A Missed Opportunity - Mark 6:14-29

Copyright April 16, 2023 by Rev. Bruce Goettsche

Life is filled with choices. Some of them are big choices. The person who has the resources and sees the potential in a company before it gets really big (say “Apple” or “Amazon”) and then dares to take a chance and invest, can become a very wealthy person. The steps are required, you must see, you must believe, and you must take action. Of course, the risk is that you could also lose your investment. The person, not paralyzed by fear, can do well.

Sometimes you are offered a job that means leaving what you know and the decision you make could be the difference between staying in one job for your whole life or finding the job where you are uniquely qualified and become very successful. There are lots of these big decisions,

· Do you say yes to the proposal (or make the proposal) to the person you are dating or do you “wait a little longer”?

· Do you have children?

· Do you buy a home in a community where values could go way up even though it is more money than you are comfortable spending?

· Do you take that “once in a lifetime” trip or save money and stay home?

· Do you finish your schooling or make some money now?

Many of these choices are one-time opportunities. If you don’t take advantage of them, the opportunity will be gone. That is perhaps clearly illustrated in the case of King Herod Antipas in his relationship with John the Baptist.

Background

There are five Herods listed in the Bible: Herod the Great (who was king at the birth of Jesus), Archelaus (the son of Herod the Great) who was on the throne when Mary and Joseph returned to Israel and caused them to go to Nazareth, Herod Antipas (we see him during the life and the death of John and Jesus), Herod Agrippa (who put James, the son of Zebedee to death and then after a dispute with the people of Tyre and Sidon) Agrippa basically received praise as if he were God and then was struck down, eaten by worms and died 5 days later). And Herod Agrippa II (who spoke with Paul in the book of Acts).

The Herods were not pure Jews but were converts to Judaism. They were placed in power by the Romans to govern specific territories. These Kings ruled the general happenings of their Kingdom. The Roman governors represented the interests of Rome. Many of the Jews hated the Herod’s because they were not “pure Jews.” The Herod’s were involved in great building projects in Israel.

After Herod the Great died in 4 BC, He divided his territory into four parts for three of his sons (Archelaus, Philip, and Antipas), and his sister (Salome). We know the most about Herod Antipas because he was King over the area encompassing Israel.

Hang on, this is where it gets confusing. Antipas’ first wife was the daughter of Aretas, king of Arabia (which had the effect of establishing a peace treaty between Israel and Arabia.) During a trip to Rome, Antipas lodged with his brother, Philip. Herod fell in love with Philip’s wife, Herodias. She was the daughter of another half-brother of Antipas making him her uncle in addition to her brother-in-law). Antipas and Herodias divorced their spouses and married each other. As a result, diplomacy between Aretas and Antipas broke down (and I suspect they weren’t too good between Philip and his brother either). Both Aretas (to avenge the disgrace to his daughter) and Antipas raised armies and in the ensuing war, Aretas’ army defeated Antipas’ forces. It was this relationship between Herod Antipas and Herod’s brother’s wife (Herodias) that irritated John the Baptist. He chastised Herod for adultery, and for a form of incest (since they were related). It appears that Herod somewhat shrugged off John’s comments because he didn’t want to start a riot. Herodias, however, knew how to hold a grudge! We will see this later.

This story about Herod and John is really an aside in the Gospel of Mark. When the disciples went out on their teaching assignment right before this passage, there were healings and miracles reported all over the land and Herod took note. By this time John the Baptist had been executed. Herod was concerned that this miracle worker (Jesus) might be John the Baptist raised from the dead (perhaps to haunt him). We know that Jesus and John were actually contemporaries and cousins so the idea is impossible. This is what gets us into the account of how John the Baptist died. John’s story was tragic but even more tragic is the story of Herod.

Herod’s Opportunity

After John spoke out against Antipas and Herodias, Herodias requested John be arrested and thrown in prison. Most people believe this prison was in the same complex as the King’s residence. It sounds like a great miscarriage of justice, and it was. But it didn’t matter. The King could pretty well do what he wanted. There was no habeas corpus or reading a person their rights. You could throw them in jail for no reason at all. Jail wasn’t enough for Herodias, however. She wanted more. Herod refused.

Don’t miss what we read of Herod’s relationship with John.

Herodias bore a grudge against John and wanted to kill him. But without Herod’s approval she was powerless, 20 for Herod respected John; and knowing that he was a good and holy man, he protected him. Herod was greatly disturbed whenever he talked with John, but even so, he liked to listen to him.

