Intro: Why does John the Baptist receive so much attention during
the Church Year? This Gospel reading that is set for every three
years, it only mentions Jesus' name once! But to dismiss this
reading as just a bloody event long ago in history is to dismiss what
John the Baptist actually did, and by God's Word, still does. So
answer:
What is the most dangerous part of John the Baptist? King Herod's
wife Herodias thought it was his head. That's the part that she
wants to cut off. She and her husband knew some part of this prophet
was dangerous. Why? “John
had been saying to Herod, "It is not lawful for you to have your
brother's wife." ”
And it's very easy to get distracted by the shameful details that
belong more on A Current Affair or Today Tonight: Herodias had been
the wife of Philip, Herod's brother. Herod divorced his wife to
marry Herodias, who had divorced her husband. And both of her
husbands were also her uncles. But this Gospel reading isn't here to
make you say: “Look at all the things that happen with rich and
powerful people who always get their own way.”
Mark says, “Herodias
had a grudge against him and wanted to put him to death. But she
could not” because “Herod
feared John, knowing that he was a righteous and holy man, and he
kept him safe. When he heard him, he was greatly perplexed, and yet
he heard him gladly.” “But an opportunity
came”, and that was Herod's birthday party.
And at the birthday party you can see all sorts of people showing
what their most dangerous part was. For the daughter of Herodias, it
was her dance. For her mother, it was her mouth that put the words
in someone else's mouth to ask for the head of John. For Herod, he
was scared to go back on an oath that should not have included the
possibility of doing something so wrong. He was scared to do that in
front of his guests and show weakness. So his most dangerous part
was the hand that found one of his servants and did this [head cut
off motion]. Who was really dangerous here, John, or this family?
And John's head is cut off and put on a platter. But that's not his
most dangerous part. His most dangerous part is his finger. And
even after his head is cut off, his finger remains. Why his finger?
Because his finger always points to the Savior, to Christ. John's
job was to prepare the way for the One he points to: Jesus. In the
art of the Reformation, in fact, John the Baptist is always painted
as pointing to Jesus on the cross. But John didn't say, “Since my
job is to prepare for Jesus who is the Savior, it would go against my
job to point out the adultery of this King Herod. It wouldn't be a
good witness if I said anything; I'll let it be.” John the Baptist
is the greatest of the prophets however, and he knew that saying what
God himself says about sin is a part of his job in preparing the way
– is part of his job in pointing to what Jesus does. He does so
even if that makes him dangerous. For
John is dangerous, but cutting off his head doesn't get rid
of the danger, for Herod and family or for all sinners. The religion
of the world wants to get rid of the Christian faith as Herod did to
John because just having such a confession of faith gets in the way
of people trying to live their lives the way they think is
best. Just the presence of Christians confessing and practicing
their faith is enough to draw the hatred of the world which hates
Christ. But Christ has promised that the world will never get rid of
these Christians, of his Church. This will never happen no matter
how many heads get cut off, or no matter how many times Jesus'
disciples must wipe the dust from their feet as a testimony against
those who reject their preaching. These things are only a testimony
and confession of Jesus, which are still heard today. Upon hearing
them, people still leave behind the way that they think is best in
favor of God's way. That's the daily life of the Christian too.
Heads will continue to be chopped off, but John's finger will
continue to point because A) God's Word will ever stand strong and
can't be overthrown or silenced and B) Christ continues to forgive
even the very worst sins, even yours.
And John's finger still points to Christ, still preaches this
repentance. For Christ works repentance, which is dangerous to our
hearts, for we want to be God and want no competition, and have no
way to fix that we're not. And yet Christ works repentance, that in
your Baptism the Father is well pleased with you (nothing tawdry
about that! It is a blessed family of faith.) (nothing empty either
– the Father is pleased with what Christ has done in shedding his
blood for your forgiveness, and so when Christ himself washes you
with such a forgiveness in the waters of Baptism you have a gracious
heavenly Father).
When John's finger points, he draws the line between the world's
religion and Christ's religion. Our sinful hearts want to blur the
line between who is Savior and who isn't (as Herod and the crowds in
their own way blurred the lines between John and Jesus – Herod
hears of the disciples of Jesus and thinks of John; the crowds had
asked John, “are you the Messiah?”) And a blurry line between who
is Savior and who isn't can sound very holy and nice. Jesus can even
be allowed to be mostly Savior, as long as my own heart and will and
desires are in the driver's seat. But,
When the line is not bright and clearly seen, the result is no good,
as Jesus demonstrates when speaking of those who will say to him on
the Last Day, “Lord, Lord”, but he will reply, “Depart from me.
I have not known you.” That's the danger of mistaking the
religion of the world for the religion of Jesus.
But the line is clear in just these type of situations – it's easy
to tell the line between the world's religion and Christ's when the
world puts Christians to death because they confess Christ. This is
the advantage of the great problems in Western society at the moment
– it's becoming easier to tell what's Christian and what isn't.
This is as clear as the difference between Herod's feast, the
feeding of the 5,000, and the Lord's Supper. Nothing good happens at
Herod's feast. But Jesus does a miracle out of compassion for the
crowd when he feeds the 5,000 in this same Mark chapter 6. And Jesus
still does good things when he, out of great compassion for you, to
comfort you continually with the promise and gift of forgiveness,
does a miracle. He places his risen body and blood into your mouth,
to give you his forgiveness.
The line of who is Savior is clear when Christ is put to death and
put in a tomb and is for sure risen. This is seen in what happens to
John. See, it says that Herod is afraid that Jesus is John risen
from the dead. But John awaits the resurrection of the body as all
departed Christians do. But Jesus, he is risen. And John is put to
death for doing nothing wrong, as Jesus also was. But it's only at
the death of Jesus that the centurion bears witness - “Truly this
man was the Son of God!”. And John's disciples take the body and
bury John. But Jesus isn't even buried by the Twelve, but his tomb
is now empty and his Twelve did preach his words to the world. And
the Church must keep to the apostles' teaching if she dares call
herself “apostolic”. The Church must always do what John does –
point not to your heart and your feelings, but always to Christ –
there is your Savior. There is your Redeemer. There is your
righteousness before the Father. There is the One who sends you the
Holy Spirit so that all the words of the Scripture may stick in your
heart.
John points, and that will never end as surely as John also enjoys
the fulfillment of all he pointed to: the free gift of heaven with
Christ forever that is yours.
Conclusion: John's most dangerous part is his finger, because his
finger points to Jesus. Jesus forgives the worst of sins. John's
finger draws the line between the religion of the world and the
religion of Jesus because only the Christian faith looks to Christ
alone for all forgiveness of sin, for full salvation from the evil
one, and for eternal life. Amen.
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