Bad things do happen to good people!

Mark 6:17-29

17 Herod was the one who had ordered the arrest of John, put him in chains, and sent him to prison at the nagging of Herodias, his brother Philip's wife. 18 For John had provoked Herod by naming his relationship with Herodias "adultery." 19 Herodias, smoldering with hate, wanted to kill him, but didn't dare 20 because Herod was in awe of John. Convinced that he was a holy man, he gave him special treatment. Whenever he listened to him he was miserable with guilt, and yet he couldn't stay away. Something in John kept pulling him back. 21 But a portentous day arrived when Herod threw a birthday party, inviting all the brass and bluebloods in Galilee. 22 Herodias's daughter entered the banquet hall and danced for the guests. She dazzled Herod and the guests.

The king said to the girl, "Ask me anything. I'll give you anything you want." 23 Carried away, he kept on, "I swear, I'll split my kingdom with you if you say so!" 24 She went back to her mother and said, "What should I ask for?" "Ask for the head of John the Baptizer." 25 Excited, she ran back to the king and said, "I want the head of John the Baptizer served up on a platter. And I want it now!" 26 That sobered the king up fast. But unwilling to lose face with his guests, he caved in and let her have her wish. 27 The king sent the executioner off to the prison with orders to bring back John's head. He went, cut off John's head, 28 brought it back on a platter, and presented it to the girl, who gave it to her mother. 29 When John's disciples heard about this, they came and got the body and gave it a decent burial.

Food for thought

This passage is one of the saddest in the entire Bible. It records the events surrounding the death of John the Baptist. He was a special man, chosen for a special mission. He was the “forerunner” of the Messiah. He was the fulfilment of several Old Testament prophecies. He was the last of the Old Testament prophets. He was the last martyr of the Old Testament period and the first of the New Testament period. He was a powerful preacher. He was a fearless prophet. He was a true man of God. As Jesus Christ Himself testified, “Among them that are born of women there has not risen a greater than John the Baptist,” (Matt. 11:11). Why? Because bad things sometimes do happen to good people.

Contrary to John was Herod.

Herod was an odd mixture. At one and the same time he feared John and respected him. At one and the same time he dreaded John's tongue and yet found pleasure in listening to him. There is nothing in this world so queer a mixture as a human being. Herod could fear John and love him, could hate his message and yet not be able to free himself from its insistent fascination. Herod hated and loved the same man at the same time.

Convinced that John was a holy man, Herod gave him special treatment. Whenever he listened to him he was miserable with guilt, and yet he couldn't stay away. Something in John kept pulling him back. Herod was a man who acted on impulse. He made his reckless promise to Salome without thinking. We do well to think before we speak.

Herod feared what people might say. He kept his promise to Salome because he had made it in front of his guests and was unwilling to break it. He feared their jeers, their laughter; he feared that they would think him weak. Many of us do things we afterwards bitterly regret because we had not the moral courage to do the right thing; we do things right and not the right thing. And that is what Herod did.

At the centre of the controversy was Herodias.  She shows us what a wicked woman can do. There is nothing in this world as good as a good woman, and nothing as bad as a bad woman. The trouble with Herodias was that she wished to eliminate the one man who had the courage to confront her with her sin. She wished to do as she liked with no one to remind her of the moral law. She murdered John that she might sin in peace. She forgot that while she need no longer meet John, she still had to meet God.

Herodias had been waiting for an opportunity to see John the Baptist put to death. She saw her chance at Herod’s birthday party. This party was nothing more than a drunken party for Herod and his men. When they were all drunk with wine, Herodias seized the moment.

She sent in her teenage daughter Salome to dance for Herod and his friends. This particular dance would have been a suggestive, sensual, sexual dance designed to inflame the passions of the men in the room. Her dance had the desired effect, for Herod and those with him were captivated by the girl. Herodias was a wicked woman. Imagine putting your daughter on display in that fashion. Imagine sending her out to dance for a man who was both her uncle and step-father! What wickedness!