Listen to what we hear about Herod’s relationship with John. First, He respected John. There was no hatred here. John could be annoying, but Herod respected the consistency and character of John. It is not easy to stand up to a King. Besides, I suspect Herod had heard all the stories about John and perhaps even thought of Him as a bit of a celebrity. He admired the power this prophet had; He admired his simple ways . . . John had no pretense to him.

Second, Herod knew he was a good and holy man. People who are consistent and good, practicing what they say they believe can say things other people cannot say. Herod may not have “bought in” to John’s faith, but He admired the fact that John had bought into it. He could see that this man possessed a sincere belief.

One of the most effective tools in sharing your faith with others is for others to see that you truly do believe what you are proclaiming. It is said Benjamin Franklin (who was a not a man of Christian belief) was going to hear the preacher George Whitfield preach. Whitfield spoke to large crowds wherever he was. Someone stopped Franklin and said, “Why are you going to see Whitefield? You don’t believe the gospel message.” Franklin’s reply was “I don’t believe the message, but it is obvious that HE DOES.” Franklin found that fact worthy of notice.

The third thing we learn is Herod protected John. Herodias didn’t simply want John arrested, she wanted him dead! She was a woman you didn’t cross. The only obstacle between Herodias and John was Herod, and he was not budging. There are a host of people today who don’t want to hear that they might be wrong, or sinful, or anything else. Rather than listen and repent, they choose to discredit the source and attack the person. This is the way Herodias did things.

Fourth, Mark tells us that Herod was disturbed when he talked with John. I take this to mean that he was convicted by the words John spoke. There was something inside of him that knew John was telling him the truth. And at the same time, he didn’t want to admit that truth. John had a way of making Herod wonder about eternal things.

We will never come to faith in Christ until we understand our need to repent. We all need someone to tell us the truth. This is one of the great things about regularly reading and thinking about the Word of God. It is “sharper than a double-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires.” (Hebrews 4:12)

When we surround ourselves with the reading of God’s Word and solid Christian teaching, we should start to see things in ourselves that need to change. We will be brought to conviction, to repentance, and hopefully to renewed faith by the work of the Holy Spirit.

John the Baptist, I think, was being used by God to bring Herod under conviction. This was not something that apparently made him angry . . . perhaps it was like hearing the Doctor finally explain what has been going wrong with you. You may not like the answer but it is good to have A answer.

Finally, Herod liked to listen to John. Perhaps that was because he found John amusing. But I wonder if there was admiration for the fact that John stood up to Herod. John was courageous. He was not intimidated by his audience. His confidence was in the truth and the power of God that was working through him. We can take a lesson from that.

In 1 Thessalonians, Paul writes,

2 You know how badly we had been treated at Philippi just before we came to you and how much we suffered there. Yet our God gave us the courage to declare his Good News to you boldly, in spite of great opposition. (1 Thessalonians 2:2)

Sometimes we think we are living in such hostile times. And that intimidates us. The world in which the disciples and the early church lived was much more hostile than our day. They were constantly facing the threat of death or torture because of their faith. However, they remained faithful because they knew they were living now to stand before the Lord at the end of life. They were not about to let Him down.

Opportunity Lost

One night, it all changed. Let’s continue the account in Mark.

21 Herodias’s chance finally came on Herod’s birthday. He gave a party for his high government officials, army officers, and the leading citizens of Galilee. 22 Then his daughter, also named Herodias, came in and performed a dance that greatly pleased Herod and his guests. “Ask me for anything you like,” the king said to the girl, “and I will give it to you.” 23 He even vowed, “I will give you whatever you ask, up to half my kingdom!”

24 She went out and asked her mother, “What should I ask for?”

Her mother told her, “Ask for the head of John the Baptist!”

25 So the girl hurried back to the king and told him, “I want the head of John the Baptist, right now, on a tray!”

26 Then the king deeply regretted what he had said; but because of the vows he had made in front of his guests, he couldn’t refuse her. 27 So he immediately sent an executioner to the prison to cut off John’s head and bring it to him. The soldier beheaded John in the prison, 28 brought his head on a tray, and gave it to the girl, who took it to her mother. 29 When John’s disciples heard what had happened, they came to get his body and buried it in a tomb.

You have to hand it to Herodias; she knew her husband. When there was a gathering of officials, officers, and leading men of the city, Herodias’ daughter (also named Herodias . . . which may tell us a little more about her mom’s obsession with power) came to dance for the group.

