The text this morning is from the Gospel according to Mark, the sixth chapter:
King Herod heard of it, for Jesus’ name had become known. Some said, “John the Baptist has been raised from the dead. That is why these miraculous powers are at work in him.” But others said, “He is Elijah.” And others said, “He 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 it was Herod who had sent and seized John and bound him in prison for the sake of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife, because he had married her. For John had been saying to Herod, “It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife.” And Herodias had a grudge against him and wanted to put him to death. But she could not, for Herod feared John, knowing that he was a righteous and holy man, and he kept him safe. When he heard him, he was greatly perplexed, and yet he heard him gladly. But an opportunity came when Herod on his birthday gave a banquet for his nobles and military commanders and the leading men of Galilee. For when Herodias’s daughter 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 to you.” And he vowed to her, “Whatever you ask me, I will give you, up to half of my kingdom.” And she went out and said to her mother, “For what should I ask?” And she said, “The head of John the Baptist.” And she came in immediately with haste to the king and asked, saying, “I want you to give me at once the head of John the Baptist on a platter.” And the king was exceedingly sorry, but because of his oaths and his guests he did not want to break his word to her. And immediately the king sent an executioner with orders to bring John’s head. He went and beheaded him in the prison and brought his head on a platter and gave it to the girl, and the girl gave it to her mother. When his disciples heard of it, they came and took his body and laid it in a tomb.Thus far the text.
My dear friends in Christ,
The Gospel ends with John’s disciples coming to get his body and lay it in a tomb, and the pastor says, “This is the Gospel of our Lord.” Thanks be to God. Weird, right? Not very gospelly. There are two things I see our text revealing to us today. One is a very serious issue: that when we are caught up in sin, we begin to imagine the worst coming to get us. The other is about the call of God.
Let’s start with the first. Think of Charles Dickens. In 1843, he wrote a novella called “A Christmas Carol” that dealt with Ebenezer Scrooge, a rich man who got rich by duping everyone who worked for him, and everyone who worked with him. Christmas Eve night, Scrooge is visited by his old business partner, Jacob Marley, who is condemned to walk the earth forever, bound up by chains symbolizing his greed and desire for earthly things. He warns Scrooge the same is for him.
I know it’s just a story, but you have to imagine Scrooge, cowering under every groan and creak of the floorboards, hiding from the rattle of the chains, dreading each visit from the ghosts of Christmas past, present, and future. This is because Scrooge, underneath all that he presented to the world, still knew of his great sin. He knew it in his heart, and even if he were not to admit it to himself, his heart would cause the fear of what was to come next. Because of that, he saw ghosts around every corner, danger in every direction.
Herod, in today’s Gospel lesson, is not so different. Most of the lesson is the backstory: Herod falls in love with his brother’s wife, sleeps with her, steals her away, and marries her. John the Baptizer was warning him this was no good. Herod’s new wife, Herodias, was seething. She knew she was sleeping with her brother-in-law, that this was forbidden under Jewish law, and while her conscience was calloused, and she was going to keep doing it, the Word of God continued to accuse her and her husband. She chafed under that, hoping to get rid of John.
Well, Herod was a lecher. Not only did he want to sleep with his brother’s wife, but it seems he was also attracted to his niece, Herodias’ daughter. For one night, after getting petty riotously drunk, he called for his niece, his own step-daughter to come in and dance. The implication is that this wasn’t ballet, but something you might see more around the docks, if you catch my drift. After being properly provocative, Herod, drunkenly offered whatever Herodias’ daughter wanted. Now, Herod, who even though he had respected John and kept him safe from those who would do him harm, had to give in when Salome, the daughter came back, under the guidance of her mother, and asked for John’s head on a platter. Herod was sad, even in his drunken stupor, but knew he had to do it.
So, when Herod hears of this Jesus and all the miracles He was doing, and all that He allowed His apostles to do, Herod began to freak out a bit. The only person he knew with such authority to do similar things he had beheaded so he could keep sleeping with his sister-in-law in peace. He freaked out, in modern parlance. He couldn’t handle it. He was just put out. Because he murdered John, he began to see John everywhere, almost as if John were out to get him.
When we are caught up in sin, we see our ghosts everywhere. They’re around the corner to claim us. Think about it: when we speed, we’re always looking out for the cops. When we lust, we’re always wondering if, one, either the object of lust somehow knows, or, two, if our spouse knows. When we hate others and when we gossip, we wonder what people are saying about us. When we skip church, we wonder who will judge us. When we steal or covet, we wonder when we’ll get caught. When the pastor preaches the law during the sermon, we wonder when he put the video camera in our house.
