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

John the Baptist, 16th century, Greek

 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 6:14-29

Yesterday we read that Jesus went out from Capernaum and came to His own country of 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.

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."  Herod hears of Christ -- and he believes He is John the Baptist risen from the dead.  John did not have any miraculous works associated with his ministry, but Herod believes miraculous powers are at work because he was raised from the dead.  Thus, my study bible says, he fears John more dead than alive.  King Herod is the son of Herod the Great, who slew the infants in Bethlehem (Matthew 2:16).  Herod is technically a governor, but popularly called king.

Others said, "It is Elijah."  And others said, "It is the Prophet, or like one of the prophets."   Elijah was expected to return and to work signs before the coming of the Lord (Malachi 4:5).  The Prophet, my study bible says, is interpreted by some to be a reference to the Messiah, the One whom Moses foretold (Deuteronomy 18:15), while others interpret it as simply meaning a new prophet had arisen.

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."   We're given a parenthetical explanation for the events that have taken place between Herod and John the Baptist.  John complained that Herod's marriage to Herodias was not lawful according to Mosaic Law, because his brother Philip was still living. 

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.   Interestingly, Herod recognized John's holiness, and heard him gladly.  That Herod, with his wealth and soldiers, feared John, a man who lived in poverty and was clothed in camel's hair (1:6), is a testament, my study bible tells us, both to the power of personal holiness and integrity, and also to the people's perception of John, as they held him in the highest esteem (11:32).

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.  We're given the background story on why Herod fears John has come back from the dead.

In the tradition of the Church, John is called Forerunner.  In Orthodox icons, he's often depicted with wings.  He was the herald, the messenger of the Kingdom -- as the root meaning of angel in Greek is "messenger," and John is truly a messenger of God.  In addition, he lived an "angelic" lifestyle; that is, one dedicated wholly to the kingdom of God.   According to tradition, John not only was the Forerunner, the messenger or herald of the coming of the Messiah into the world, but John's martyrdom also allowed the coming of the Messiah to be announced to the souls in Hades; He was the forerunner of Christ there as well as on earth.  What a bloody and sordid death John received as martyr.  The king knows he is a holy man, and regrets what has passed, but nevertheless because of the oaths and because of those who sat with him, he did not want to refuse Herodias.  One might simply imagine the place in which John was held, the beheading that comes simply by request of a young woman at a birthday party, and the vicious request for his head to be served on a platter.  The family of Herod was known as a particularly bloody and vicious dynasty when it came to internal power disputes.  Herod the Great, who gave the world the second temple and other marvels of building and construction, was also known as a brutal and violent ruler even in a world where brutality and violence were expected among its rulers.  The holy John is killed in this environment, at the hands of such people.  It's a rather awful story, with the hideous request of John's head on a platter coming from a girl who pleased with her dancing.  It's a sordid, brutish death that is given to one who dies as a martyr, a holy man who is the greatest and last of the Old Testament prophets, and who will also become forerunner for the souls in Hades.  In the context of our world, we may be used to hearing of sordid or brutish deaths, stories of sad ends and seemingly meaningless violence, bloody killings associated with crime, or drugs, or the breakdown of a social order, of neighborhoods, of communities.  But our modern thinking tends to link ends with how a person lives their lives.  We are frequently led to think that a well-lived life will guarantee that we avoid the evil of the world and its brutishness.  But that's not quite the picture we get from this story, nor of the story of Christ.  Both John and Jesus will speak the truth that creates hostility and violence from those with power.  John has annoyed Herodias with his condemnation of her marriage; it's an indictment of the means by which she ascends into her own position of power.  The religious leadership will find their own way to rid themselves of Jesus whose ministry not only criticizes their methods but threatens to usurp their places among the people.  In the 16th century Greek icon above, John refers to the relic of his severed head, and speaks to the Lord in heaven.   The scroll in his hands reads, "Seest Thou what suffer those who censure, O Word of God, the faults of the unclean. Not being able to bear censure, Lo Herod cut off my head, O Saviour."  Neither John nor Jesus die deaths that are "pretty" or "peaceful."  They are given over to the hands of those who kill even impersonally, whose expertise is to set an example in a violent world.    But it defies our understanding of "the good life" to understand that these deaths in such gruesome circumstances cast no aspersions on those who receive death in this way.  Christ died between two thieves, in a way meant for the worst of criminals, but those circumstances do not diminish Christ -- nor do the sordid circumstances in which John died say anything about John.  Rather these men suffer for the Kingdom, and pay the ultimate price for it.  Jesus Himself is the price for all of us out of this world of retribution and suffering and violence.  That is, He becomes life itself for all the faithful, the instrument of grace that lifts us out of the world of a sordid type of justice and into the Kingdom instead.  Worldly thinking allows us to taint the holy with violence, but the holy redeems everything and violence and evil cannot truly touch it.  John and Jesus serve a kingdom of everlasting life for each of us, even through their deaths; it is they who transfigure the world.  Let us not be deceived by the brutish and sordid and violent; evil is nothing.  This is one of the most powerful lessons we can learn; our lives are not cheapened by the world and its cruelties.  It is God who gives us our true purpose and value, our alliance with Christ that illumines all meaning and life.