Whatever you ask me, I will give you, up to half my kingdom

And they cast out many demons, and anointed with oil many who were sick, and healed them.

Now King Herod heard of Him, for His name had become well known. And he said, "John the Baptist is risen from the dead, and therefore these powers are at work in him." Others said, "It is Elijah." And others said, "It is the Prophet, or like one of the prophets." But when Herod heard, he said, "This is John, whom I beheaded; he has been raised from the dead!" For Herod himself had sent and laid hold of John, and bound him in prison for the sake of Herodias, his brother Philip's wife; for he had married her. Because John had said to Herod, "It is not lawful for you to have your brother's wife." Therefore Herodias held it against him and wanted to kill him, but she could not; for Herod feared John, knowing that he was a just and holy man, and he protected him. And when he heard him, he did many things, and heard him gladly.

Then an opportune day came when Herod on his birthday gave a feast for his nobles, the high officers, and the chief men of Galilee. And when Herodias' daughter herself came in and danced, and pleased Herod and those who sat with him, the king said to the girl, "Ask me whatever you want, and I will give it to you." He also swore to her, "Whatever you ask me, I will give you, up to half my kingdom." So she went out and said to her mother, "What shall I ask?" And she said, "The head of John the Baptist!" Immediately she came in with haste to the king and asked, saying, "I want you to give me at once the head of John the Baptist on a platter." And the king was exceedingly sorry; yet, because of the oaths and because of those who sat with him, he did not want to refuse her. Immediately the king sent an executioner and commanded his head to be brought. And he went and beheaded him in prison, brought his head on a platter, and gave it to the girl; and the girl gave it to her mother. When his disciples heard of it, they came and took away his corpse and laid it in a tomb.

- Mark 6:13-29

In yesterday's reading, Jesus was again teaching in the synagogue; but this time, He was in His hometown of Nazareth, where His extended family live. Those in the synagogue listening to Him wondered where He received all of His knowledge and all the things He was doing. They said, "Where did this man get these things? And what wisdom is this which is given to Him, that such mighty works are performed by his hands! Is this the carpenter, the Son of Mary, and brother of James, Joses, Judas, and Simon? And are not His sisters here with us?" So they were offended at Him. But Jesus said, "A prophet is not without honor except in his own country, among his own relatives, and in his own house." He could not do many great works there, because of their unbelief; and this made Him marvel. So He went and taught in a circuit of the villages. Later, Jesus sent out His disciples, two by two, on their first mission. They were to take no extra money, extra clothes or provisions. They must stay in the first place that welcomes them in. And in the place where they are not welcome and no one wants to hear them, they are to shake off the dust from under their feet in testimony against them. In the day of Judgment, said Jesus, it would be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrah than for that city.

And they cast out many demons, and anointed with oil many who were sick, and healed them. This verse tells us of the success of the first mission of the apostles, as they went out two by two. The gospel is spreading, the good news of the Kingdom; God's power is shared with His apostles.

Now King Herod heard of Him, for His name had become well known. King Herod is Herod Antipas, son of Herod the Great. Herod the Great was the king not only known as a great builder (he had expanded the splendor of the temple at Jerusalem), but a cruel ruler. He is the one who ordered the slaughter of the children in hopes to kill the infant Jesus. Here, his son rules as king in Galilee. Jesus' fame, and the approach of His kingdom, has become well known to the royal ruler.

And he said, "John the Baptist is risen from the dead, and therefore these powers are at work in him." Others said, "It is Elijah." And others said, "It is the Prophet, or like one of the prophets." But when Herod heard, he said, "This is John, whom I beheaded; he has been raised from the dead!" Here we see the rather complex relationship of worldly power to spiritual power, the worldly kingdom of Herod Antipas to Jesus' Kingdom of heaven coming into the world. It is all a great, perplexing mystery, and one that terrifies the king. He is worried, for his own reasons, that John the Baptist has come back from the dead in Jesus. The king hears rumors from others that Jesus is Elijah returned (as in prophesy that said Elijah would return before the day of the Lord). Still others believe Jesus to be the Prophet, a Moses-like figure predicted to appear to Israel, or "like one of the prophets" of the past. We remember what it is to be a prophet in the Jewish tradition -- it was the prophets who so often prophesied against the kings, their manner of rule, their betrayal of the Covenant with YHWH. The king's fears overwhelm him for even more reasons than this. It is he who has beheaded John the Baptist, whom he knew to be a holy man.

