Although John is arrested in the Gospel of Mark in the first
chapter he only get gets around to talking about his removal from being a prophet
and death when he talks about it in the sixth chapter. Mark talks about it in
the light of the success of Jesus’ disciples in preaching repentance,
exorcising demons, and healing the sick. The power of Jesus is refracted
through his commissioning of the twelve, causing many to wonder who this Jesus
is. Herod wonders too, because he becomes convinced that rumours about John’s
reappearance are true. The man he had killed, he believes, has returned in a
blaze of prophetic power.
Mark reports that Herod’s twisted family life became the object
of John’s scorn. John’s critiques led to his own arrest. These
same bizarre family dynamics would lead to John’s execution as well. Somehow, revelry,
manipulative relatives, and weak leadership conspire to cause John’s
death. This brief scenario is a mockery of Herod’s purported might. He feels so bound by
a public oath voiced in foolishness, among guests he seems oddly dependent on,
that he beheads a man he knows to be righteous. This decision comes back to
haunt him and reveals the frailties and illusions of Herod’s
hold on power.
But I did note that part of this passage has to do with
dance. In fact with the dance of Salome, Herod’s stepdaughter to be exact, who these
days is viewed as a temptress and with some scorn. At Bible Class Dances or
late primary or early secondary school dances, few actually dance. Many of us
have memories of standing along the wall, wishing we had the guts to get out
there and let loose. Typically, the young men and women who do dance at these
dances are the ones possessing inner confidence, in themselves and their
dancing ability. They make their way onto the dance floor with that confidence
in tow.
We also hear that David dances. Of course, David does not
lack confidence. Yet we see David dancing even at a time when most of us would
be more reserved. It is a procession into Jerusalem of great religious pomp and
circumstance. David’s confidence abounds. It is confidence in the Lord. Throughout
the course of David’s life, his deep relationship with and reliance on the Lord
continually amazes us. David, as a young man, wrestled with lions and bears and
giants. As an adult, Saul hunts him. David knew the source of his strength was
the Lord. His confidence in this gave him the ability to dance “with
all his might” as he led the way into Jerusalem (2 Samuel 6:14 NRSV).
Paul describes what happens to those who believe in Christ.
They are “marked with the seal of the promised Holy Spirit; this is the
pledge of our inheritance toward redemption as God’s own people, to
the praise of his glory.” The images of a seal, a promise, and an
inheritance are reminders of the confidence that rests deep within us all,
originating not from personal abilities like being able to dance or publicly speak
but from God. David danced with a passion that showed the true centre of his
being and the foundation of his leadership among the people. Do we live with
that same confidence and passion?
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