This is John, whom I beheaded; he has been raised from the dead!

 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

Yesterday, we read that Jesus went to His own country, Nazareth, and His disciples followed Him.  And when the Sabbath had come, he began to teach in the synagogue.  And many hearing Him were astonished, saying, "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 not 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 to them, "A prophet is not without honor except in his own country, among his own relatives, and in his own house."  Now He could do no mighty work there, except that He laid His hands on a few sick people and healed them.  And He marveled because of their unbelief.  Then He went about the villages in a circuit, teaching.
And He called the twelve to Himself, and began to send them out two by two, and gave them power over unclean spirits.  He commanded them to take nothing for the journey except a staff -- no bag, no bread, no copper in their money belts -- but to wear sandals, and not to put on two tunics.  Also He said to them, "In whatever place you enter a house, stay there till you depart from that place.  And whoever will not receive you nor hear you, when you depart from there, shake off the dust under your feet as a testimony against them.  Assuredly, I say to you, it will be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment than for that city!"  So they went out and preached that people should repent.  And they cast out many demons, and anointed with oil many who were sick, and healed them.

And they cast out many demons, and anointed with oil many who were sick, and healed them.  Today's reading includes this verse from yesterday's.  It sets the scene, and tells us about the spread of Jesus' ministry.  Not only has He become widely known and followed, but now even His disciples go out and are evidently sharing His power.  That is something for Herod to take notice of.

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.  My study bible says that the fact that Herod, with his wealth and soldiers, feared John, a man who lived in poverty and was clothed in camel's hair, is a testament to both the power of personal holiness and integrity, and also to the people's perception of John.  John was held in highest esteem (Mark 11:32).   This is Herod Antipas, who will later play a role in the Passion of Christ.  His marriage to his still-living brother's wife was seen as a violation of Jewish Law.  It was widely perceived by the Jews, over whom Herod rules as king of Galilee for Rome, as a disparaging of their law and customs.  John the Baptist, in his role as prophet, has publicly criticized Herod for the marriage, and thus is in prison.

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.  The text gives us an image of the death of the prophet that tells us all about the kind of power wielded in this court, and the characters involved.  It's told in a kind of flashback, so that we understand Herod's disposition as he fears that John has returned in the person of Jesus.

The stage is set for the growing conflict between worldly power and authority and the ministry of Jesus Christ.  We know that the leadership of the temple is already hostile to Jesus.  Here we are given some insight about Herod Antipas, and his fear that Christ is John the Baptist returned from the dead.  It's interesting to notice how psychological the Gospels really are.  We're given to understand the growing envy and hostility of the religious leadership.  They think Christ is flaunting their rules and traditions.  Not only that, but He has publicly healed on a Sabbath knowing how closely they watched Him, and as a rebuke to their public positions.  Herod's character is rather childlike in certain aspects.  He makes a lavish oath in front of all his invited guests, which included the nobility, high officers, and socially high ranking people of Galilee.   For fear of the oath, and those present who witness, he does what Herodias' daughter asks -- a grave sin for which he is exceedingly sorry, but nevertheless complies.  He knows that John is a just and holy man, and so far he has protected him.  He also loves to listen to John, and heard him gladly.   Luke's Gospel tells us that Pilate sent Jesus to Herod when he learned Jesus was a Galilean, and that when Herod saw Jesus, he was exceedingly glad; for he had desired for a long time to see Him, because he had heard many things about Him, and he hoped to see some miracle done by Him (Luke 23:8).  But of course, Jesus doesn't answer Herod.  Herod in turn mocks and treats Christ with contempt when no miracle is produced.  A form of twisted guilt results in Herod's fears, and later his fast friendship with Pilate over the death of Christ.  We can see in Herod's character a fascination with the holy, but it is a sort of child's curiosity and one that seeks marvels.  It's not a deep desire for wisdom or holiness.  In a sense, these holy men seem for Herod to be an unusual entertainment, or perhaps a very rare sort of guest in his court.    In an overall view of the Gospels, we should see these hints of psychological makeup of various characters to be signs for us all, that our own psychology is going to be instrumental in how we approach the things of God, the holiness of Christ, the things that are sacred.  Are we just curious?  Are they intriguing because they are otherworldly?  Do we want to see signs and miracles?  This is not enough for faith, and we will eventually surely be disappointed unless there is a deeper and more mature capacity present in us for receiving Christ.  What the story illustrates is the wisdom in knowing our own flaws and weaknesses.   This is what repentance is all about.  It's about knowing yourself.  Confession in its earliest forms was for the same aim.  There is an ancient Greek aphorism, γνῶθι σεαυτόν/gnothi seauton, meaning "know thyself." It was one of the Delphic maxims and taught by Socrates.  But it retains its sense of spiritual importance in the tradition of Christian monasticism, the life of devotion to Christ.  We are first of all aware of our reliance on God, and our own imperfection.  We are all on a journey that teaches us about wakefulness, mindfulness and the call toward a deeper faith, taking steps closer to God in our own growth.