The reality is that our sin makes us paranoid. And it should. This is our heart being honest with itself. When you break the law of God, you best expect that someone is out to get you, because there is. When you sin, God will be out to get you. He may not do it today, not tomorrow, but it you are in your sin, God will take you out to the woodshed and then throw you into the fires of hell. Jesus tells us that we should not fear what man can do to us, but fear Him, God, who can destroy both body and soul in hell. And so we should, and we do.
This is why Herod is convinced John is back from the dead. He didn’t fear God; it kind of is clear from the rest of Scripture that he didn’t really even believe in the one, true God. Whether he was an atheist or agnostic, or whether he worshipped many false gods, I don’t know. Either way, it wasn’t God out to get him, it was John, the man he murdered. John would be around every corner, waiting to destroy him, to torment him. This is as close to hell as Herod could get in his own mind, and yet it does not even approach the reality of hell, where the fires are not quenched and the worm never dies. If you are in your sin, and you think someone is out to get you, they absolutely are.
But for those who repent, God is gracious and merciful. If Herod, even though he slept with his sister-in-law, even though he was attracted to his step-daughter, even though he murdered John, if he had listened to John’s message after the fact and turned from his wicked ways, wouldn’t God have had mercy? And will he not also have mercy on you? Repenting of your sins, putting aside your lust, your theft, your greed, your idolatry, being forgiven in the name of Christ, would not Christ have mercy on you? Yes, He would, He will, He does now. You have put aside your sins this morning in your confession, and our Lord has had mercy on you. Be free from your ghosts, you are haunted no more, nor are you hunted by God, but are beloved by Him.
So, our second lesson from the text, begs the questions: why does this reading begin here and end here? Even though he’s not the focus of this story completely, the point of the story is John. And why so? Because John, a righteous man, holy before God and man, called out his king, Herod, to repent of his sin and be forgiven. He called out Herodias to repent and be forgiven. He probably would’ve called out Salome as well, if he had been given the chance. He was called to say difficult things to people in power, and ultimately, he suffered in this life for it.
In love, God selects us for roles we would never expect or want, but especially that He uses to point to our salvation in Jesus Christ. John probably wasn’t really thrilled with eating locusts and honey, wearing camel’s hair on his bare skin. He wasn’t thrilled with the idea of calling out the king and queen. Very few of the prophets shouted Yippee! when they were called to service. Yet, just like Amos, though he was not prepared for it, though he had no idea what would come, though his pedigree didn’t demand it, John served God admirably by doing what he was called to do.
And if he doubted, and John did doubt, Jesus confirmed the calling of God, God confirmed the calling of Amos, God confirmed the calling of Paul, through the miracles works and wonders of God. For all three of these prophets, God confirmed their calling through the miraculous visions they had, through the prophetic visions. Jesus gave all these men roles to do that ultimately would point to their salvation, and through their work, bring many of us to the same.
Today, our Lord works the same way, not through prophetic visions, but calling us to speak to the world at large, to tell of His love and great mercy for all people. And to confirm this, He shows us His miraculous works and wonders, not just from today, but attested to by the whole of Scripture. And as if that’s not enough, He continues to come to us in His Word and Sacrament. He seals His promise of salvation to you by washing you, absolving you, feeding you. Should you need the strength of John, you have it in the Supper. Should you need the confidence of Amos, the shepherd who would be prophet, you have it in Baptism. Should you need comfort like Paul the murderer, you have it in the words of forgiveness.
We are called, gathered, strengthened, enlighten by the Gospel and we then may go and proclaim God’s Word to all who would listen, calling sinners to repentance and the forgiveness of sins, like John, like Amos, like Paul. And we are told to bear up under such burdens, for the Lord is with us. He has made us His brothers and sisters, adopting us into the family of God, and setting us to listen to He who loved the world to send His Son to die for all.
So, again, we are taught to avoid sitting in our sins, for otherwise we’ll always see the ghosts around us, working to get us. And we are taught to accept the call of God to put us in whatever place we should find ourselves and to speak confidently with the voice of God. And so we shall. We are washed, we are comforted, we are strengthened, and we shall endure unto life everlasting in Jesus name, as John, as Amos, and as Paul did before us. You put these lessons together, and there’s a very simple takeaway: we shall put on Christ. And you have. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Now may the peace of God which passes all human understanding guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus, our Lord! Amen.
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