Mark 6 tells us that Herod respected John the Baptist – but he still had him beheaded. God calls us not just to “respect” Him, but to obey.
Scripture:
Job, chapter 21; Mark, chapters 5-6
Mark 6:14-29 (CEB):
Herod the king heard about these things, because the name of Jesus had become well-known. Some were saying, “John the Baptist has been raised from the dead, and this is why miraculous powers are at work through him.” Others were saying, “He is Elijah.” Still others were saying, “He is a prophet like one of the ancient prophets.”
But when Herod heard these rumors, he said, “John, whom I beheaded, has been raised to life.” He said this because Herod himself had arranged to have John arrested and put in prison because of Herodias, the wife of Herod’s brother Philip. Herod had married her, but John told Herod, “It’s against the law for you to marry your brother’s wife!” So Herodias had it in for John. She wanted to kill him, but she couldn’t. This was because Herod respected John. He regarded him as a righteous and holy person, so he protected him. John’s words greatly confused Herod, yet he enjoyed listening to him.
Finally, the time was right. It was on one of Herod’s birthdays, when he had prepared a feast for his high-ranking officials and military officers and Galilee’s leading residents. Herod’s daughter Herodias came in and danced, thrilling Herod and his dinner guests. The king said to the young woman, “Ask me whatever you wish, and I will give it to you.” Then he swore to her, “Whatever you ask I will give to you, even as much as half of my kingdom.” She left the banquet hall and said to her mother, “What should I ask for?” “John the Baptist’s head,” Herodias replied.
Hurrying back to the ruler, she made her request: “I want you to give me John the Baptist’s head on a plate, right this minute.” Although the king was upset, because of his solemn pledge and his guests, he didn’t want to refuse her. So he ordered a guard to bring John’s head. The guard went to the prison, cut off John’s head, brought his head on a plate, and gave it to the young woman, and she gave it to her mother. When John’s disciples heard what had happened, they came and took his dead body and laid it in a tomb.
Observations: Herod Respected John
Herod respected John. When you think about it, that’s a startling statement. Herod was certainly not a godly man; his marriage to his brother’s wife reflects his attitude toward Jewish law. When John confronted him about it, Herod threw John into prison to keep Herodias happy. That doesn’t sound like “respect” to me! But Herod protected John; even though he put John in prison, he didn’t do anything else to punish him. And it’s really interesting that Herod enjoyed listening to him. But even though Herod respected John and enjoyed listening to him, that never translated into any sort of change in Herod.
Herod Respected John, but Herodias Didn’t
Herodias clearly did not respect John or enjoy listening to him. She wanted to kill him, but she couldn’t.Even though John condemned Herod for his marriage to Herodias, she was the one who wanted to get rid of John. It’s not clear why; John couldn’t do anything to her. He had no earthly power, and he was in prison. But even though we don’t understand why she wanted to kill John, she clearly did.
And finally, the time was right. Herod threw a birthday party for himself (let that sink in for a minute). Herodias’ daughter came into dance. (The context makes it clear that this was Herodias’ daughter, but not Herod’s – probably her daughter from her marriage to Philip. The CEB translation obscures this, although the footnote offers the alternate translation.) Clearly, Herodias could not have planned this ahead of time. She had no idea that Herod would be so pleased with the dance that he would offer the young woman anything she asked. Also, when he did, the young woman went and asked her mother what she should ask for. If this had been planned, she would already have known. But Herodias knew: “ask for John the Baptist’s head.”
She did – and Herod was trapped. He was upset, because he didn’t want to have John killed. However, he had made a solemn pledge, and he didn’t want to go back on that. Also, the guests who were there might have thought less of him if he refused her request. So he ordered a guard to bring John’s head.
Application: Herod Respected John, but Respect Isn’t Enough
I’m struck by Herod’s actions throughout this passage. He gave in to pressure from his wife to have John thrown in prison, but he respected John and enjoyed listening to him. That listening never translated into a change of heart or actions. So even though Herodias obviously continued to ask him to have John killed, he refused.
We might give him a little credit for that, think that perhaps he wasn’t such a bad guy. Much like people sometimes want to give Pilate credit for not really wanting to crucify Jesus. But when crunch time came, both Herod and Pilate caved in. Pilate washed his hands, trying to absolve himself from responsibility. At least Herod didn’t try to have it both ways; in the end, he ordered John’s execution and didn’t apologize for it.
Herod Respected John, But Herod Didn’t Obey God
Maybe Herod actually had been listening to John. Maybe God was working on his heart. But that’s the danger of anything less than a full commitment to God. We can’t have it both ways, can’t claim allegiance to Jesus while still going our own way. As I noted in yesterday’s blog (“No One Can Serve Two Masters: Christians and Politics”), Jesus warned us that our commitment to God must be complete. Whether we’re talking about politics, personal relationships, our careers, or anything else, God calls us to seek first His kingdom.
When we don’t – when we try to have it both ways – Satan will always find ways to challenge our commitment. Whatever part of our lives we refuse to surrender to God will become “ground zero” for Satan’s attacks. Eventually, we come to a decision point: will we stand for God, or will we cave in? Herod didn’t want to execute John, but he wasn’t willing to pay the price to stand for what was right. He was more worried about his reputation among people than his standing with God.
That’s why our decisions and actions each day are so important. Every day, we either submit to God’s leading and allow Him to form us in the image of Jesus, or we go our own way. Herod didn’t just get up one day and say, “I think I’ll behead John the Baptist today.” His decisions and priorities each day led him there. Where are our decisions and actions leading us?
Prayer:
Father, thank You for reminding us that what we do each day matters. It is not enough for us to simply say that we believe; our lives must reflect the transformation which You are working in us. Help us to see that there is no little disobedience, no minor sin. In the end, we either seek Your kingdom first, or we seek our own. Help us to seek Your kingdom, and to do Your will each day. Amen.
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