The Counter-Gospel of "King" Herod

Mark 6:14-29

King Herod heard of it [that is, the recent adventures of Jesus’ disciples, whom Jesus had sent out two by two to heal the sick and cast out demons], 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. 

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Giovanni Baronzio, "The Feast of Herod and the Beheading of the Baptist"

Today we hear of the events around the death of John the Baptist, according to Mark’s gospel. It is an uncharacteristic interruption in the gospel. Whereas Mark is typically interested in quickly jumping from one Jesus story to another, this story does not even include Jesus directly. The fact that this story is so unlike the rest of the gospel is our first clue to really pay attention. It is so unlike the rest of the gospel because it is laying out the counter-narrative to the good news of Jesus Christ. Today’s gospel text is a narrative warning depicting the dangers of seeking power in the wrong places.

First, let’s be clear about the title of “King” that is assigned to Herod in this story. The Herod mentioned here is not Herod the Great – the one who sought kill the infant Jesus by slaughtering the babies in the region around Bethlehem and forcing Mary, Joseph and Jesus to seek asylum in Egypt. That Herod is long gone. The Herod whom Mark mentions is Herod Antipas, the son of the Herod the Great; and Herod Antipas was not a King. He was more like a regional governor. The title “King” is most likely a tongue-in-cheek title meant to mock Herod; just as the title “Great” was a mocking title for his evil and destructive father. Far from a tidbit of knowledge useful only to history buffs, pastors, or trivia nerds; this fact is our second clue that Mark is up to something in this passage. Essentially, this is a work of political satire. It is revealing a universal truth by making a mockery of a well-known leader and system. 

This counter-narrative to the good news about a man-child who wanted desperately to be powerful reveals that Herod made a drunken promise to his daughter in front of his cronies; his daughter was manipulated by his wife (actually his brother’s wife, but that’s a whole ‘nother story); and he ended up having to save face in front of his people by agreeing to his daughter’s demand of John the Baptist’s head on a platter. Following John’s gruesome beheading, Herod heard accounts of Jesus of Nazareth and was afraid that Jesus was the ghost of John the Baptist, back to haunt him into insanity. Herod was a man haunted by his mistakes who clung to an abusive relationship with power in order to numb himself from his own pain.

A story with severed heads and leaders looking over their shoulders afraid of the ghosts of their past victims is analogous to Shakespeare’s Hamlet and seems fit for the TV show Game of Thrones. It makes for an entertaining show but the question remains…so what? What possible meaning does such a story have for our own lives today?

The truth, sorry to say, is that our world is infested with people like “King” Herod — people who lord their power over others and perpetuate injustice because the disfigured desire for power fills them with something them that is lacking inside. Having power over another individual or group of people helps them forget about being picked on as a kid or for not feeling loved by their mother or father, just to name a few common motivations. 

And once someone has a taste of power, they rarely pause and think, “You know, this power doesn’t actually fill that void in my soul.” Or, maybe this person deserves respect precisely because they are different from me.

Instead they seek out more power, assuming that the next bended knee, the next heap of praise, or the next nod of agreement will finally stop the pain of not being enough. They are blind to the needs of others in the same way that they are blind to their own needs. Such people can electrify huge crowds of people who feel a similar sense of dissatisfaction with life. A common enemy is labeled, dehumanized, taunted, and targeted. Such people know exactly who their enemies are – their enemies are anyone who doesn’t serve their own interests. Their enemies are anyone who dares to stand up and proclaim that there is another way. Their enemies are anyone who says the problem isn’t with those who are labeled as other, but rather a problem with the leader’s soul. 

Mark dedicates considerable space in his story to depict a weak man who chased the whims of others and perpetuated injustice in an effort to hold onto his sense of power. That depiction makes me think of someone in particular: Me.

In my most unhealthy moments, I feel like the only way to ever be worthy enough, powerful enough, and loved enough, and the only way to fill the void in my soul, is by putting myself over and above those who are different from me. 

I often speak to my therapist about all the things and people I use to fill the void in my life...and you are one of them, truth be told. I seek your affirmation in order to feel loved. I seek your praise in order to give my life meaning.

That’s terribly unhealthy. It puts you in an awful predicament of being responsible for my emotional well-being. It puts my needs above yours. And it puts you in a position that is only meant to be filled by the God of peace and love – a title that does not belong to you. 

I am sorry. I am sorry for my “King” Herod-ness. I am sorry for putting you in a tough spot. And I am sorry that I so easily participate in a world that regularly tosses aside people who do not seem to serve our immediate needs. 

