Memorial of the Passion of Saint John the Baptist
Let’s just be honest. The Bible is, in many ways, a foreign country. There are lots of stories that feel right—like when Mary responded to Gabriel with a resounding yes or Jesus healed the woman who had been bleeding for years or the Samaritan crossed the road to help an untouchable in need. And then there are other stories—the foreign ones. Like the one from the Gospel of Mark that is before us today.
Herodias is a piece of work. She’s had it out for John the Baptist for a while and managed to get her husband, Herod, to do her bidding. She didn’t appreciate it that John the Baptist called her and Herod out for being, according to the laws of the day, unlawfully wed.
Herod, interestingly, understands John the Baptist to be a holy man. And while what John the Baptist had to say was often unsettling for Herod, Herod couldn’t stop listening to him. He wanted to hear what this holy man had to say.
Then, a birthday party. Herodias’ daughter puts on a dance, and Herod is entranced. So entranced that he promises in front of everyone that he will give her anything that she wants—even half his kingdom. Wow! That must have been one heck of a dance! I’m thinking—take the half of the kingdom! It’s a no brainer! You’re set for life.
Nope. What does she do instead? She consults Herodias. What should I ask for, Mom? This is Herodias’ big chance to get what she has been wanting all along. She wants John the Baptist dead. Ask for John the Baptist’s head on a platter, Herodias replies.
And, amazingly, the daughter obliges.
What can we learn from this story? Probably more than this—but these are my three takeaways:
- The Bible is a foreign country—it tells some very strange stories. We need to keep that in mind. There’s a reason Bible scholars study ancient languages and various books of the Bible before they are granted their PhD! It is important for me, for example, to remember that when it comes to the Bible, I’m an amateur. Don’t get overconfident when reading the Bible.
- Don’t over promise! Keep a bit back. Give yourself the option to not do the thing you are wont to promise. In other words, don’t promise more than you should deliver.
- Be mindful of advisors. Some are great. Others are bad news. In this case, Mom was super bad news! She was the wrong person to consult. And, by the way, you don’t have to take an advisor’s advice. You can also use your own judgment.
I have wondered how Herodias’ daughter (we don’t know her name) responded when she was handed the platter with John the Baptist’s head on it. Did she have remorse? Did she think—gosh, should have gone for half the kingdom? Even a quarter would have been better than this. I hope so. I hope she had a ton of regrets. Not that that would help John the Baptist at all. But it would have at least suggested that she was not a completely horrible human being. And I hope she never sought her mother’s advice again.
Oh, and one more takeaway. Revenge. Always a loser. Never does anybody any good. Grace. Forgiveness. Forgive me for my trespasses as I forgive those who trespass against me. Not surprisingly, Jesus had it right. Amen.
—Susan Trollinger