The Gospel of Mark
Herod Antipas: Mk 6,14-29
Herod may be an unexpected title for this section but he is the main character in both parts of this section.
In verses 14-16 Herod is asking about Jesus while in verses 17-29 he controls the fate of John. We note that both Jesus and especially John are passive, they have no part in the story (apart from John being executed). Herod is the active and central character in both parts.
Herod and Jesus: 6,14-16
The first couple of verses set the scene. They remind us that this is a story about Jesus, even if he is not directly part of the story.
Herod Antipas was tetrach or client ruler in Galilee for the Romans. He therefore ruled a much smaller area than his father.
It is notable that in these three verses, the evangelist simply uses the pronoun "he". We are left to realise that the verses are about Jesus whose fame had reached Herod possibly as a result of the mission of the 12 (verses 12-13)
The questioning about the identity of Jesus anticipates the central scene in the Gospel, 8,27.
Verse 16 then leads into the story of John the Baptist with an enigmatic reference to rising again. An answer must wait until verse 29.
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Herod and John: 6,17-29
The Jewish historian Josephus also tells of Herod's execution of John the Baptist but from a different, more political, point of view. Making the death of John the result of the scheming woman Herodias removes the political element, which suits Mark's purposes. She is similar to Jezebel who schemed against Elijah (1Kings 19,2).
Herod comes across as a weak character much like Pilate later on (15,15).
Verse 17 with John arrested and bound is a reminder of the arrest of Jesus in Gethsemane, 14,46. Likewise too, Jesus' followers will be arrested or handed over in their turn (13,9).
Verses 17-18: without going into details about Heodias, the marriage clearly broke Jewish Law concerning marrying a brother's wife, Leviticus 20,21.
Verse 19-20: Herod's dilemma about John anticipates the dilemma of Pilate about Jesus (15,6-15).
Verses 21-22: The scene shifts to the banquet and the dancing daughter. That itself is commentary on Herod's court and lifestyle.
Verses 23-25: A rash oath, perhaps by a drunken Herod, has consequences. The daughter takes her mother's request further by demanding John's head "at once" and on a platter. In story terms, it is not necessary to be concerned about the possibility that John might in fact have been some distance from the banquet. So the head is brought in in verse 28.
Verse 29: John is buried by his disciples. Jesus's disciples by contrast had fled after his arrest (14,50). Looking back to verse 16, there is no hint of resurrection here.
With this story, Mark brings out that John the forerunner of Jesus is his forerunner even by the manner of his death.
As I have noted, this could also be the fate of those who follow after Jesus (13,9).
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