This is not the good news, of course. As I said earlier, Mark tells the story of King Herod in order to highlight just how different John the Baptist and Jesus of Nazareth really were. And once I am able to see myself in the antagonist of the story and recognize just how dark and misleading that path is, only then my heart is open to the truth of the prophets as revealed by Jesus and John the Baptist.

Who were Jesus and John the Baptist? They were the ones who stood up and spoke about a better way. They were the ones who stood up in the best prophetic tradition and said, “Woe to you, oppressors of the poor and marginalized who seek to fill the void in your soul with violence instead of God’s love. Not only does your way create misery and destruction in others’ lives, but it is destroying your soul also. Repent from those ways and seek the love you desire solely from God’s presence, which has been a part of your soul from the very beginning.”

I came across the following words this week and found a beauty and necessity in them that I have to share with you. Rev. David Lose writes,

“We believe, teach, and confess that Jesus came to make possible for us more than mere survival, more than mere persistence, more even than mere success. Jesus came to help us to imagine that there is more to this life than we can perceive. Jesus came to offer us not just more life, but abundant life. Jesus came so that there could be a better ending to our stories and the story of the world than we can imagine or construct on our own. And when the Temple has just been destroyed, or your marriage is ending, or you've lost your job, or you fear your child will never speak to you again, or you're pretty sure your friend has betrayed you, or you think you may just have screwed up the one relationship that meant something to you...then the possibility of another ending -- a good ending -- is, indeed, not just good news, but the best news you can imagine.” (http://www.workingpreacher.org/craft.aspx?post=1621)

Thanks be to God, today and always, for the unmerited gift of true grace, love, and truth. May our eyes be opened to the darkness of our paths and may we be inspired and equipped to seek fulfillment in Christ alone. And may we all be encouraged to be a part of a better story for all people.

Amen.

Sentness – Shalom Spirituality

Mark 12:28-34

One of the scribes came near and heard them disputing with one another, and seeing that [Jesus] answered them well, he asked him, ‘Which commandment is the first of all?’ Jesus answered, ‘The first is, “Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God, the Lord is one; you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.” The second is this, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” There is no other commandment greater than these.’”

Then the scribe said to him, ‘You are right, Teacher; you have truly said that “he is one, and besides him there is no other”; and “to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the strength”, and “to love one’s neighbor as oneself”,—this is much more important than all whole burnt-offerings and sacrifices.’ When Jesus saw that he answered wisely, he said to him, ‘You are not far from the kingdom of God.’ After that no one dared to ask him any question.

So, I like this bit of Mark’s Gospel for a couple of reasons related to this theme of “Shalom Spirituality.” For one thing, I think understanding Jesus’ response to the scribe who questions him is how we get to/how we experience what I would call “shalom spirituality.” (You gotta put God first and love God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength.) And when you do, you’re more likely to see and to trust and to live like “you are not far from the kingdom of God.”

I like that, because I want to know how to achieve this “shalom spirituality” in my life. And I think it’s something Jesus wants for all of us, too. I think “Shalom Spirituality” is living your life, recognizing that you’re never far from the kingdom of God. Even more, I think “Shalom Spirituality” is living your life in celebration of – and in response to – the truth of that fact, that you are never far from the kingdom of God.

And the authors of this Sentness book do a good job of reminding us that shalom means something bigger than we usually think – if we think anything – about the word. We’ve all heard the word before, right? But most of us limit it to meaning “peace” or maybe we consider it to be some sort of greeting or welcome – like something you say when you meet someone or like something printed on a mat outside someone’s front door, maybe.

But like so many other words or phrases or themes in Scripture, these limited understandings suck the life and power and depth of meaning from what “shalom” can really mean for us. “Shalom” means a “universal kind of flourishing,” “a whole, holy kind of wholeness,” “an all-encompassing delight and joy.” The Sentness authors describe it as a way of being that inspires joyful wonder…that opens doors…that welcomes, most fully, in the name of God. As they say in the book, “shalom” is the way things ought to be.

I think about the promises of Scripture when I think of “shalom”…when the wisdom of the prophets point to how the fullness of God’s redemption will look when it comes to pass. “Shalom” is heaven – here on earth. And “shalom” is heaven – in the world that is to come for us all.

I think "shalom" is like that promise from Isaiah, where he said, "they shall beat their swords into plow-shares, and their spears into pruning-hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore."

