Herodias April 23
Mark 6:19 Therefore Herodias held it against him and wanted to kill him, but she could not; 20 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.
Herodias is a granddaughter of Herod the Great. Her father had been executed for plotting against his father. Eight year old Herodias had then been entrusted (betrothed) to Philip, also son of Herod the Great and half-brother to our Herod Antipas.
Briefly, Herod Antipas went to Rome where Philip had taken residence, fell in love with Philip’s wife, Herodias, and stole her from his half-brother. They returned to Galilee and were wed after her divorce.
This was John the Baptist’s charge: marrying a living brother’s wife is against the Law of Moses.
There is much more intrigue and rivalry within the family of Herod the Great than need be mentioned here. The multitude of wives and children had created an atmosphere of intrigue and betrayal. Herodias and her present husband are well-schooled in these devious arts.
Herodias is aware of the backstabbing and treachery of the family of Herod the Great in her own lifetime. If Antipas ever felt threatened by the prophet, she knows that her husband would choose his own political survival over her life.
Herodias is angry with John the Baptist for his public accusations, and she is angry with her husband for waffling with regard to this rustic prophet. Her husband holds the power, but we sense that she holds her husband.
Herodias is an opportunist, and an opportunity comes.
A Rock and a Hard Place April 24
Mark 6:21 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. 22 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.” 23 He also swore to her, “Whatever you ask me, I will give you, up to half my kingdom.”
24 So she went out and said to her mother, “What shall I ask?”
And she said, “The head of John the Baptist!”
25 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.”
The occasion is a celebration of Herod Antipas’ birthday, an event attended by many high officials of his rule.
Salome, the daughter of Herodias and Philip, performs a dance for the occasion. In a thoughtless moment, her step-father offers her anything for which she asks, up to half of his kingdom.
The young woman consults her mother for advice as to what she should request. We find that revenge on an enemy is preferable to wealth.
“Up to half my kingdom” is a very generous gift. Herod may even have been complimenting her by quoting King Ahasuerus’ offer to Esther of up to half his kingdom because she found favor in his sight (Est. 5:3, 7:2). Mark is noting the perverse irony.
Herodias’ calculated self-interest chooses the beheading of John the Baptist. She cannot trust her husband to choose her over political expediency. This is the lesson she has learned from her family.
It is John’s life or hers.
Choosing Our Enemy April 25
Mark 6:25 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.”
Prophets and others who oppose injustice face a dangerous road. Those in power seek to grow their power, or at least retain all that they have. And their power permits them to silence anyone who is a threat to their position.
Had John the Baptist spoken privately to Herod of the matter? We do not know. There is little reason to believe that Herod would have followed John’s counsel and reversed his marriage to Herodias.
We do know that John spoke publicly on the issue. Was this necessary?
Jesus could have pursued the same line of accusation. Stealing a half-brother’s wife violated Moses’ Law (Lev. 20:21), if not morality, also. But Jesus had a greater message than this, as did John. What was to be gained by calling out this one sin of Herod’s and not his many other sins?
Paul in chains preached to Herod Agrippa, great grandson of Herod the Great. Then Agrippa said to Paul, “You almost persuade me to become a Christian.” (Acts 26:28)
Paul could have criticized Agrippa for many things, but instead he chose to relate his own experience of becoming a follower of Christ and the blessing that had been to him. He sought Agrippa and all in the court to become like him, except for the chains. And Paul found a sympathetic audience.
Speaking truth to power comes in many forms. Choosing which truths to emphasize may require silence on some issues.
Beheaded April 26
Mark 6:26 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. 27 Immediately the king sent an executioner and commanded his head to be brought. And he went and beheaded him in prison, 28 brought his head on a platter, and gave it to the girl; and the girl gave it to her mother.
Herod Antipas has made an oath, apparently more than once (as had Ahasuerus to Esther, Est. 5:3 and 7:2) in front of his distinguished guests and cannot back down. His concern at his subjects’ reaction to beheading the righteous John must yield to the oath to his step-daughter.
