The CROSSroads: Personal Lessons from Mark's Gospel by Rev. Mitch Schultz

Updated
2001-05-26; 14:34:18utc

Leson Twenty Three: TRADING ETERNITY FOR A DANCE (Mark 6:14-29)

"He did not want to refuse her." (vs.26)

It seems ludicrous to any reader of this story that someone like Herod could ignore John the Baptist's invitation to eternal life for the fleeting passion of his step-daughter's seductive dance. In this context Herod makes a vow to her that whatever she wants, even if it is half the kingdom, is hers. Herod's wife and daughter waste no time in exploiting this weak moment in Herod's authority and proceed to request the head of John the Baptist. This throws Herod immediately into a world of conflict where his passion for the flesh and his convicted soul clash. He has made a vow and in that culture keeping a vow was more noble than the sanctity of human life. Herod sees that he has no choice. In defeat and resignation he gives the order to execute John, a man whom Herod had grown to like and under whose words he had fallen under some conviction of spirit.

It seems tragic to us that Herod "did not want to refuse her" while refusing John's call to repent and receive eternal life. His was ultimately a costly choice. And unless Herod repented at the end of his life he died having traded eternal life for the fleeting passions of his step-daughter's seductive dance. Like Esau, a bowl of soup looked better than a settled place in eternity.

What a tragic trade off, but it is one being carried out in the market place of the human soul daily. Even Christians must fight off daily that which is temporary in order to keep hold of that which is eternal. A persistent NO! to the passions of this world is necessary for us to keep our view of what truly satisfies and lasts.

Mark tells us this story because King Herod was hearing about all that Christ was doing. "King Herod heard about this for Jesus' name had become well known." (vs.14). This led the people, and perhaps even Herod, to believe that John the Baptist had come back to life. Mark's point in bringing this up goes deeper than Herod's reaction to John's death. Here was a second chance for Herod. John's voice is no longer heard, but a greater voice could now be heard that certainly placed more conviction on Herod's heart that John's ever did. Yet nowhere do we read that he responds to Christ. Herod refuses the Word of Life himself. Jesus had been the subject of all John's words and now this word was walking outside the walls of Herod's palace. Did Herod see Christ? Could he hear him speak? Did John's words haunt Herod through Christ's mouth? We will never know, but what we do know matters now. It concerns you and me. Don't turn aside when Christ speaks. And most importantly never trade the demands of his word for the seductive dances of this world.

I thank thee, O Lord, that thou hast so set eternity within my heart that no earthly thing can ever satisfy me wholly. -John Baillie (1741–1806)