I think "shalom" is like Amos' God-given command to "let justice roll down like water and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream."

I think "shalom" happens when we achieve what is good, according to God's words to the prophet Micah, when we do what the Lord requires, by doing justice, by loving kindness, by walking humbly with God.

I think "shalom" looks like the future we read about in Revelation, where there will be no mourning or crying or pain any longer; when death will be no more when God will wipe every tear from our eyes, except, I'm guessing, the tears of joy that come with this kind of "shalom."

And I think Jesus points to this “shalom” stuff when he reminds the disciples – and us – that he came so that God’s joy, the joy of our creator, would live within us; and so that our joy might be complete…full…overflowing… more joy than we think we can handle, even.

So I wonder what that kind of “shalom” looks like for you…for me…for us as people on the planet. My guess is we’re still waiting for it. My hunch is it seems beyond us most days…out of our reach…impossible…intangible…unlikely, at best. Like, we’re going to have to wait for Jesus to help us get our hands on some of that kind of “shalom.”

But I don’t it has to be that way – or that that’s what God intends to be true for us – as God’s children in the world. I think we are made to experience and to share this sort of “shalom” often and abundantly and that we can do that when we realize, like that scribe in Mark’s Gospel for today, that there are moments when we – you and I – are not far from the kingdom of God, ourselves.

So, I wonder, can you think of “shalom moments” from your life’s experience? Moments when all seemed right with the world? Moments when, in your little corner of the kingdom, there was peace, wholeness, fulfillment, and real joy?

I can think of a few. Some are easy right? Like the moment at the end of my wedding ceremony where Christa and I held hands, looked out at the gathering of our closest family and friends and listened to a friend sing the final verse of Pete Seeger’s “The Water is Wide.” (Holy Shalom, Batman!) Like the moment I first held each of my boys in the hospital delivery room and could tell, just by looking at them, that they were full of Havel genes. (Not that there was any doubt.)

We’ve all had  moments like that, I hope…when all the right people are gathered ‘round…when all seems right with the world.  Maybe it was your last Christmas dinner, a family reunion, a party with your closest friends – the ones who might as well be family – and you all know it. Or maybe it’s more simple than that, when whoever matters most is home for supper on a regular old Tuesday night.

I felt God’s kind of “shalom” the last time our group of Mission Trippers partied in Fondwa, Haiti – I mean really partied – sharing food and drinks; dancing and clapping and climbing banana trees, for crying out loud. Two worlds coming together like that – literally without even words to express the fullness of it all – that’s “shalom” if you ask me.

I felt another kind of “shalom” this past New Year’s Eve at the funeral for my friend’s wife. We cried hard, heavy, holy tears for Shay, who had died, and for her husband and young son in the morning during worship and as we gathered at the cemetery to say goodbye one last time. And there were more and different kinds of tears later that night, when the clock struck midnight and the ball dropped and the party danced and jumped to one of Shay’s favorite songs.

And, as sad and scary as the last few weeks after Janis Janelsins’ stroke and hospitalization have been, I’ve sensed a very real spirit of “shalom” around here as we’ve prayed and worried, prayed some more and wondered, prayed again and worked to make things happen at Cross of Grace without Janis and Anne – and for Janis and Anne – who are at the center of so much of the ministry we share.

Yeah, I think there’s “shalom” even at times of sadness, and struggle like these.

Because, for my money, “shalom spirituality” is about being “not far from the kingdom of God.” And God’s kingdom is as near to us when we’re struggling as it is when we’re celebrating. We – like so many others – just need some help remembering that a lot of the time.

See, this “Shalom Spirituality” stuff means being about the kind of living Jesus describes – where we’re loving God with all of our heart, mind, soul, and strength; and where we’re loving and caring for our neighbors at least as much as we love and care for ourselves. And I think we do that, first, by worshipping the God of our creation as often as we can; by humbling ourselves in the presence of our maker as often as we’re able; by centering ourselves – at least daily – through prayer and meditation and listening to and studying God’s word.

Because when we do these things, our eyes and ears and hearts and minds are more open to notice and to go after and to receive the kingdom so that we can share it often…and abundantly…and without reservation…with the people in our lives who are looking, too, but who can’t seem to find it; those people who are living in the midst of, but don’t see it; those people who – just like us – are already part of the very kingdom that God so wants us all to recognize as shalom: which is nothing more or less than the love of God… the joy of our maker…the hope of the world… it is heaven in our midst and, by the grace of God, we are never far from it.

Amen