Such an open ended offer – anything up to half my kingdom – is a fool’s offer. Salome could have asked for the death of anyone in attendance at the feast, for example. When an oath is foolish, undesired consequences may place the swearer in an untenable position of doing what is right or what the other person desires.
Herod issues the death sentence with urgency, fulfilling his vows. Immediately, he sends one of his royal guard to the prison where John is held with the order to bring back the head of John the Baptist.
And thus a life is ended on the whim of a response to a pleasing performance. What fools are we men that words said thoughtlessly, breaths without substance, may cause death, and wars, and many other miseries.
The head of John the Baptist is brought to Salome who gives it to Herodias.
Endings April 27
John 6:29 When his disciples heard of it, they came and took away his corpse and laid it in a tomb.
The historian Josephus records that Herodias’ ambition became the downfall of both her husband and herself (Ant. 18:7). When Herod Agrippa I was made king rather than her husband Herod Antipas, she demanded her husband go before the emperor in Rome and demand a similar position. Caligula, however, banished Antipas to Gaul, and Herodias chose to go with him. They died in exile.
The same ambition that ended John’s life also brought an end to the power of John’s executioners, a life lived in banishment to the wilderness of another Roman province.
After his execution, the headless body of John the Baptist is treated as the lifeless bodies of other executed prisoners. Such men are given no honor, and their corpses are cast out on the land as food for scavengers. This is the final indignity that power can inflict upon the powerless.
When John’s disciples hear of his death, they come and take the headless body in order to give it a proper resting place.
The custom of laying a body in a stone tomb can be traced back to the days of Abraham and the burial of Sarah in a cave (Gen. 23). And a stone tomb awaits the Messiah for whom John was the forerunner.
John’s disciples pay a final honor to their teacher. They give respect to John in death as they gave him respect in life.
Come Aside April 28
Mark 6:30 Then the apostles gathered to Jesus and told Him all things, both what they had done and what they had taught. 31 And He said to them, “Come aside by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while.” For there were many coming and going, and they did not even have time to eat. 32 So they departed to a deserted place in the boat by themselves.
Mark’s story returns to Jesus, as do the disciples. They have gone out and are now back with their Teacher. Like children who have taken a test applying their knowledge in the real world, they are eager to tell Jesus of their practical success with what He has taught them.
What we have learned is useless if not applied.
And He said to them, “Come aside by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while.”
The wilderness, or whatever deserted place, is a refuge, a recharging station
As when the woman had touched the hem of His garment for healing and drawn power from Jesus, each person to whom they ministered tapped into that disciple’s store of physical and spiritual energy.
There is no lack of spiritual energy, but its reservoirs must be replenished inside of its ministers. Jesus counsels them on stepping back as well as on stepping forward.
Each of us balances the needs of others with the needs of self. Each of us must find our own balance point in the middle.
Time with Jesus helps us to adjust that balance point to meet the situation.
Need April 29
Mark 6:33 But the multitudes saw them departing, and many knew Him and ran there on foot from all the cities. They arrived before them and came together to Him.
Jesus and His disciples cross back over the Sea of Galilee to the other Bethsaida. The name literally means “house of fish.” At the northeastern tip of the sea, this is a fishing village surrounded by wide open spaces.
The crowd sees the direction of their boat, and travel on foot around the sea. Telling others along the way of their purpose, their numbers swell.
The prevailing winds on this sea are NW or SE. Sailing to the northeast corner has the wind on the side of the boat rather than behind it. They must tack often, traveling in a zigzag fashion, increasing the distance and travel time. The crowd on foot reaches the destination before the boat arrives.
The people they have left behind are now the people they find ahead.
There will always be people in need of healing, in need of comfort and advice, in need of something that they cannot find in themselves. As long as Jesus and the disciples are there, people will come.
To care for others requires that we care sufficiently for the self. Part of the caring for self is the time reuniting with Jesus and the Father, being refilled with the Holy Spirit. Without this time, our work can become old and stale, become a mechanical process rather than a living gift.
There is a boundary about each of us, including Jesus and His disciples. Jesus teaches how to honor that boundary.
Every rule seems to have an exception, and Jesus teaches the disciples and us about this, also.
