Being Prophetic is Risky Business

The Death of John the Baptist

Mark 6:14-29                                                                        Rev. Todd B. Freeman

Bethany Presbyterian Church, Dallas                                                              July 13, 2003

The first four books in the New Testament – Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John – are called, as I’m sure you are aware, gospels. But do you know what the word “gospel” literally means? It’s a Greek word that simply means “good news.”

The authors of these four books sought to share the good news of the story and message of the life and ministry of Jesus of Nazareth, and the implications that had on those who followed Jesus.

This morning’s assigned lectionary Gospel lesson, however, is the gruesome tale of the beheading of John the Baptist. What a dismal story! Where's the good news in that? You have to admit, though, that it has all the marks of a really dynamic story: vivid and dramatic details, an adulterous king, a scheming woman, a dancing girl, palace intrigue, and a violent, gory death. Whoever thinks the Bible is boring just isn’t looking hard enough! It is this grandiose storytelling, in fact, that has led many biblical scholars to conclude that many of its elements may not be entirely historically accurate.

Unlike Mark’s account of this story, a source outside the Bible, the first century Jewish historian, Josephus, names the dancing girl in his account - Salome. You may be familiar with the more legendary elements of this tale. Her performance is later elaborated into the famous dance of seven veils and the theme repeated with endless variations, including an opera by Richard Strauss and even a Hollywood Western tied to the town of Salome, Arizona, starring Rita Hayworth, entitled, "Salome, Where She Danced." (I’m afraid I missed that one.)

This biblical story raises certain questions right from the start, like what is it doing in the Gospel of Mark in the first place? And why is it part of the assigned lectionary gospel readings? And the question always worth asking, what does it have say to us today?

You may be interested in knowing that this is the only story in Mark's Gospel that does not have as its subject Jesus or his disciples. Why, then, a vivid account about John the Baptist in a Gospel about Jesus?

You may be aware of a literary devise known as foreshadowing. That’s when an author gives us information that foretells what is to come later on in the book. Another literary devise is known as parallelism,  which relates the events of one character to that of another. In today's passage, Mark uses both foreshadowing and parallelism in the demise of John the Baptist to prepare his readers for the later demise of Jesus.

John the Baptist, the prophetic forerunner of Jesus, suffers at the hands of fickle political authorities – and so will Jesus. So in Mark's scheme of things, this detailed story of John really is about Jesus. And it’s also about all of God's prophetic messengers. For later in his Gospel Mark will make it clear that John's death makes a connection not only with Jesus but to disciples as well - both past and present. As Mark wants to prepare us for the coming trials of Jesus, this story also prepares readers for the coming trials of those who follow Jesus.

Here’s the point: In relation to discipleship and ministry, those with prophetic voices should not be surprised when political and religious power structures try to silence them.

How many times have we witnessed that in the past 2000 years? The assassination of Martin Luther King is one of the greatest examples in our lifetime. And it’s happened just recently within the Presbyterian Church. As I mentioned a couple of weeks ago, or perhaps you read the article in this month’s church newsletter, a Presbyterian minister in Cincinnati, Stephen van Kuiken, was stripped of his ordination because he and his church’s session publicly declared that same-sex holy union ceremonies (which are permissible in our denomination) held the same theological significance as a heterosexual marriage.

Conservative Presbyterian activist and attorney Paul Rolph Jensen, of Laguna Beach, Calif., who filed the disciplinary action against Van Kuiken responded, "This was a tremendous victory for those of us who want to take our church back from heretics who seek to destroy it." He also said recently that he and a group of 20 ministers and elders around the country will file disciplinary actions by the end of July against 350 ministers who they believe have broken ordination vows and violated church law.

Being a pastor at one of the 100+ More Light Presbyterian churches, I must admit that I have been wondering if I’ll be one of those 350.

The boldest statements made by this congregation were written in 1999 and 2000. The first, adopted by the Session on August 8, 1999, is a Resolution celebrating our 20th anniversary as a More Light congregation. It reads, in part:

BE IT RESOLVED, Bethany Presbyterian Church reaffirms its commitment and dedication to the mission and ministry of inclusiveness for all, a ministry modeled by Jesus Christ, commanded in the Scriptures, and affirmed in the Presbyterian Church (USA) Book of Order. By such guidance, acknowledging that “God alone is Lord of the conscience, and hath left it free from the doctrines and commandments” of human beings, we bear witness that membership shall include all the responsibilities and privileges of our faith community, including ordination to the office of deacon or elder of “persons of strong faith, dedicated discipleship, and love of Jesus Christ.”

The second statement, called a Statement of Inclusivity, was adopted by the Session on June 21, 2000. It reads:

Bethany Presbyterian Church is dedicated to a ministry of social justice, equal rights and inclusiveness. The Session will not participate in any policy that, in our opinion, denigrates the full humanity and the loving and just behavior of any person. We draw the line when it comes to the exclusion of persons - racial minorities, women, and gays, lesbians, bisexual and transgender - who are equally made in the image of God. This is the position of inclusion. And inclusion is certainly the spirit and fact written into the Presbyterian Church (USA) constitution.

Make no mistake about it, these are powerful, prophetic statements about what we believe God is calling this congregation to be and to do in our life and ministry together. Some would claim, then, that we fall within the realm of “heretics who seek to destroy” the church.

So, perhaps this morning’s Gospel Lesson does indeed hold a message for us here at Bethany in connection with our prophetic ministry! Unlike the "don't worry, be happy" message of many Christian churches, Mark reminds us that true discipleship is not always the easiest path. The gospels never promise us that the journey of prophetic discipleship will be smooth and free of controversy.

And by the time we get to the end of today’s biblical text we realize that there is no happy ending to this story. Not so much because of its gory brutality as for the misuse of power and the structures of injustice it displays - structures that are alive and well today, including inside our denominations. Ultimately, this is a story about silencing the prophetic cry for justice.

Yet that did not stop Jesus or the disciples from crying out for justice, nor should it stop us, even though there are still a lot of Herods out there. Being prophetic always has been and always will be risky business. Yet it is our calling, therefore God is with us!

Amen.