An Admirer Or A Follower

Sermon-Year B-Proper 10-6thPentecost July 12, 2009
The Cloud of Unknowing, "O God, our great companion, lead us ever more deeply into the mystery of your life and ours, that we may be faithful interpreters of Life to each other, through our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen."
Did you know that Jehovah’s Witnesses don’t celebrate birthdays? How many of you DID NOT know that? Do you know why? Because of today’s gospel. Two times birthday parties are noted in the Bible, once in the Old Testament (with Pharaoh) and once in the New Testament (with Herod) and both times they are bad for people of faith. So Jehovah’s Witnesses don’t celebrate birthdays. In this case, it’s at Herod’s birthday party that John the Baptist is beheaded. It’s the only story in the New Testament that’s also confirmed by non Biblical sources. Josephus the historian also tells the story of Herod killing John the Baptist.
Remember a couple of weeks ago, when I told you that Mark the gospel writer likes to make “sandwich” stories, where he puts one story inside of another to reveal a deeper layer of it? He did that 2 weeks ago with the story of Jesus on the way to see Jairus’ daughter, and then he ran into the woman who had been bleeding. Well, today’s story is another sandwich. Here goes. Last week’s gospel ended with Jesus sending out the 12 disciples He ordered them to take nothing for their journey except a staff; no bread, no bag, no money in their belts; 9but to wear sandals and not to put on two tunics. Remember that? Well Jesus has just sent the disciples out to “proclaim[ed] that all should repent. [13They] cast out many demons, and anoint[ed] with oil many who were sick and cured them, when this story of the disciples is interrupted. That’s the bread, here’s the meat. People are hearing about Jesus and his disciples. He has come out of nowhere, and the people surrounding Herod are scared and uncertain of who he is-the great prophet Elijah, they wonder? A different or new prophet? No, Herod says, it’s John the Baptist! (Try to remember this because in mid September this will come up again-who Jesus is). Herod is afraid that John the Baptist had been raised from the dead, and then we hear the story of how Herod had him killed.. Mark wants everyone hearing this story to see the connection between John the Baptist and Jesus. They were so much alike that even Herod thought Jesus was John. It becomes an “identity sandwich”. John said terribly honest, painful things to Herod-and still Herod liked him. But he killed John anyway. And do you remember at the end of Mark’s gospel Herod keeps asking the crowd about Jesus, “are you sure you want me to do this?” and then he says, “oh go ahead- crucify him.” It’s the story of John all over again. Did you notice how the story of John ends, “29When his disciples heard about it, they came and took his body, and laid it in a tomb.” Sound familiar?
Mark the evangelist is giving us a foreshadowing, a warning of what Jesus’ death will be like in this story of John. And he squeezes all this in while the disciples are being sent out on a trial basis to carry the good news to the world, on their first missionary trip.
Meanwhile the disciples are going to come back and tell Jesus how well their mission went. But we’re supposed to understand that story with this story.
So, do we get it? Jesus sends his followers, his students out, to see if they can do it, can they be little Jesus’s. They’re filled with power. And emotion. And excitement. They are going to cast out evil, heal the sick, be utterly dependent on others for their livelihood. Do you think they’re energized? Have you ever felt like this? You’re so full of hope and power and excitement, you feel as though you can climb mountains, leap rivers, swim oceans. And then the story of John. Why would Mark the gospel writer do this? What is he trying to show us? What does he want us to see?
The disciples are out carrying the good news, and John, like Jesus, is killed almost on a whim, by the king. What do you learn from that? What would the early Christians, hearing the story of the disciples and John the Baptist, understand with this “sandwich”? What do you learn? I have set it up for you. Mark goes into real depth describing John the Baptist’s painful death in between telling us about the disciples being sent out as ministers and missionaries. So what is Mark trying to tell us about Jesus?
Lutheran pastor Brian Stoffregen of Faith Lutheran Church tells this story:
There were two brothers in Georgia during the 1950's. One decided that ….he was going to support and participate in the formation of a multi-ethnic multi-cultural community. The other worked as an attorney for a prominent law firm. Both were Christians and attended church regularly. As the integrated Christian community formed social pressure forced them into court proceedings, the one brother asked his attorney brother to help them with the legal work. The attorney refused, saying that he could lose his job. The pressure increased to help with a reminder from one brother to the other, that he was a Christian. The lawyer responded, "I will follow Jesus to his cross, but it is his cross. I have no need to be crucified." To this his brother replied, "Then you are an admirer of Jesus, but not his disciple."
Why does Mark the evangelist fill the sandwich with this story of the death of John?
Stoffregen says “Herod can throw a large party for important people. The twelve are sent out with no bread, no bag, and no money. [But]Herod has everything. The disciples have nothing.”
I think Mark wants us to understand that the story isn’t always clear, that the gospel is a sandwich. He loves to show both sides of discipleship, the glory-and the fear; the joy and the cost. I think Mark tempers every victory with a shadow, and every defeat with a sense of hope. I think we’re supposed to realize that the world is tough, and life is uncertain. Rulers and people of power can act whimsically and brutally. Disciples can be courageous and cowardly. The gospel isn’t a black and white story. Not in Mark’s gospel. It’s full of nuance and shadings. And Mark likes to show us how dangerous the gospel is. We’ll see every story with these two sides. The disciples are sent out with power to change the world-and back home prophets are being beheaded. And in the midst of all this we are called to make a decision-do we want to be an admirer of Jesus-or a follower. It’s not an easy sandwich to swallow. Over and over Mark will challenge his hearers with this-do you want to marvel at Jesus-or do you want to walk with him.


Mark 6:14-29
14King Herod heard of it, for Jesus’ name had become known. Some were saying, “John the baptizer has been raised from the dead; and for this reason these powers are at work in him.” 15But others said, “It is Elijah.” And others said, “It is a prophet, like one of the prophets of old.” 16But when Herod heard of it, he said, “John, whom I beheaded, has been raised.”
17For Herod himself had sent men who arrested John, bound him, and put him in prison on account of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife, because Herod had married her. 18For John had been telling Herod, “It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife.” 19And Herodias had a grudge against him, and wanted to kill him. But she could not, 20for Herod feared John, knowing that he was a righteous and holy man, and he protected him. When he heard him, he was greatly perplexed; and yet he liked to listen to him. 21But an opportunity came when Herod on his birthday gave a banquet for his courtiers and of ficers and for the leaders of Galilee. 22When his daughter Herodias came in and danced, she pleased Herod and his guests; and the king said to the girl, “Ask me for whatever you wish, and I will give it.” 23And he solemnly swore to her, “Whatever you ask me, I will give you, even half of my kingdom.” 24She went out and said to her mother, “What should I ask for?” She replied, “The head of John the baptizer.” 25Immediately she rushed back to the king and requested, “I want you to give me at once the head of John the Baptist on a platter.” 26The king was deeply grieved; yet out of regard for his oaths and for the guests, he did not want to refuse her. 27Immediately the king sent a soldier of the guard with orders to bring John’s head. He went and beheaded him in the prison, 28brought his head on a platter, and gave it to the girl. Then the girl gave it to her mother. 29When his disciples heard about it, they came and took his body, and laid it in a tomb.