Give me John the Baptist's head here on a platter

 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 the body and buried it, and went and told Jesus.

- Matthew 14:1-12

Yesterday we read that when Jesus had finished teaching in parables, He departed from there.  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 the body and buried it, and went and told Jesus.  The story of the beheading of John the Baptist is given parenthetically, so that we as readers might understand Herod's feelings in response to Jesus' ministry.  Herod fears Jesus' power, that John is risen from the dead.  It is another dimension of holy power.  When John was alive, Herod feared both John (Mark 6:20) and also the people (as Matthew's account tells us), because John was widely held to be a prophet.  It is a testament, my study bible says, both to the power of personal holiness and integrity, in addition to the people's perception of John who was held in the highest esteem.  In some sense we must understand, John, in his criticism of Herod and Herodias' marriage, speaks for the people.  He speaks for their faith.

It is a sad and pathetic thing that John the Baptist died at the hands of Herod over a seemingly trivial affair:  the dance of Herodias' daughter.   It's a flimsy pretext over which to commit a grave execution of this greatest of prophets.  It tells us something about the foolishness of oaths.  This is a subject we may not take very seriously in the modern world.  Politicians in modern democracies have a reputation of breaking promises -- saying one thing and doing another, or perhaps saying opposite things from one day to the next.  As such, truth becomes a rare and precious commodity on ever more profound levels.  Jesus has preached specifically against the practice of oaths in the Sermon on the Mount, and especially about the power of personal integrity (5:34-37).  In today's reading, we are given to understand the rash character of Herod's oath to Herodias' daughter in front of his nobles and other important people of his kingdom.  How is his power used?  In what service?  Ultimately it is the king himself who is used by Herodias to achieve her own power-hungry ends.  All of it can be characterized by thoughtlessness and the selfish desire for gain.    The story presents us with the contrast between a self-centered drive for social and political power and those who serve God.  First and foremost, John's ministry was an expression of total devotion to God.  His radical humility was in stark contrast to the sumptuous and self-indulgent court of Herod and Herodias.  Herodias' daughter's dance itself would have been shocking for the religious and social customs of the time concerning young women and protection of their modesty.  Again, a stark contrast to the disciplined ascetic figure of John and his disciples.  This story presents us today with a choice in our own time which has been accustomed to the pursuit of power or social status and a question about our own gratification in life.    What do we live for?  What do we serve?  Moreover, we are asked to consider John's death as a martyr.  The holy is trampled upon so easily by ignorance, selfishness, even this ugly, lurid picture of self-indulgence.  Does this in any way diminish John?  Would it diminish you or I should we choose to be as devoted to God as John's example?  These are all questions we are still asked to consider for our own lives in modern times.  How precious is your personal integrity?  What does it call you to do?  How does it call you to live?  Don't let the pettiness and selfishness and even the focus on triviality of the world get in the way of living as we're called to live.  There is so much more to life than even kings have found to live for.

For this cause I was born, and for this cause I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice

 Then they led Jesus from Caiaphas to the Praetorium, and it was early morning.  But they themselves did not go into the Praetorium, lest they should be defiled, but that they might eat the Passover.  Pilate then went out to them and said, "What accusation do you bring against this Man?"  They answered and said to him, "If He were not an evildoer, we would not have delivered Him up to you."  Then Pilate said to them, "You take Him and judge Him according to your law."  Therefore the Jews said to him, "It is not lawful for us to put anyone to death," that the saying of Jesus might be fulfilled which He spoke, signifying by what death He would die.

Then Pilate entered the Praetorium again, called Jesus, and said to Him, "Are You the King of the Jews?"  Jesus answered him, "Are you speaking for yourself about this, or did others tell you this concerning Me?"  Pilate answered, "Am I a Jew?  Your own nation and the chief priests have delivered You to me.  What have You done?"  Jesus answered, "My kingdom is not of this world.  If My kingdom were of this world, My servants would fight, so that I should not be delivered to the Jews; but now My kingdom is not from here."  Pilate therefore said to Him, "Are You a king them?"  Jesus answered, "You say rightly that I am a king.  For this cause I was born, and for this cause I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth.  Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice."  Pilate said to Him, "What is truth?"  And when he had said this, he went out again to the Jews, and said to them, "I find no fault in Him at all."

- John 18:28-38

Yesterday, we read of the three-time denial of Christ by Simon Peter, after Jesus was betrayed by Judas and arrested in the garden.  Simon Peter followed Jesus, and so did another disciple.  Now that disciple was known to the high priest, and went with Jesus into the courtyard of the high priest.  But Peter stood at the door outside.  Then the other disciple, who was known to the high priest, went out and spoke to her who kept the door, and brought Peter in.  Then the servant girl who kept the door said to Peter, "You are not also one of this disciples, are you?"  He said, "I am not."  Now the servants and officers who had made a fire of coals stood there, for it was cold, and they warmed themselves.  And Peter stood with them and warmed himself.  . . .  Now Simon Peter stood and warmed himself.  Therefore they said to him, "You are not one also one of His disciples, are you?"  He denied it and said, "I am not!"  One of the servants of the high priest, a relative of him whose ear Peter cut off, said, "Did I not see you in the garden with Him?"  Peter then denied again; and immediately a rooster crowed.

