To read the texts click on the texts: Heb 13:1-8; Mk 6:14-29
While Mark has mentioned Herodians before (3,6), this is the
first time in his Gospel that he mentions Herod. Herod, here is Herod Antipas
who was the son of Herod the Great who is the one referred to in the narrative
of the birth of Jesus in the Gospel of Matthew (Mt 2,1-23), and had been
appointed by the Roman as the ruler of Galilee and Perea (Lk 3,1). He was never
“king” as Mark mentions in his story, and Matthew corrects this by referring to
Herod as tetrarch (Mt 14,1). The story of the death of John the Baptist in Mark
is sandwiched between the sending of the Twelve on Mission (6,7-13) and their
return from Mission (6,30-34).
Mark mentions three opinions about Jesus said to be circulating
at that time. Some believed that Jesus was John the Baptist raised from the
dead; others believed that Jesus was Elijah, while still others believed that
Jesus was one of the prophets of old. Herod, however, is quite clear in Mark
that Jesus is John the Baptist raised. This profession of Herod leads Mark to
narrate the story of the death of John the Baptist as a flashback. According to
Mark, the reason why John was put in prison was because he objected to Herod’s
violation of the purity code, which forbade marriage of close relatives and to
a brother’s wife while the brother was still alive (Lev 18,16; 20,21). Mark
seems to lay the blame for the death of John on Herodias who manipulates Herod
into executing John. The daughter of Herodias is not named here or anywhere in
the Bible, nor does the Bible give her age. According to Mark a drunken Herod
is trapped into fulfilling a rash vow and so has John beheaded.
Though in Mark’s narrative it is Herodias who is directly
responsible for the death of John the Baptist, Herod cannot disown
responsibility. He could have decided if he had the courage not to give in, yet
he made the choice to have John beheaded. Each of us is responsible for our own
actions though we may sometimes blame others or even circumstances. The sooner
we accept responsibility for who we are and what we do, the sooner we will grow
up.
No comments:
Post a Comment
You may use the "Anonymous" option to leave a comment if you do not possess a Google Account. But please leave your name and URL as www.errolsj.com