A Note on This Coming Sunday's Gospel Lesson

Who is the prisoner, John the Baptist or Herod, in Mark 6:14-29?

This coming Sunday’s gospel lesson in many churches will be Mark 6:14-29. In it, Herod, the puppet king of Judea to whom the Romans give considerable power to be rotten, has learned of Jesus’ ministry of preaching, teaching, and miracle working. Like others, Herod doesn’t quite know what to make of Jesus. But he comes to believe that Jesus was John the Baptizer resurrected.

After telling us this, the gospel writer Mark interjects a flashback recounting how John had died. You probably know the story well.

Herod has taken his brother Philip’s wife to be his own wife and while they try to live happily ever after, John calls the king of God’s people out for his adultery. Herodias, the woman Herod stole from his brother, is particularly incensed at this. The text tells us she held “a grudge” against John. Herod is afraid of John, but also finds joy in listening to him. While Herod holds John in his jail, he does no more than that.

But Herodias wants John dead.

So, as you’ll recall, on Herod’s birthday, when all the elites of Judea come to celebrate. Herodias schemes to get John executed. Her daughter—Herod’s niece—dances at the party. The dance pleases Herod and all his important guests.

That’s when Herod makes a vow. He tells the young woman: “Whatever you ask me, I will give you, up to half of my kingdom.” (Mark 6:23) We can only guess what drove Herod to make such a stupid vow, although our guesses probably won’t be far off. They would include: drunkenness, lust, and pride born of the need to prove what a big man he is.

The dancer asks her mom what she should ask Herod to give her. Her mom says the head of John the Baptizer, a request the young woman adds to when she tells the king she wants the Baptizer’s head “on a platter.”

Herod knows that John is right to call him out for his sin.

He knows that John is preaching good news, pointing to the Savior of the world, Jesus.

His joy in hearing John also testifies to Herod that John has been sent from God.

But if Herod doesn’t fulfill his vow in the presence of these people, he will be damaged.

So, he has John executed immediately.

There’s a lot in this text from Mark. But one thing stands out to me tonight: For all his power, Herod is the imprisoned or constrained one, not John. Herod knows that John is bringing good news; that's why he listens to John with joy. But, ultimately, he acts in a way contrary to what he knows to be right and contrary to what he wants to do. Herod is, paraphrasing the liturgy, “in bondage to sin and he cannot free himself.”

John though, is free. He lives in the freedom of the gospel. When you know that in Christ, death is not the end of your story, you needn't be cowed by what the devil and this world can do to you.

That’s why the real prisoner in this text is Herod, not John the Baptizer. John lives in the freedom of the Gospel; Herod lives under the condemnation of the Law. John is the

free one, just like we are when we follow Jesus and not the devil or the world and all their empty promises.