Dear saints, this morning we remember and thank God for His servant John the Baptizer. He was the forerunner of our Lord Jesus Christ. He boldly proclaimed God’s Holy Law and called on everyone who heard him to repent of their sins. This preaching of repentance was directed towards everyone: the common people, the Pharisees, Roman soldiers, and even the ruling authorities like Herod. The boldness of John, like the other Old Testament prophets before him, landed him in hot water. In fact, it landed him in prison. A couple of weeks ago, we heard that the saints are to be remembered so that we may strengthen our faith when we see how they experienced grace and how they were helped by faith (AC XXI). Let us, then, consider the final Old Testament prophet this morning: John the Baptist.
Our Gospel lesson begins after John’s death. Herod began hearing what Jesus was doing and reasoned that John had been raised from the dead. He felt guilt about John’s death, but why? St. Mark tells us: Herod had seized John and put him into prison. He then threw a party for himself. It was a party that no respectable person, male or female, would dare attend. At the party, a young woman performed a crude dance for the guests. The performance wowed and pleased the guests and Herod. Herod then does something extremely unwise: he makes a vow to her saying, “Whatever you ask me, I will give you, up to half of my kingdom.”
The young woman goes to her mother for advice. Should she ask for money? Land? The pick of men for a husband? Her mother responds, “Ask for the head of John the Baptist.” Wow. That is evil. But this daughter is not innocent. She ratchets up the request. She immediately went back to Herod and not only asked for John’s head but that it be delivered on a platter.
Herod is gutted. And I am sure he is fearful at the request. But he is also a coward. Instead of breaking his foolish vow and calling out the girl for her evil request, he decides it is better to keep the vow and deliver the head. And so, John lost his head. It was put on a platter and delivered to the girl, who gave it to her mother.
As we remember and thank God for John this morning, we consider this morning’s collect. There we asked that the Lord would grant us daily repentance for our sin, that we would patiently suffer for the sake of the truth, and that we would fearlessly bear witness to His victory over death.
John was a preacher of repentance. That meant he called sin what it is: sin. And it did not matter your standing in the community. Slave or royalty, sin has the same result. And it has the same solution: repentance and absolution only through Jesus. John preached the Law to the people. The same Law we find ourselves wanting to keep, but constantly failing to keep. If John was standing where I am today, he would tell you to flee from the coming wrath of God. To bear fruits in keeping with repentance. I hope that this is what you hear from me, even if I am not as fiery in my speech as John was. Perhaps I should take a lesson from him for the future….
John landed in prison because he called out the sin of Herod. Herod had married Herodias, his brother’s wife. This illicit and sinful marriage needed to be repented of. And John was willing to say it. Herodias was furious and wanted John dead. But Herod, wretched as he was, realized that John was righteous and holy. He feared John, and so he protected him. He did not understand John’s preaching, but he was always willing to hear it.
In prison, he patiently suffered for the sake of the truth. And as John once said that he must decrease and Christ must increase, he may have also thought his time on earth was short. After all, he is a prophet. And we know what regularly happens to faithful prophets in the Old Testament.
And so, in time, Herod throws this banquet. The girl who danced and whet the sexual appetites of all the men there was Herodias’ daughter. She was Herod’s stepdaughter. The depravity deepens the more you hear what went on that night. And at the depravity’s height, St. John’s head is placed on a platter. Because he fearlessly bore witness of Christ, he was martyred.
John is one of those coming out of the great tribulation who have had their robes washed not in their own righteousness but in the blood of Christ. You have been washed in the waters of Holy Baptism and were clothed in that same righteousness. As you were united with Him in a death like His, you shall also be united with Him in a resurrection like His. You are raised and made able to walk in the newness of life. To walk in righteousness rather than sin.
This is, again, not your doing. It is the work of God. And it is because of Him that you shall take refuge and not be put to shame. It is why we pray the Lord’s Prayer and commit ourselves to His hands.
It is why we are not only bold to ask Him to grant that we daily repent of our sins, patiently suffer for the sake of the truth, and fearlessly bear witness to His victory over death, but why we are confident that he will grant us this request. Amen.
Rev. Brent Keller
Peace Lutheran Church
Alcester, SD
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