Next day
Mark 6:19 Therefore Herodias held it against him and wanted to kill him, but she could not; 20 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.
Herodias is a granddaughter of Herod the Great. Her father had been executed for plotting against his father. Eight year old Herodias had then been entrusted (betrothed) to Philip, also son of Herod the Great and half-brother to our Herod Antipas.
Briefly, Herod Antipas went to Rome where Philip had taken residence, fell in love with Philip’s wife, Herodias, and stole her from his half-brother. They returned to Galilee and were wed after her divorce.
This was John the Baptist’s charge: marrying a living brother’s wife is against the Law of Moses.
There is much more intrigue and rivalry within the family of Herod the Great than need be mentioned here. The multitude of wives and children had created an atmosphere of intrigue and betrayal. Herodias and her present husband are well-schooled in these devious arts.
Herodias is aware of the backstabbing and treachery of the family of Herod the Great in her own lifetime. If Antipas ever felt threatened by the prophet, she knows that her husband would choose his own political survival over her life.
Herodias is angry with John the Baptist for his public accusations, and she is angry with her husband for waffling with regard to this rustic prophet. Her husband holds the power, but we sense that she holds her husband.
Herodias is an opportunist, and an opportunity comes.
A Rock and a Hard Place April 24
Mark 6:21 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. 22 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.” 23 He also swore to her, “Whatever you ask me, I will give you, up to half my kingdom.”
24 So she went out and said to her mother, “What shall I ask?”
And she said, “The head of John the Baptist!”
25 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.”
The occasion is a celebration of Herod Antipas’ birthday, an event attended by many high officials of his rule.
Salome, the daughter of Herodias and Philip, performs a dance for the occasion. In a thoughtless moment, her step-father offers her anything for which she asks, up to half of his kingdom.
The young woman consults her mother for advice as to what she should request. We find that revenge on an enemy is preferable to wealth.
“Up to half my kingdom” is a very generous gift. Herod may even have been complimenting her by quoting King Ahasuerus’ offer to Esther of up to half his kingdom because she found favor in his sight (Est. 5:3, 7:2). Mark is noting the perverse irony.
Herodias’ calculated self-interest chooses the beheading of John the Baptist. She cannot trust her husband to choose her over political expediency. This is the lesson she has learned from her family.
It is John’s life or hers.
Choosing Our Enemy April 25
Mark 6:25 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.”
Prophets and others who oppose injustice face a dangerous road. Those in power seek to grow their power, or at least retain all that they have. And their power permits them to silence anyone who is a threat to their position.
Had John the Baptist spoken privately to Herod of the matter? We do not know. There is little reason to believe that Herod would have followed John’s counsel and reversed his marriage to Herodias.
We do know that John spoke publicly on the issue. Was this necessary?
Jesus could have pursued the same line of accusation. Stealing a half-brother’s wife violated Moses’ Law (Lev. 20:21), if not morality, also. But Jesus had a greater message than this, as did John. What was to be gained by calling out this one sin of Herod’s and not his many other sins?
Paul in chains preached to Herod Agrippa, great grandson of Herod the Great. Then Agrippa said to Paul, “You almost persuade me to become a Christian.” (Acts 26:28)
Paul could have criticized Agrippa for many things, but instead he chose to relate his own experience of becoming a follower of Christ and the blessing that had been to him. He sought Agrippa and all in the court to become like him, except for the chains. And Paul found a sympathetic audience.
Speaking truth to power comes in many forms. Choosing which truths to emphasize may require silence on some issues.
Beheaded April 26
Mark 6:26 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. 27 Immediately the king sent an executioner and commanded his head to be brought. And he went and beheaded him in prison, 28 brought his head on a platter, and gave it to the girl; and the girl gave it to her mother.
Herod Antipas has made an oath, apparently more than once (as had Ahasuerus to Esther, Est. 5:3 and 7:2) in front of his distinguished guests and cannot back down. His concern at his subjects’ reaction to beheading the righteous John must yield to the oath to his step-daughter.
