“YOU CAN’T HINDER GOD’S WORD”

Fifteenth Sunday after Pentecost B 2006

Mark 6:14-29

              It was a horrid crime, no doubt about it.  The gospel writer of Mark spares no detail in recounting the death of John the Baptizer at the hands of King Herod.  The picture of John’s head on a platter is vivid and unsettling.  Certainly not something we would want to emphasize on a Sunday morning or at any kind of worship service.  But it is God’s Word for us today.  I was tempted to ignore this text and preach on something else, or pass it on to Clark, but then I thought I would be doing just the very thing that King Herod did, try to hinder God’s word from being heard, from being preached, just because it is a hard word for us and we may not like it.

            The question we may ask is why did Mark tell this story now in his gospel account?  We heard about John the Baptist at the beginning of the gospel when he came preaching a word of repentance for the forgiveness of sins, preparing the way for the one who was to come.  John stands in the tradition of the great prophets of old, those outside the norm of a respectable society.  Like other prophets, his speech has a razor’s edge to it, his dress and diet a bit on the strange side.  The last we heard about John was that he had been arrested, just as Jesus was beginning his ministry.  Why now must we hear about his horrible death?  In what way is this story connected to Jesus?

            The context for the telling of this gruesome story is at a high point in Jesus’ own ministry and popularity among the people.  Jesus has revealed his power by performing some miracles, healing the sick, casting out demons, even restoring the life of Jarius’ daughter from death.  His authority as a teacher was well known.  Sending out his disciples on an evangelism effort to teach and heal on his behalf, reports about Jesus finally reached the top of the political power as Herod wonders who this Jesus is.  Some were saying, “John the baptizer has been raised from the dead.”  Others said, “It is Elijah.”  Still, others, “It is a prophet, like one of the prophets of old.”  For Herod, the report of Jesus struck terror and fear in his mind, because he was the one who put John to death, thinking that he had put an end to the criticism, an end to the harsh words of condemnation that John lashed out against him for marrying his brother’s wife, Herodius.  She was the one who was putting pressure on Herod to get rid of John, but because he feared John, “knowing that he was a righteous and holy man,” Herod protected John, keeping him alive in his dungeon.  It is said that Herod liked to listen to John while he was in prison.  It was a word that perplexed him, perhaps because it convicted him of his wrongful actions.  Maybe that is why he kept him alive.  It was the lesser of two evils.             All that changed, however, when he was manipulated by a clever plot enacted by Herodias and her daughter.  Held accountable before all his guests at a dinner party, Herod could do nothing else than fulfill his oath and grant her daughter’s wish.  The thundering, prophetic words of John were silenced once and for all when his head was presented to Herodias on a platter.  He thought he was in the clear.  He thought he put a stop to the harsh words.  He thought he had gotten rid of God.  Imagine his shock when Jesus appears on the scene.  His conscience awakened, feeling caught in his own sin, Herod is convinced that Jesus is John the Baptist come back to life.

            No, it is not so easy to get rid of God or hinder his word.  You may be able to stop it for awhile by arresting his messenger, perhaps even killing him, but God’s word continues and will continue, because it speaks the word of truth, and people are drawn to it.  For those who wish to stop it, those who wish to cease its penetrating power, it can become a dreaded word creating fear and distress, but for those who hear it and believe, it is the power of salvation.  On a global scale, political powers have tried to use swords and guns to silence God’s word through out history.  The Russian revolution took place in 1917 and communism began its powerful hold on large parts of the world.  Religion was suppose to wither and die on the vine.  God’s word, however, continued to be preached and heard, although underground and in small groups, but with the fall of communism in the 1980’s the church that was thought to be destroyed survived, coming back above ground, showing its face in great numbers.  Even today in communist China, churches are flourishing and the need for Bibles cannot be met. 

