In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit

As a deacon in training, when it comes to preaching, the holy spirit inspires me to search for a message or a story that highlights our call to serve God and serve all those on the margins. I usually go directly to our Baptismal Covenant as my guide.  Therefore, I pray that my message will bring attention to the needs for social justice for all. In action preaching the gospel daily, and when necessary, using words. To show the importance of respecting the dignity of every human being, or serving Christ in all persons, loving our neighbor as ourselves. 

Well, this gospel reading made the formulation of a clear message very difficult for me. You see, this is definitely not what one would call an uplifting gospel.  

This gospel reading comes smack dab in the middle of the disciples’ missionary journeys…at least the first part of the gospel, and it is important to remind ourselves what the disciples were doing. To paraphrase Linda’s sermon from last week, the disciples are preaching the Good News, serving the people they encounter, healing the sick, and confronting demons. Their goal is to call/challenge/invite everyone to turn their lives around—to live lives of compassion, justice, and care for the marginalized.

This is some powerful preaching and healing that the disciples under Jesus’ leadership are imparting on those that would share time with them. This type of preaching is unique and has not been heard before. When the message is this moving, it has a tendency to spread far and wide long before the message givers ever get to their next destinations. A good rumor mill will do that…you know, when two people tell two people, and those four tell two people each, so forth and so on, until their message comes to Galilee long before the disciples do.

For Herod, I must imagine that he has his Jewish leadership around him, to bring such matters to his attention. From one side you would hear, “It is John the Baptizer raised from the dead,” and thus the perceived powers of John are at work in Jesus and his disciples. Yet, others would say Jesus was Elijah, and yet others called Jesus a prophet, like one of the old prophets. But, Herod knew in his heart and soul that “John, whom I beheaded, has been raised.” You can infer that Herod is lamenting when he makes this statement. It also seems Herod was not only distraught, but humbled and embarrassed that he was swayed by a rash promise made during a moment of weakness that ultimately led to John’s execution.

So, when it comes to messages, who better to use as an example of a deacon’s call than John the Baptist? In a sermon from last year, I shared with the congregation at St. Peters and St. Andrews how much I appreciated and respected John. 

You see, John was known for his fearless preaching and commitment to the truth. His death illustrates the potential cost of standing up for righteousness and truth. In this Gospel reading, John condemned the immoral behavior of Herod Antipas, which ultimately led to his imprisonment and execution, and this underscores the potential consequences that any of us may have when speaking the truth. Truth for anyone can be so simple, but at other times so haunting, yet a servant of Jesus will always allow the truth to lead them.

John’s death also serves as a reminder that those who are committed to God’s mission might face persecution. It foreshadows the suffering and martyrdom that many early Christians would endure and also parallels the suffering of Jesus.

Additionally, the circumstances of John’s death highlight the moral weaknesses and corruption of those in power. Herod Antipas, although initially reluctant, is swayed by a rash promise made during a moment of lustful weakness, demonstrating how moral failings and political manipulation can lead to tragic outcomes.

How often do we see this human weakness unravel the best of our leaders and politicians? And how easy it is for them to become corrupt, because as the British historian and moralist Lord Acton said, “Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Great men are almost always bad men.”

Finally, John’s death marks a transition point in the Gospel narratives. John the Baptist’s role was to prepare the way for Jesus, and his death signifies the end of his preparatory work and the full emergence of Jesus’ public ministry. John recognized his own role as a subordinate to Jesus. He famously said, “He must increase, but I must decrease,” in John 3:30, showing his humility and understanding of his position in God’s plan.

Now you can see why I have such respect and appreciation for John the Baptist. His preaching was powerful and direct, for John preached the Gospel before it was the Gospel; John preached the truth. John was profoundly diligent with social justice and respecting the dignity of every person. You see, John’s goal, per Linda, was similar to the disciples goal: to call/challenge/invite everyone to turn their lives around—to live lives of compassion, justice, and care for the marginalized. John also called people to a profound spiritual and ethical renewal in the preparation for the coming of Jesus Christ.

For each of us, we must understand that John stepped out, not of his comfort zone, but of the comfort zone of society. John was seen as radical in his preaching, and he had courage to face the nay-sayers. Now we may not have the same level of courage as John, but there are certainly ways for us to step out and preach Jesus’ gospel, by action…loving each other, inviting others into your life, sharing your gifts…so when you see injustices, be bold, allow our Lord Jesus Christ to guide you, be an advocate to those on the fringes and see each other with more compassion. Finally, remember to love your neighbor as yourself.