Such an open ended offer – anything up to half my kingdom – is a fool’s offer. Salome could have asked for the death of anyone in attendance at the feast, for example. When an oath is foolish, undesired consequences may place the swearer in an untenable position of doing what is right or what the other person desires.
Herod issues the death sentence with urgency, fulfilling his vows. Immediately, he sends one of his royal guard to the prison where John is held with the order to bring back the head of John the Baptist.
And thus a life is ended on the whim of a response to a pleasing performance. What fools are we men that words said thoughtlessly, breaths without substance, may cause death, and wars, and many other miseries.
The head of John the Baptist is brought to Salome who gives it to Herodias.
Endings April 27
John 6:29 When his disciples heard of it, they came and took away his corpse and laid it in a tomb.
The historian Josephus records that Herodias’ ambition became the downfall of both her husband and herself (Ant. 18:7). When Herod Agrippa I was made king rather than her husband Herod Antipas, she demanded her husband go before the emperor in Rome and demand a similar position. Caligula, however, banished Antipas to Gaul, and Herodias chose to go with him. They died in exile.
The same ambition that ended John’s life also brought an end to the power of John’s executioners, a life lived in banishment to the wilderness of another Roman province.
After his execution, the headless body of John the Baptist is treated as the lifeless bodies of other executed prisoners. Such men are given no honor, and their corpses are cast out on the land as food for scavengers. This is the final indignity that power can inflict upon the powerless.
When John’s disciples hear of his death, they come and take the headless body in order to give it a proper resting place.
The custom of laying a body in a stone tomb can be traced back to the days of Abraham and the burial of Sarah in a cave (Gen. 23). And a stone tomb awaits the Messiah for whom John was the forerunner.
John’s disciples pay a final honor to their teacher. They give respect to John in death as they gave him respect in life.
Come Aside April 28
Mark 6:30 Then the apostles gathered to Jesus and told Him all things, both what they had done and what they had taught. 31 And He said to them, “Come aside by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while.” For there were many coming and going, and they did not even have time to eat. 32 So they departed to a deserted place in the boat by themselves.
Mark’s story returns to Jesus, as do the disciples. They have gone out and are now back with their Teacher. Like children who have taken a test applying their knowledge in the real world, they are eager to tell Jesus of their practical success with what He has taught them.
What we have learned is useless if not applied.
And He said to them, “Come aside by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while.”
The wilderness, or whatever deserted place, is a refuge, a recharging station
As when the woman had touched the hem of His garment for healing and drawn power from Jesus, each person to whom they ministered tapped into that disciple’s store of physical and spiritual energy.
There is no lack of spiritual energy, but its reservoirs must be replenished inside of its ministers. Jesus counsels them on stepping back as well as on stepping forward.
Each of us balances the needs of others with the needs of self. Each of us must find our own balance point in the middle.
Time with Jesus helps us to adjust that balance point to meet the situation.
Need April 29
Mark 6:33 But the multitudes saw them departing, and many knew Him and ran there on foot from all the cities. They arrived before them and came together to Him.
Jesus and His disciples cross back over the Sea of Galilee to the other Bethsaida. The name literally means “house of fish.” At the northeastern tip of the sea, this is a fishing village surrounded by wide open spaces.
The crowd sees the direction of their boat, and travel on foot around the sea. Telling others along the way of their purpose, their numbers swell.
The prevailing winds on this sea are NW or SE. Sailing to the northeast corner has the wind on the side of the boat rather than behind it. They must tack often, traveling in a zigzag fashion, increasing the distance and travel time. The crowd on foot reaches the destination before the boat arrives.
The people they have left behind are now the people they find ahead.
There will always be people in need of healing, in need of comfort and advice, in need of something that they cannot find in themselves. As long as Jesus and the disciples are there, people will come.
To care for others requires that we care sufficiently for the self. Part of the caring for self is the time reuniting with Jesus and the Father, being refilled with the Holy Spirit. Without this time, our work can become old and stale, become a mechanical process rather than a living gift.
There is a boundary about each of us, including Jesus and His disciples. Jesus teaches how to honor that boundary.
Every rule seems to have an exception, and Jesus teaches the disciples and us about this, also.
Next day