Many have thought over the years that this was somewhat of a seductive dance which would have had the men drooling like dogs. She touched them on an emotional (albeit immoral) level. When she was finished dancing, I suspect all the men applauded wildly. Herod wiped the drool off his chin and offered her whatever she wanted. She had a brief conversation with mom (who was responsible for “pimping out” her daughter) and quickly returned with the request to have the head of John the Baptist on a silver platter.

Herod was caught in a trap he had set on himself. He had been seduced by the dance and made a foolish promise before the dignitaries and others who were at his banquet. To make the promise and then to refuse to honor it would have made Herod look bad. Herod, as the King, certainly did not want to look bad. So, he sent the order and had John beheaded. Herod was like many who know about Jesus and say in church that they want to follow Him, but when it comes time to choose between Jesus and their own popularity, Jesus loses.

Every one of us builds our life on something. Pastor Tim Keller observes,

Danish theologian Soren Kierkegaard said, sin is building your identity on anything besides God. What Kierkegaard means by that is at the root, at the foundation, of every single human being’s life is a savior. Whether you think you’re religious or not, whether you look at it that way or not, at the very foundation of every single one of our lives is a savior. There’s something we’re building our identity on, our self-worth on, something we’re basing our significance on, our self-esteem on, our deepest hopes.

It could be power. It can be approval. It can be a career. It can be an individual person’s love. It can be your family. It can be your looks. It can be your intellect. It could be the causes you’re involved in. See? Everybody looks to something besides God to be the real thing that turns your crank, that makes you feel good about yourself, that gives you meaning in life. Everybody does!

When that happens, whatever that thing is, you’re a slave to.[1]

Herodias knew that even though Herod was interested in what John the Baptist was saying, what Herod feared more than the conviction in the words of John, was losing face in front of the crowd. He built his identity on his position and power. He would not give that up!

Tragedy

It was tragic that John the Baptist was killed in such a brutal way and that he was beheaded for telling the truth. However, when John died, he had a future that was much better than the life he had on earth. What is more tragic in this story is the story of Herod. He had every opportunity to know the way of salvation. He was close, but he would not respond, and the opportunity passed him by.

It is always tragic when what could be, turns into a missed opportunity. Think about

· The special someone that “got away”

· The job you missed out on

· The investment that was never made

· The family member who died before you had the chance to tell them about Jesus

· The ministry idea that was never tried

We have a false belief that there will always be time. But we can’t know this. Doors close, circumstances change, hearts can become hardened. This is never truer than in our relationship with Christ. We can learn lots of facts, we can be involved in organizations, and but never quite get around to surrendering our lives to Christ. We have good intentions, but we fail to take advantage of open doors while they are open.

You and I have very little control over our future. Is there something you know you should be doing that you are putting off because you think there will always be time? I think this is why the Bible tells us that “NOW is the day of salvation.” We don’t know when circumstances will radically change.

Think about it, is there . . .

· Someone you need to talk to about eternity?

· Some behavior you need to address?

· A wrong you need to confront, confess, or forgive?

· Someone you need to help?

· Some ministry you need to start or become involved with?

· Some change you need to make in your life?

· Is it time to make some kind of bold step of faith?

· Is it time to make that decision to try and follow Christ yourself?

We can spend all our time planning, thinking, and studying. But at some point, you need to act. If you wait too long, that opportunity will be gone. This is especially true when it comes to the matter of eternal life. You can learn about the Christian faith, and you can enjoy the teaching of the church, but until you actually put your faith in Him . . . you cannot and will not be saved!

Could Herod have been saved if he believed the message of John the Baptist? Absolutely! Name whomever you want, no matter what happened in their past, if they chose to put their trust in Christ and began to follow Him, they too would be saved. That includes you.

In any big decision, we can be paralyzed by the fear of making a mistake. However, if we have sought the Lord, listened to His Word, and honestly allowed the Holy Spirit to search our hearts, we need to take action and trust Him. If we put it off, we are liable to miss an opportunity to serve and. Honor the Lord.

Herod has gone down in history as the man who murdered John the Baptist. If he would have been more open and responsive, he could have been known as the King who repented and found true riches as one who was right with God. At the end of your life will you be known by what you “could have” done or by what you did?

[1] Timothy J. Keller, The Timothy Keller Sermon Archive (New York City: Redeemer Presbyterian Church, 2013).