This is John the Baptist; he is risen from the dead, and therefore these powers are at work in him

 

 At that time Herod the tetrarch heard the report about Jesus and said to his servants, "This is John the Baptist; he is risen from the dead, and therefore these powers are at work in him."  For Herod had laid hold of John and bound him, and put him in prison for the sake of Herodias, his brother Philip's wife.  Because John had said to him, "It is not lawful for you to have her."  And although he wanted to put him to death, he feared the multitude, because they counted him as a prophet.  But when Herod's birthday was celebrated, the daughter of Herodias danced before them and pleased Herod.  Therefore he promised with an oath to give her whatever she might ask.  So she, having been prompted by her mother, said, "Give me John the Baptist's head here on a platter."  And the king was sorry; nevertheless, because of the oaths and because of those who sat with him, he commanded it to be given to her.  So he sent and had John beheaded in prison.  And his head was brought on a platter and given to the girl, and she brought it to her mother.  Then his disciples came and took away the body and buried it, and went and told Jesus.

 

- Matthew 14:1-12 

 

Yesterday we read that when Jesus finished preaching in parables, He departed for His hometown of Nazareth.  When He had come to His own country, He taught them in their synagogue, so that they were astonished and said, "Where did this Man get this wisdom and these mighty works?  Is this not the carpenter's son?  Is not His mother called Mary?  And His brothers James, Joses, Simon, and Judas?  And His sisters, are they not all with us?  Where then did this Man get all these things?  So they were offended at Him.  But Jesus said to them, "A prophet is not without honor except in his own country and in his own house."  Now He did not do many mighty works there because of their unbelief.

 

 At that time Herod the tetrarch heard the report about Jesus and said to his servants, "This is John the Baptist; he is risen from the dead, and therefore these powers are at work in him."  For Herod had laid hold of John and bound him, and put him in prison for the sake of Herodias, his brother Philip's wife.  Because John had said to him, "It is not lawful for you to have her."  And although he wanted to put him to death, he feared the multitude, because they counted him as a prophet.  But when Herod's birthday was celebrated, the daughter of Herodias danced before them and pleased Herod.  Therefore he promised with an oath to give her whatever she might ask.  So she, having been prompted by her mother, said, "Give me John the Baptist's head here on a platter."  And the king was sorry; nevertheless, because of the oaths and because of those who sat with him, he commanded it to be given to her.  So he sent and had John beheaded in prison.  And his head was brought on a platter and given to the girl, and she brought it to her mother.  Then his disciples came and took away the body and buried it, and went and told Jesus.   This account of the death of John the Baptist is given parenthetically, so to speak.  That is, this "backstory" is meant to tell us why Herod believes that Jesus is John the Baptist risen from the dead.  My study Bible comments that as part of God's plan for salvation, John's martyrdom allowed the coming of the Messiah to be announced to the souls in Hades, for John was the forerunner of Christ there as well as on earth.  Note also that John was held in such high esteem that Herod feared the multitude, because they counted him as a prophet.  My study Bible cites John the Baptist's strictly ascetic lifestyle; he lived in poverty and was clothed in camel's hair.  It notes that Herod's fear of the people's love of John is a testament both to the power of personal holiness and integrity, for the people held John in the highest esteem.

 

The gruesome scene in this story always comes around to remind us of the dangers of martyrdom, which are present to every saint.  John's life is also reflective of the Cross, even before the Cross came, for we can find images and meanings in Christ from both the old and the new.  The eternal realities given to us through Christ are not simply part of His story, for His life alone on this earth.  For Christ's story is the story of the earth; Christ's story is the central event of spiritual history.  For us who believe in Christ and call ourselves His followers, He is this pivotal center, and all else revolves around Him.  Therefore the truth of His life as Incarnate Son is present to us in all the stories of holiness, in all the Scriptures, in one form and another.  In John the Baptist we see sacrifice and gruesome suffering.  We see the highest esteem and love from the people, for his holiness was apparent, and made him a revered figure in his own time.  We see someone willing to live and die for his mission from God, giving up all things in order to serve God.  As my study Bible says, his own integrity created this esteemed image in the eyes of the people.  John the Baptist is considered the last and greatest of the Old Testament type prophets.  His life speaks to us of a fearless mission to truly embody what it is to "speak truth to power," as the popular saying goes.  But his depth of reliance on and commitment to God means that this truth comes from God, and it is this appeal of God to the people, and to the powers that be, that John represents, and for which he was martyred.  In his martyrdom is a picture of the Cross before the Cross would come to all of us, so to speak.  He embodies what it is to live a life transfigured in the light of Christ, but in the light of Christ to come, about Whom he spoke to the world, and sought to prepare the people to accept through a repentance in preparation for His coming.  John the Baptist's life teaches us about martyrdom and about greatness, for no other figure so strongly taught us about the life of Christ to come, and no other embodied, at the same time, the humility before Christ that uncovers the truth for all of us. For it is John who said of Jesus, "He must increase, but I must decrease" (John 3:30).  This is our own statement for the work of the Cross and the Holy Spirit in our own lives.  St. Paul put it this way:  "I die daily" (1 Corinthians 15:31).  Before the Cross came, John showed us his love of God, and pointed the way to Christ, just as he would do (according to the Orthodox tradition) for the souls awaiting Christ the Savior in Hades.  He is, therefore, in all ways true to his title, the Forerunner.  Let us honor holiness, wherever it is found, wherever Christ is revered, and the Cross is known and lived.