For Herod himself had sent and laid hold of John, and bound him in prison for the sake of Herodias, his brother Philip's wife; for he had married her. Because John had said to Herod, "It is not lawful for you to have your brother's wife." Therefore Herodias held it against him and wanted to kill him, but she could not; for Herod feared John, knowing that he was a just and holy man, and he protected him. And when he heard him, he did many things, and heard him gladly. Herod Antipas actually enjoyed hearing John teach, we are told. But his wife, formerly the wife of a demoted successor to the throne, hated the Baptist. As holy man and prophet, John spoke out against the marriage to Herod Antipas after her divorce from his brother (still living) who failed to become king. Herod, as well, divorced his first wife in favor of Herodias. The image of corrupt power is already clear. The phrase "he did many things" can also be translated to mean that John taught many things which perplexed and possibly intrigued Herod, so that he enjoyed listening to the Baptist. The ruler perhaps understands power better than does his wife, and calculates how to remain where he is even when there may be a threat of unpopularity; knowing John to be a holy man, he can yet protect him even though John is in his prison. The conflict is between him and his wife who wants John dead. John is a deadly threat to her position; in his time he is a widely revered figure among the people. Early Christians, says my study bible, regarded John with the utmost esteem. True to his stature as a prophet in the Old Testament tradition, he is fearless in telling the truth. In his righteousness, he provokes fear in the king. My study bible says, "The royally clad Herod was frightened of a man clothed in camel's hair, a servant of God who lived out in the desert."

Then an opportune day came when Herod on his birthday gave a feast for his nobles, the high officers, and the chief men of Galilee. And when Herodias' daughter herself came in and danced, and pleased Herod and those who sat with him, the king said to the girl, "Ask me whatever you want, and I will give it to you." He also swore to her, "Whatever you ask me, I will give you, up to half my kingdom." We note the scene, everything is for show on this birthday feast of Herod, his nobles, the high officers, and the chief men of Galilee. It is power showing itself -- and Herod Antipas makes an extravagant promise before the whole court at the party to Herodias' daughter.

So she went out and said to her mother, "What shall I ask?" And she said, "The head of John the Baptist!" Immediately she came in with haste to the king and asked, saying, "I want you to give me at once the head of John the Baptist on a platter." And the king was exceedingly sorry; yet, because of the oaths and because of those who sat with him, he did not want to refuse her. Herod is trapped by his own trappings of wealth and power. In front of the court and the nobility and great men of Galilee, he can't back down from his oath -- a foolish, tragic, powerful example of what it is to swear in vain. By whom is Herod surrounded, and to what has he linked himself in marriage? The unrighteousness of this court, this scene, is an example to us of the power of the company we choose to keep. She drags him down, to the basest act imaginable. Herod knows John to be a holy man; but because of the scene and his image, he feels compelled to order the head of John the Baptist on a platter! Centuries of commentary reflect on his character; not only of senseless cruelty and mindless depravity to the holy and righteous, but also extreme cowardice.

And he went and beheaded him in prison, brought his head on a platter, and gave it to the girl; and the girl gave it to her mother. When his disciples heard of it, they came and took away his corpse and laid it in a tomb. A gift for a princess, and her mother. The level of manipulation for the sake of power simply cannot be overstated. This hideously gruesome scene contrasts with the simplicity of the language regarding John's disciples. They do what they must, and come to take his corpse and bury it in a tomb. John has known that his end was to come; as Forerunner, he spoke of Jesus' ascension as Christ. He fulfilled his role as that of the one who returned in the spirit of Elijah, to announce the news of the Christ and the coming kingdom. If we contrast Jesus' kingdom with that of Herod Antipas, we can but all the more rejoice at what has come into the world for us.

We can contrast the uses of power between the Kingdom and the worldly kingdom of Herod in the past couple of readings. In yesterdays' reading, we were told of the disciples going out two by two, on their first mission. Their instructions command exceeding humility by Christ. All the power in what they do is spiritual power, and it is in the anointing and healing, and the casting out of demons, included at the top of today's reading. Contrast this with the worldly power of Herod and his court, his wife Herodias, and her daughter. The vivid picture of her request, John the Baptist's head on a platter, tells us what we need to know about the kind of power for which competition is all, and anything is done in the name of staying in the top position! Out of all of the kingdom, she could have had anything, but her mother manipulates all. In some sense, the daughter is perhaps as much a victim of her own duplicity and slavishness to Herodias as is Herod. In the end, through cowardice, they doom themselves. The importance of integrity and humility before God cannot be overstated. The contrast in this story is clear, between the Baptist and Christ's apostles on the one hand, and the court of Herod on the other. The exploitation of power so often rests on the importance of appearances; rulers surrounded by a circle of those who live from that power, who will tell them "yes" when they want to hear it, who will manipulate and deceive, run the risk of losing what is most important even when they may gain the whole world. This scene may be a gruesome reminder of the power of absolute monarchs of the past, yet was a scandal in its own time, and example of the holiness of John -- and serves, in our own time, as a warning against power and the use of appearances rather than the truth of the heart. It all depends on what we truly worship, where we know the truth to be in the heart that stands bared before God. That truth is as powerful and as essential as ever. In this time when we are bombarded with images, dreams of fame, and 15 minutes of "reality" on a television show, it may be more potent and more needed than ever. Let us remember the examples of humility and righteousness in the Gospels. Lent calls us toward their strengths. The extravagance of mere indulgence does not mirror God's love at all.