Pentecost 8B/Proper 10 (Mark 6:14-29)

​It's hard to comprehend the tragic and unfair death of a person with the integrity and wisdom of St. John the Baptist. It wouldn’t trouble us if he had died of old age or illness. But to be beheaded because of the politically driven ulterior motives of Herodias and her daughter Salome? For Herodias’ sake, she had been “watching over” the words and deeds of John and was displeased with his criticism of her marriage to Herod. After all, the right ingredients of the dance, and perhaps lots of drinks, so easily convinced Herod’s mind. Herod generously and solemnly offered Salome, “Whatever you ask me, I will give you, even half of my kingdom.” Her response was so simple: “The head of John the Baptist.”

We might ask the hard question of why. Why does God not intervene and stop this evil scheme? Raising this question is a very human response since we are prone to make sense of events that do not meet our expectations and predictions. This question of why then informs us more about our expectations of what God is supposed to do and our disappointment when God does not meet those expectations. If we push this reflection, then we might conclude, “‘That’ God who meets our expectations and predictions doesn’t exist.” or “God in reality is different from our expectations and predictions.”

We might still seek “the” answer to this why. There are numerous theology books on the subject of theodicy or the problem of evil. I won’t delve into all the different ways of justifying why God doesn’t prevent evil. It’s because no reason can justify a death caused by humans, regardless of what good might come from it. No suffering can be justified; there is no cause that is worth more than life itself. The only one who can make meaning out of suffering is the person who is actually going through it, not an outsider or bystander. So, I recommend that we live and bear with this difficult “why,” but I wouldn’t want us to be clueless about it. Rather, I direct our attention to Jesus who asks the same question, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” on the cross and receives no answer himself.

Let’s look at what Jesus does after encountering the death of John. One might stay away from any association with John out of fear that Herodias would try to kill those who share John’s criticism of her and Herod. Jesus does the opposite. He continues the teachings of John. It’s not a mistake that his message is the same as John’s: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.” (Matthew 3:2) Instead of dissociating himself from John, Jesus takes over to the point where some are saying, “John the Baptist has been raised from the dead; and for this reason, these powers are at work in him.” (Mark 6:14) Even Herod himself believes, “John, whom I beheaded, has been raised.” (Mark 6:16)

Jesus’ actions can be perceived as heroic, but there’s more. He has the ultimate reason to continue John’s ministry: the inner presence of God that John taught. The question of why isn’t to be answered by our creation of what God ought to be but lived out within the understanding that God is beyond life and death. Cultivating this presence of God within, Jesus demonstrates how to live with the why and invites us to live out the why. In this way, God is not a far-distant being but a reality intimately embodied within us. This reality of God’s presence within moves Jesus to carry on no matter what.

My friends in Christ, I invite you to take the journey from why to where and then to here and now within, especially when you encounter hardships and challenges in life. This is the journey the risen Christ is with you always.