This sermon was preached at Glenwood and Canoe Ridge Lutheran Churches, Decorah, Iowa, on July 15, 2018. It’s based on Mark 6:14-29. If you’d prefer to listen to it, find it at https://soundcloud.com/stacey-nalean-carlson.
Mark 6:14-29
14King Herod heard of the disciples’ preaching, 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.” 15But others said, “It is Elijah.” And others said, “It is a prophet, like one of the prophets of old.” 16But when Herod heard of it, he said, “John, whom I beheaded, has been raised.”
17For 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. 18For John had been telling Herod, “It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife.” 19And Herodias had a grudge against him, and wanted to kill him. But she could not, 20for 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.
21But an opportunity came when Herod on his birthday gave a banquet for his courtiers and officers and for the leaders of Galilee. 22When 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.” 23And he solemnly swore to her, “Whatever you ask me, I will give you, even half of my kingdom.” 24She went out and said to her mother, “What should I ask for?” She replied, “The head of John the baptizer.” 25Immediately 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.” 26The king was deeply grieved; yet out of regard for his oaths and for the guests, he did not want to refuse her.
27Immediately the king sent a soldier of the guard with orders to bring John’s head. He went and beheaded him in the prison, 28brought his head on a platter, and gave it to the girl. Then the girl gave it to her mother. 29When his disciples heard about it, they came and took his body, and laid it in a tomb.
There are days, like this one, when it’s all I can do to not put a question mark after the gospel of our Lord. This is the gospel? Really? This is the good news of Jesus? The head of John the Baptist on a platter? It sounds more like a scene from a summer blockbuster movie, rated R for strong bloody violence and gore, but here it is in Scripture. And not only in Scripture, but in the lectionary, as the assigned reading for this particular Sunday in the green, growing season of Pentecost. Why? How in the world is the death of John the Baptist good news?
This is John, who as a baby in his mother Elizabeth’s womb, leaped for joy at the sound of Mary’s greeting. He knew, even then, that he was in the presence of his Savior—the one for whom John had been sent to prepare the way. John’s father, Zechariah, filled with the Holy Spirit when the time came to name his son, spoke this prophecy of his baby boy: You, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High; for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways… (Luke 1: 76).
This is John, who wasn’t exactly the most endearing guy, but who never forgot what he had come to do. By the power of God at work in him, he made the scene ready for the entrance of his Savior. He was the opening act for the headlining Jesus. He worked the crowd. He pointed to the one who was coming. He spoke of repentance and forgiveness. His repeated message was loud and clear: Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near (Matthew 3:2).
He spoke the truth in a way that was sometimes hard to hear. He called out self-congratulating church types as a brood of vipers. He told them that their identity and their position of privilege meant nothing if they weren’t producing good fruit. Eugene Peterson’s translation of John’s words puts it this way: What counts is your life. Is it green and blossoming? Because if it’s deadwood, it goes on the fire (Luke 3:9). No one ever accused John of mincing words.
John didn’t even back down when speaking truth to power. When King Herod married his brother Philip’s wife, John made sure he heard about it: It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife, he told Herod plain and clear. Speaking truth to power landed John in jail, and ultimately (as we heard so vividly today) it ended his life. When Herod later hears about Jesus, though, he is convinced that John is back: John, whom I beheaded, has been raised.
John hasn’t been raised, of course, but Jesus will be…not so far down the road. He, too, will speak truth to power. He, too, will proclaim repentance and forgiveness of sins. He, too, will give his life for the sake of truth. And God will raise Jesus from the dead, vindicating him and all who follow him, declaring once and for all that truth cannot and will not be silenced.
God’s word made flesh—this word of hope and healing for all who suffer, this word of forgiveness and freedom for all who fail, this word of radical love and hospitality for all those without a place to call home—this word will not be silenced.
The National Gallery in London has, as part of its website, a series of short films devoted to the life of John the Baptist as it is portrayed in art. One film is devoted specifically to John’s head.1 Apparently, there’s an entire devotional tradition—a tradition that continues even to this day—that focuses in on John’s severed head.
The film’s narrators actually visit the home of a collector who keeps a sculpture of John’s head on his coffee table. The artist who created the sculpture, Ana Maria Pacheco, used a chainsaw, a blowtorch, and nails in her process of sculpting John’s head, symbolic of the suffering John endured.
His mouth is slightly open, recalling his willingness to speak truth to power. The artist says she chose John the Baptist, because he was someone who did not accept the status quo and fought to the end…He preached…the visionary thing of the change of an order.
I don’t necessarily think I need a sculpture of John the Baptist’s head on my coffee table, but I do need the reminder that there are things worth speaking out about, even to whatever end that may lead. The gruesome narrative of John’s death may not be good news, but his unwavering commitment to Jesus—to the truth of the gospel—certainly is.
It’s good to be reminded—when we face our own push back for daring to point to Jesus—that we’re in good company.
We stand with John and with Mary.
We stand with Martin Luther King, Jr. and with Maria Rose Belding, who stood on the stage at the ELCA Youth Gathering and challenged us to recognize the truth that hunger in this country is a choice.2 We have enough food, just maybe not enough compassion for those who need it, she said.
We stand with faith leaders across denominations who have released a confession of faith at http://reclaimingjesus.org that speaks the truth in love to churches. The elders who drafted the statement believe the integrity of the Christian witness in our nation depends on the willingness of the church to make clear what we believe and therefore what we must reject. We reject racism; we reject the abuse of women; we reject attacks on immigrants and refugees; we reject the practice and pattern of lying…3
There are things worth speaking out about. There are things our faith compels us to speak out about. We speak the truth in love. We share the good news that the truth of God’s insistence on justice, especially for the most vulnerable, will not be silenced. Jesus has been raised from the dead. No powers that be, no fear on our part, not even death itself can silence God’s Word. This is good news for us all. Amen.
1 Watch the film at https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/channel/saint-john-the-baptist.
2Watch Maria Rose Belding address the ELCA Youth Gathering at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2JxGDQkbfoU.
3Read more about Reclaiming Jesus at https://sojo.net/about-us/news/reclaiming-jesus-church-elders-release-confession-faith-time-crisis.
Featured Image is Ana Maria Pacheco, Study of Head (John the Baptist III), 1992, Sculpture, polychromed wood, 31.8 x 50.8 x 74 cm, on exhibition in The Cathedral of St John the Baptist. Downloaded from https://wsimag.com/art/13812-ana-maria-pacheco-sculpture.