of that, he went out to the wilderness, John’s message was simple, Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.”. John also offered a baptism, a physical sign of forgiveness.
John did not have an easy life. He was an ascetic, living rough in the barren wilderness. John had no hereditary claims to authority, no position in the temple or royal courts and no formal education in religious matters but he taught with authority and grew a great following. John was not politically savvy, John spoke God’s word, he was not calculating like Herod or Herodias, not beholden to anyone, not speaking or leading by others permission and support. John shared God’s word. When God’s word was condemning, John said it. Think of the time when he called the religious leaders a brood of vipers!
When he asked them Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? When he demanded Bear fruit worthy of repentance. When he challenged their ancient claims to authority: Do not presume to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our ancestor’; for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children to Abraham. John spoke the truth to power, exposed their failure to practice what they preach, obey the laws they require or foster and share a faith that brings peace, comfort, equality and joy. Those authorities could have made John a rich and famous allstar but God’s word mattered more.
When God’s word meant calling out the injustice of a king, even one who protected him, who could have given him great power and authority, John said it anyway. When God’s word meant speaking out on behalf of the poor, the ignored, the outsider and the unwanted, John said it. When God’s word angered people, John said it, When God’s word brought joy, John said it, when God’s word placed him in danger, John said it anyway, When God’s word conflicted with religious traditions, John said it. When God’s word meant living like a crazy hermit monk in the wilderness John went. When people laughed at and mocked John, he kept speaking, when others were getting fancy robes, places of honor, generous gifts, spacious homes, great meals and audiences with kings, John was just fine with his sand, hair shirt. wild insects and honey. John pissed people off. The very top levels of Government, political and religious wanted to shut John up. They could not buy, bribe or control what he said, they could not work with a man who didn’t care who or what he upset.
Perhaps the lasting legacy of John the Baptist is that when God’s word meant John diminishing himself, John shared it, just think of his testimony when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, “Who are you?” He confessed, and did not deny, but confessed, “I am not the Christ.” 21 And they asked him, “What then? Are you Elijah?” He said, “I am not.” “Are you the Prophet?” And he answered, “No.” 22 So they said to him, “Who are you? We need to give an answer to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?” 23 He said, “I am the voice of one crying out in the wilderness, ‘Make straight[h] the way of the Lord,’ as the prophet Isaiah said. John could have said yes, made bold claims about his own authority, his own power, he could have run a fundraising campaign, built a really big church, had crowds that rivaled Jesus. John did not. He understood his role, his place in the kingdom, his work, crying out in the wilderness, prepare, ‘Make straight[h] the way of the Lord,
John had a long list of very important enemies but he had one even more important friend, Jesus. Years after John died, that Jesus would be known as the Christ, the savior, the long awaited Messiah. In the years after John’s death, Jesus will begin a public ministry that changes the world, that announces the kingdom of God, that brings the forgiveness of sins, the way to eternal life, the healing of the sick and the welcome of all into God’s care. John and Jesus had a complicated friendship, John’s biggest crowds and supporters drifted away from him because of Jesus, no, not drifted, John pushed them away, sending them to follow Jesus, the one who could baptize with the Holy Spirit.
It would be crazy to end with saying “hey everyone, go out and be like exactly like John the Baptist”. Not everyone could and not everyone should. There is not enough room in the wilderness, we offer a better Baptism, one joined to Christ’s death and resurrection, we do not need 2 billion prophets speaking and no one listening, we do need to follow John’s example, we need to put God’s word first, we need to be people who point to Christ,
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