Short, easy to use, thought provoking background commentary for your sermon, bible study lesson, or scripture reflection.
Listed on The Text This Week, www.textweek.com.
Year B, Season of Pentecost
Proper 10, Ordinary Time 15
Sunday Between July 10 and July 16 Inclusive
6th Sunday After Pentecost 2009
Read the passage: The Message or The New Revised Standard Version (NRSV).
Click here for an easy to print or email Adobe PDF version of this note.
Of all the sections of the Bible that the creators of the Lectionary choose to leave out, it is a puzzle to me then why they included this. Where is the Good News? How does our hearing of it edify us? Deepen our being the church?
As usual, Malina and Rohrbaugh (see link in left-hand sidebar) provide helpful historical background.
Recall that back in Chapter 1, Verse 14, it was the arrest of John that preceded the beginning of Jesus' ministry:
Now after John was arrested, Jesus came to Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God ...
We hear no more of John until this story, which Mark places after the story of the sending out of the 12 disciples and before telling of their return to Jesus.
Two weeks ago Mark told us that the gossip about Jesus had risen to reach the ears of two members of the Judean elite, Jairus the leader of the synagogue and an unnamed wealthy woman. But now we learn that even the King is hearing about Jesus. Word of this would, in turn, further enhance Jesus' reputation among the street people - and further increase tensions with the elite.
Verses 14 to 16 foreshadow Chapter 8, Verses 27 to 30, where Jesus asks his disciples for their assessment of him. There, Peter says they believe Jesus is the Messiah; here Herod says he believes Jesus is John the Baptist "raised from the dead." (Which is another foreshadowing of future events.)
Mark then goes on to tell the story of John the Baptist's execution, and gives us an interesting character sketch of Herod and a glimpse into the social customs of the elite.
We learn that Herod
- is weak because he is unable to control the behaviour of his wife and daughter. (The daughter does in public what is strictly allowed for family members only. She has revealed a family secret. And to high ranking members of Judean elite. And it is his wife who takes the appropriate actions to restore her honour by having John executed.)
- is easily seduced - because his fascination with John's teachings and by the dancing of his daughter.
- is impulsive and reckless with the duties and authority of his office - because of his hesitation to have John executed immediately when John first insulted his wife, and because of the extravagant promise made to his daughter.
The only semi-honourable thing Herod does in this story is - reluctantly - keep his promise made to his daughter. Malina and Rohrbaugh comment:
Had he not done so, his officers would no longer trust him.
(Page 171)
The story ends with John's disciples coming and taking his body to "lay it in a tomb" - another foreshadowing of future events.
All of this background is very interesting and helpful, but my original question remains: Where is the Good News?
Perhaps there is none, and this is precisely Mark's point. Just in case we are getting too excited and thinking this business of being a disciple of Jesus is going to be a piece of cake, is going to be a story of ever increasing fame, miracles, and wonders, Mark gives a story of a good man being executed because of weakness, capriciousness, and vengence.
It's as though Mark is saying to us:
The world is a dangerous place. Not only might you get killed for proclaiming the Good News, you might not even be honourably killed - killed in a direct, open confrontation. Instead you might be killed by stealth, and for totally shameful and trivial reasons.
The moral of this story then might be:
Proclaiming and doing the Good News of God is not about ego, fame, or honour; nor is it a heroic quest. Our death may come because of totally unrelated, trivial, silly reasons.
Proclaiming and doing the Good News of God is simply about humble service - regardless of the "achievements" or the ending.
David Ewart,
www.davidewart.ca
Permission is granted for non-profit use of these materials.
Acknowledgement in oral presentations is not required.
Otherwise, please acknowledge source as, "David Ewart, www.holytextures.com."
