Stuck: Mark 6:17-20

Making a good decision can be one of the hardest parts of life.  Often what is good is not easy.  Often what is good is not popular.  Often what is good requires sacrifice.  Often what is good requires personal effort to stand apart from the world.  Making a good decision requires character, ethics, and willingness to work hard.

Before getting into the verses for today, some history is helpful.  This story revolves around Herod Antipas, not Herod the Great.  Herod the Great was the famed builder in Jerusalem who is the Herod mentioned in the story of the wise men coming to visit the infant Jesus.  Herod Antipas was Herod the Great’s son.  Herod Antipas ruled a portion of the land his father ruled because the region was divided between all of Herod’s sons.

Herod Antipas had made some less-than-good decisions in his life.  With reference to John the Baptizer, Herod’s primary poor choice was marrying Herodias.  Herod was able to marry Herodias only after he divorced Phasael.  The major issue with this marriage is that Herodias was the wife of Herod Antipas’ half-brother, Herod Philip.  These divorces and remarriages happened for all sorts of reasons.  As is frequently the case in antiquity, marriages were often political in motivation.  The divorce to his first wife especially brought economic and political instability onto the region.  There was even the threat of war looming on the horizon because the father of Phasael took offense at the familial insult and the political ramifications.

John the Baptizer said much about these divorces and remarriages.  They were at odds with Judaism.  They threatened the livelihood of the common Hebrew person trying to scratch out a living.  They put the land in general unrest and John the Baptizer was happy to talk to his followers about choices and consequences.  Public officials are often great examples for understanding the connections between choices and consequences – both good and bad – because most people are aware of and affected by the choices and consequences.

Being a public figure, Herod knew criticism.  He knew every decision he made would lead to some being happy and others being upset.  John the Baptizer was teaching soundly and with a holy righteousness; Herod overlooked John the Baptizer’s accusations.  Herod respected John and was willing to protect him despite the criticism.  John the Baptizer made a great choice in speaking out because there was truth in his words, even if it was uncomfortable truth.

Herodias, however, did not look past the criticism.  She wanted Herod dead.  She wanted to do away with the critical shadow John the Baptizer cast upon her.  Unlike Herod, who was willing to take the critical eye because it came with truth, Herodias was unwilling to hear John the Baptizer at all.

Herod Antipas was now stuck.  He must choose between his wife and righteousness.  If ever there was a time for character, this was it.  Making a good decision can be one of the hardest parts of life.