  Then they led Jesus from Caiaphas to the Praetorium, and it was early morning.  But they themselves did not go into the Praetorium, lest they should be defiled, but that they might eat the Passover.  Pilate then went out to them and said, "What accusation do you bring against this Man?"  They answered and said to him, "If He were not an evildoer, we would not have delivered Him up to you."    My study bible cites the commentary of St. John Chrysostom here.  St. Chrysostom notes the irony that fills this passage:  Jesus' accusers did not fear to be defiled by condemning an innocent man to death, but they would not set foot into a court of justice.

Then Pilate said to them, "You take Him and judge Him according to your law."  Therefore the Jews said to him, "It is not lawful for us to put anyone to death," that the saying of Jesus might be fulfilled which He spoke, signifying by what death He would die.  Once again, we need to make note that in John's Gospel, the Jews is used as a term signifying a political party, and indicates those religious leaders who oppose Jesus.  Jesus is also a Jew, as was the author of the Gospel.  My study bible comments that since the chief priests had no actual crime with which to make an accusation against Jesus, Pilate refused to pass judgment.  When the chief priests say, "It is not lawful for us to put anyone to death," they don't refer to the Law of Moses.  Rather, they're referring to the laws of Roman occupation, under which only Romans had the right to execute people.  Therefore the chief priests rely on Pilate to sentence Jesus to death.   Jewish law prescribed stoning as the usual means of execution (see Saturday's reading, in which they attempt to stone Jesus).  But Christ prophesied many times that He would be killed by being "lifted up" on the Cross (3:14; 8:28; 12:32-33).  He had foreknowledge that He would die, not at the hands of the Jews, but by the Roman method of crucifixion.

Then Pilate entered the Praetorium again, called Jesus, and said to Him, "Are You the King of the Jews?"  Jesus answered him, "Are you speaking for yourself about this, or did others tell you this concerning Me?"  Pilate answered, "Am I a Jew?  Your own nation and the chief priests have delivered You to me.  What have You done?"  My study bible comments here that it is unheard of that the accused would have to name the charges against himself in any court.  The captors would always be the ones to nae the crime.  But that Pilate has to ask Jesus what the charges are shows that the chief priests could not name any crime that Christ might have committed.  More importantly, it shows that Jesus was Lord over the events of His death (see verses 4 and 8 from the passage describing events at His arrest).  Even the governor here has to come to Him in order for the trial to proceed.

Jesus answered, "My kingdom is not of this world.  If My kingdom were of this world, My servants would fight, so that I should not be delivered to the Jews; but now My kingdom is not from here."  Pilate therefore said to Him, "Are You a king them?"  Jesus answered, "You say rightly that I am a king.  For this cause I was born, and for this cause I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth.  Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice."  Pilate said to Him, "What is truth?"  And when he had said this, he went out again to the Jews, and said to them, "I find no fault in Him at all."  As with the Samaritan woman, we may find it remarkable that even to Pilate, Jesus expresses the truth of His identity and His spiritual reality.  He tells the truth of His ministry and His kingdom.   Pilate clearly knows, as he states to the religious leaders, that Jesus is guilty of no crime.

It's interesting to consider the scene in front of us.   We may think of this scene in which Jesus is on trial for His life as entirely lawless, given what we know is going to be the outcome.  But, in fact, we are in the presence of two very great sets of law, two giant historical precedents in the evolution of law and in particular for a rule of order and justice -- even protection of the innocent -- that of both Jewish and Roman law.  We have the official representatives of both here in this scene:  the Jewish religious leaders (the chief priests, whom Pilate names) and Pilate, the Roman governor of Judea.  We can witness both sets of authority upholding principles of their law:   the religious leaders won't enter the Praetorium lest they be defiled, they also state they have no right to execute anyone (although that is a law of the Roman occupation, not Jewish law); Pilate looks for reasonable charges of crime for which Jesus may be accused and finds no fault with Him.  Absurdity is also present:  there are no real charges against Jesus, and Pilate asks Him, "What have You done?"   We're tempted to think these are simply autocratic times, and certainly there is corruption and cruelty.   We tend to forget the rules of law that did exist and were important precedents, even the systems of public order that put in place notions of what we call civilization.  But even in the best-planned of societies, we should understand that corruption is not only possible but that temptation to power always exists.  No human systems have been found that put an absolute end to temptation to corruption and abuse of power; we always have to guard against the temptations that face human beings.  And there we come to a spiritual problem -- for this is not just a story of human justice gone awry but rather of spiritual and even cosmic justice at work.  The worst sorts of crimes and sins will take place.  But it is God who is on trial -- and God will take the worst sorts of circumstance and turn them to the ends of true justice, cosmic justice.  The story of the Cross is the story of salvation, redemption, freedom, and liberation for all of us from the bonds of the very evil we will witness in His crucifixion -- and here is the heart of the story which we must ponder as we begin the journey through Lent.  Jesus will act as Witness:  through all things, He remains true to the Father, true to God's love, true to righteousness and His love for human beings.  He will serve and He will sacrifice -- His very death will bring about the end of death for those who abide in Him.  St. Paul writes of suffering, "And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose" (Romans 8:28).  Jesus' story is not just about the fallibility of even the best of human systems, nor the presence of evil in our world, but rather it is all about what it is to bear and endure all the things of this world with grace.  His is the example we follow if we are to abide in Him.  The steadfast love of God that He expresses -- especially when He tells us that He is never alone because the Father is always with Him (8:29, 16:32), is what we are to know for ourselves when we bear our own crosses and find the strength that God's love gives us when we abide and return that love.  Jesus says, "For this cause I was born, and for this cause I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth.  Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice."  His greatest truth is God's love.  May we all dwell in that truth and know that it is His voice we always need, especially in the times of greatest trial.