Herod's Dilemma

Salem United Church of Christ
Louisville, Kentucky
Title: Herod’s Dilemma by Michael Baldonado
Scripture Readings
2 Samuel 6:1-19
Ephesians 1:1-14
Mark 6:14-29

Have you seen the play “Les Miserables” … or have you read the story? The play was based on the book written by the great author, Victor Hugo. The story has many characters who encounter different dilemmas in the story. One of these characters is Jean Val Jean, a thief, who later became the mayor of a town. Early in the story, Jean Valjean, who came from a poor peasant family, loses both his parents at a young age and moves in to live with an older sister. When the sister’s husband dies, Valjean supports her and her seven children by working as a tree pruner. Unable to feed the family on his earnings, he steals a loaf of bread from a baker, which eventually led him to be caught and locked up in jail.
Jean Valjean faced a dilemma: to steal or not to steal. He stole a loaf of bread because his sister’s children were dying of starvation and apparently, there was no other way that he could actually feed them. Under an ethical system in which stealing is always wrong and where it is equally wrong to let children die of starvation, one wrong will eventually be exchanged for another. However, there are few legitimate ethical systems in which stealing, is worse than letting one's family die. Ethical systems do in fact allow for, and sometimes outline, tradeoffs or priorities in decisions.
There is a lot of debate and discussion about this issue and I believe that you may disagree with what Jean Val Jean decided to do. Nevertheless, we have all experienced some sort of dilemma or another, and after days and nights of grueling contemplation, we may still not be happy with our choices. We need courage, wisdom and guidance from God in order to act morally. Our dilemmas may not be as difficult as that of Valjean’s, but we have to deal with our own level of complexities and challenges. The truth is, if we are going to study the Bible, and live our life faithfully as children of God, or Christians, then we will live in a life full of complexities and dilemmas. Even the life of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ was full of dilemmas and conflicting moral teachings. In the Gospels, we’ve read that Jesus healed or worked during Sabbath day, talked to a Samaritan lady alone in a well, associated with sinners such as Zacchaeus, and touched the ritually unclean such as the lepers. So don’t wonder if you encounter a dilemma or if you are in a difficult situation.
Our New Testament Scripture reading this morning is about Herod, and his dilemma about John the Baptist. We are told that Herod was afraid of the prophet John and I quote Mark Chapter 6 Verse 20, “ 20for Herod feared John, knowing that he was a righteous and holy man, and he protected him. When he heard him, he was greatly perplexed; and yet he liked to listen to him.” And yet, as we learn later, who ordered the execution of John the Baptist but Herod himself! And how did this come about? How did Herod make this decision when he in fact feared John and protected him until this time. Mark Chapter 6: 21-28 says, 21But an opportunity came when Herod on his birthday gave a banquet for his courtiers and officers and for the leaders of Galilee. 22When his daughter Herodias came in and danced, she pleased Herod and his guests; and the king said to the girl, “Ask me for whatever you wish, and I will give it.” 23And he solemnly swore to her, “Whatever you ask me, I will give you, even half of my kingdom.” 24She went out and said to her mother, “What should I ask for?” She replied, “The head of John the baptizer.” 25Immediately she rushed back to the king and requested, “I want you to give me at once the head of John the Baptist on a platter.” 26The king was deeply grieved; yet out of regard for his oaths and for the guests, he did not want to refuse her. 27Immediately the king sent a soldier of the guard with orders to bring John’s head. He went and beheaded him in the prison, 28brought his head on a platter, and gave it to the girl. Then the girl gave it to her mother.” No matter what, I believe that there was no justification for Herod’s decision in that situation. If he only listened to John the Baptist and sought Divine guidance then he could have stood for John the Baptist. We know that recently, good men have failed by moral standards and made bad decisions because of vulnerabilities such as this. These were highly respective leaders in our land and yet failed to live up to the standards of our society.
But on to us…..Our faith is put to a lot of tests by various circumstances we are put in or that we put ourselves into. This does not only happen to the leaders of our society or community but it happens in our daily personal experience. But I believe that God again and again remind us of our role to continually live faithfully with him. I believe that the Spirit of God always empowers us so that we will be ready to face situation such as this. I think God does not rejoice when someone fails. However, when we do fail, God’s spirit is sufficient for us and can enable us to pick ourselves up, repent or correct our mistakes, and make better decisions in the future.
You may ask me, why did Mark include the barbaric death of John the Baptist in his book? Well, first, many scholars believe that the author included the story to expose the fate of the prophets. If you are a prophet or someone who brings the message of God, chances are you will end up in prison or die. Secondly, some scholars look at the story as a preparation of Christ on the road to Calvary. Thirdly, scholars think that this helps answer some questions about the confusion between Jesus and John the Baptist. You may read that some thought that John the Baptist resurrected in Jesus. Mark would probably like to draw the differences between John the Baptist and Jesus Christ. I agree with the Scholars that the story is to tell the fate of the prophets, to answers Jesus identity and to prepare the readers about Christ’s death on the cross. But I think that there is something more in the story, when we examine the kind of life Herod was living.
Herod made himself vulnerable in the situation when he married his brother’s wife and then gave his word to His wife’s daughter or step daughter who was dancing to entertain Him and His guests. He put himself in a trap. Even if he feared John and protected him, in the end, it was through him that John died. We don’t know the details of the story as well as any other details about the girl who was dancing in the event. But by tradition we think that it was Salome and that dancing for the King and His guests at that time was like being a dancer in a club. Some feminist biblical scholars interpret this story as a way for Herodias to shame the King for letting his step daughter entertain him and his guests by dancing. A parallel to this kind of thinking would be in the Old Testament, when Queen Vashti refused to show up at the King’s party in the book of Ester because the King wanted to expose her beauty in the public. Since our society and theirs always tends to blame the women, then it is no surprise that our attention automatically was focused on blaming Herodias and her daughter. Even if politically and sociologically the story exposed the problematic family system inside the palace, we only see the grudge of Herodias against John the Baptist. The daughter of Herodias was used as a political pawn to humiliate the King. I think that God wants us to see the bigger picture in the story that overall, everybody is accountable in the death of John the Baptist including the crowd who did not oppose the order of the King. There was no account that a person stood for John and opposed the King’s command.
Finally, I believe that no matter what dilemma we carry or how broken are we, God’s promises are always there to surround us. Our last text Ephesians 1:3-10 tells us that
“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, 4just as he chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world to be holy and blameless before him in love. 5He destined us for adoption as his children through Jesus Christ, according to the good pleasure of his will, 6to the praise of his glorious grace that he freely bestowed on us in the Beloved. 7In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace 8that he lavished on us. With all wisdom and insight 9he has made known to us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure that he set forth in Christ, 10as a plan for the fullness of time, to gather up all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.
Jean Valjean had a second chance because of God’s grace. When he got out of prison, a priest helped him, and by grace helped him have a fresh start so that he would not remain a thief. He became God’s instrument of passing God’s grace to others in the story. We, as God’s children may be in a dilemma but remember that God is always there for us and surrounds us with His promises. And when we do fail, God does have grace. Let us pray for one another so that we can all use our spiritual blessings for the good of all.
In the name of the Father And of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.