It's Dangerous Out There

Beheading of John the Baptist by Caravaggio

Well, as luck would have it today, we didn't actually hear the story of drunken Herod drooling over his step-daughter and granting her (actually, her mama's) wish of having John the Baptist's head served to her on a platter. It is a sickening story of what happens when a prophet tells the power, "You ain't right!" Fortunately, a miss marking in the Bible led to a much gentler reading.

But in looking at this story of John the Baptist's execution, I realized something that I had never noticed before.

Mark's gospel places this story on the heels of Jesus summoning his disciples and sending them out two-by-two with very little but the sandals on their feet and the tunics on their backs. He doesn't give them any warnings of what they might encounter in Mark's telling. Only that if they are not welcomed, shake the dust off your sandals and move on. Then we have the story of Herod, who is hearing of Jesus from others, and is told that John the Baptizer has been raised from the dead, something Herod couldn't believe...

For 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. For John had been telling Herod, ‘It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife.’ And Herodias had a grudge against him, and wanted to kill him. But she could not, for 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.--Mark 6: 17-20.

The story goes on... Herod has a birthday party, gets drunk, and his beautiful step-daughter dances for him. He, being an oaf, promises her anything she wants. She runs back stage and confers with mama, who tells her to ask for John's head on a platter. She scampers back in and tells her dirty ol' step dad what she wants. Herod, not wanting to appear too oafish in front of his courtiers, consents to have the prophet beheaded.

So while Jesus hasn't said anything about the dangers inherent in doing the work of the kingdom in the First Century world... Mark made sure we knew! And it foreshadows what's to come for Jesus.

What a parallel to today's world! Although being Christian is overall pretty safe in the United States, it is NOT safe in some parts of Africa and Asia. Witness the report of the machete attacks on Christian women and children and the burning of their homes in three Nigerian villages. Five hundred or so people slaughtered in violence fueled, it seems, by the theft of some cattle. The cattle raisers are Muslim. The non-cattle-raising farmers of this village are Christian. There is extreme poverty in the area as well. And yet, it is over differences of the Gospel and views on God that we have division and violence. As the folk song goes, "When will they ever learn?"

Less extreme, it is risky business to stand for the basic principles of Love in a world fueled by anger, greed and pride. I am not afraid of getting hacked to death, but I have had friendships challenged because I've "changed". And I have. Not so much that I am unrecognizable, but I can't live in the shadows any more. I'm dealing with these strained relationships, and, like I said, I don't fear losing my life in a physical sense. But I can see where I might lose it in a metaphorical sense... dying to "the self" and maybe losing some friends along the way.

But just as I had to "die to the self" when I finally stopped struggling to be straight, I think if I "die to the self" to move closer to Christ, it will be better in the long run. I hope.