            Certainly, our prayers go out to those Christians who live in countries that outlaw Christianity and suffer persecution.  In many Islamic states the penalty for being a Christian is punishable by death.  Life is so hard these days for Palestinian Christians under the Israeli occupation that many fear that it will not be long before there are no longer any Christians in Palestine, the one place where there have been Christians since the Day of Pentecost.  And yet, it is God’s word that continues to feed them and give them hope in the midst of great opposition and strife.

            On a more personal level, there are many who which to silence God’s word and hide from it, because for them it is a condemning word which calls them to repentance and a new life.  The thought of a new life can be threatening, because it forces one to look at oneself as if in a mirror, admit their wrong doing, and seek forgiveness and reconciliation.  It is a process that can cause great pain, but it is through that suffering and openness that healing and wholeness can be happen.

            A pastor tells of an encounter with a young man who came to his office one day.  He was troubled about many things, so someone suggested that he go see a pastor and talk about it.  As they talked, the young man shared his past, his troubled marriage, his infidelity, the emotional hurt he had inflicted on his children.  He was over whelmed with sin.  He stayed away from church, drowning his pain in alcohol, keeping as far away as he could from God. For him, God’s word convicted him of his sin, causing him to feel guilt and shame.  Filled with fear that his sin was too great and that he would never be forgiven, he said, “I feel like I am drowning.  What can I do?’  The pastor reached out and grasped the man’s hands and shared a different kind of word.  He said, “Jesus loves you.  Jesus accepts you.  Jesus forgives you.  As a Christian pastor, I tell you right now, your sins are forgiven.”  “It can’t be that easy,” the man replied, tears streaming down his cheeks.  “It is,” the pastor responded.  “That is why Jesus died on the cross, so that you would no longer have to live with the burden of your sin and with a fearful heart.”  It took several more months before this young man believed God’s word for him, when finally one day, he surrendered and allowed God into his life.  Today, he says he never knew how good life could be.  Augustine said, “My heart is restless, until it rests in thee.”

            It is a story that gets played out over and over again.  If we try to hide from God’s word, ignore it, or even try to stop it, we find ourselves convicted, our conscience burdened with great anguish and distress.  A few years ago, a woman called me at home.  It was around eight o’clock at night and we were all settling down to watch a video together.  This woman was out at Treasure Island Casino.  Her purse had been stolen, all of her money gone, along with the keys to her car.  Her kids were hungry and no one was willing to help her.  My first thought was to say, “I’m sorry, I can’t help you either.  Besides, it’s kind of late and I’m with my family.”  Knowing God’s word and how we are to help the stranger and those in need, I told her I would come out and see what could be done.  My wife Susan, who has said this on more than one occasion, said, “At least we can bring her some food.”  And so I set out with a bag of food in hand to try to help that woman.

            It is hard to hear a word from God that may cause us discomfort or have us rethink how we are living our lives.  It is hard to hear a word that addresses the conflict between war and peace, because we want to be patriotic.  It’s hard to hear a word that addresses the concern over the rich getting richer and poor getting poorer, because we live in the richest country in the world and for the most part have everything we need and more.  It is hard to hear a word that points out the plight of the hungry, homeless and the poor, the epidemic of AIDS in Africa and Asia, because it seems so overwhelming and we don’t know what to do.  But God’s word is also word of hope and grace, giving new life to us and new energy to engage ourselves in this world that God so loves.  By the word of God we are called disciples of Jesus Christ for the sake of the world.

            John’s death at the hands of Herod only foreshadows the death of another, that being Jesus.  Only his death would not put a stop to God’s word being proclaimed either, because Jesus did come back, his resurrection from the dead braking the chains of sin and death, providing forgiveness and reconciliation, hope and peace, and the way in which we are to live on this earth.  Through God’s word does convict us of our sin, it also gives us grace by providing us the way of salvation.  Thank God our destiny does not lie in the bloody hands of the Herod, but in the bleeding hands of Christ our Lord.  Such is God’s word for us today.  Amen.