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The Passion of St. John Baptist – August 29th – OT2
Readings: I Cor 2:1-5; Mk 6:17-29.
1/ First Reading: NAB 1 Corinthians 2:1-5 And so it was with me, brothers and sisters. When I came to you, I did not come with eloquence or human wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God. [a] 2 For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. 3 I came to you in weakness with great fear and trembling. 4 My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power, 5 so that your faith might not rest on human wisdom, but on God’s power.
2/ Gospel: Mark 6:17-29 17 For Herod had sent and seized John and bound him in prison for the sake of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife, because he had married her. 18 For John said to Herod, “It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife.” 19 And Herodias had a grudge against him and wanted to kill him. But she could not, 20 for Herod feared John, knowing that he was a righteous and holy man, and kept him safe. When he heard him, he was much perplexed; and yet he heard him gladly. 21 But an opportunity came when Herod on his birthday gave a banquet for his courtiers and officers and the leading men of Galilee. 22 For when Herodias’ daughter came in and danced, she pleased Herod and his guests; and the king said to the girl, “Ask me for whatever you wish, and I will grant it.” 23 And he vowed to her, “Whatever you ask me, I will give you, even half of my kingdom.” 24 And she went out, and said to her mother, “What shall I ask?” And she said, “The head of John the baptizer.” 25 And she came in immediately with haste to the king, and asked, saying, “I want you to give me at once the head of John the Baptist on a platter.” 26 And the king was exceedingly sorry; but because of his oaths and his guests he did not want to break his word to her. 27 And immediately the king sent a soldier of the guard and gave orders to bring his head. He went and beheaded him in the prison, 28 and brought his head on a platter, and gave it to the girl; and the girl gave it to her mother. 29 When his disciples heard of it, they came and took his body, and laid it in a tomb.
I. THEME: The wisdom of the cross
People have a tendency to avoid sufferings and to find all possible ways to run away from them; but there is no glory without sufferings. For example, the Olympic athletes must sacrifice their time, money, health and hobby before they might a receive gold medal around their neck. Even so, St. Paul explained: they sacrifice all to have a gold medal which shall be ruined; but we sacrifice to have a reward which shall not be destroyed, that is the eternal life. Therefore, we must be ready to sacrifice all what we have in order to possess this indestructible reward.
Today readings emphasize the divine over human wisdom. In the first reading, St. Paul highlighted the wisdom of the cross although the Jews consider it as shameful, and the Gentiles regard it as foolish. It is by the cross that Christ redeems all people’s sins and brings salvation to all who believe in him. In the Gospel, John Baptist was died because he had courage to witness for the truth. He told Philip that he can’t marry Herodias, his brother’s wife.
II. ANALYSIS:
1/ Reading I: A comparison of divine and human wisdom
St. Paul had many reasons when he wrote down these words: “For Jews demand signs and Greeks look for wisdom, but we proclaim Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those who are called, Jews and Greeks alike, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength.”
To the Greek philosophers who love wisdom, they couldn’t understand the wisdom of the cross. They couldn’t accept an omnipotent God who wants to incarnate in a human body. According to them, human body is a prison that confines human soul which they are trying to find a way to escape by their wisdom (Plato). Moreover, the cross expresses a foolish decision under human viewpoint; why doesn’t God use His wisdom to find out an easier way to reach immortality for human beings? To them, a wise God shall not choose the way of the cross to save people.
To most of Jewish scribes and Pharisees who love signs and wonders, they can’t understand the power and strength of the cross. To them, God who chooses the way of the cross isn’t a powerful God. The Jews hope for a powerful Messiah who shall come in power and glory to conquer all of their enemies and to govern them forever. The devil himself also tempted Jesus in desert before his public ministry: If you are the Son of God, convert these stones to food, perform wonderful signs which never be done and let people have their prosperity and glory. These are what people are looking for and they shall believe in you. But Jesus refused to fall in their trap, he determined to follow his Father’s will which is the way of the cross.
St. Paul strongly believed, “The message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written: “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and the learning of the learned I will set aside. “Where is the wise one? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made the wisdom of the world foolish? For since in the wisdom of God the world did not come to know God through wisdom, it was the will of God through the foolishness of the proclamation to save those who have faith.”
People want to choose a wide and easy road, but these roads only lead to destruction. People want to see miracles which never be done before, but these signs don’t lead them to strongly believe in God. This is why He uses the cross to express His immense love for people, and people can recognize this love every time they look up to the cross. God uses the cross to destroy the last and the strongest enemy of people which is death; Christ died on the cross in the place of human beings. So, the cross is used to show both God’s love and His justice.
2/ Gospel: John Baptist died to witness for the truth.
2.1/ So the tree, so the fruit: Looking into Herod’s family, one can see that the devil dominated this family. Herod the Great had five wives: Cleopatra of Jerusalem, Doris, Mariamne of Hasmonean, Mariamne of Boethusian, and Malthake. He himself killed three of his sons: Antipater, Doris’ son, Alexander and Aristobulus, Mariamne of Hasmomean’s sons. Incest happened when Herodias, Aristobulus’ daughter, married Philip, her uncle; and then she married Herod Antipas, Philip’s young brother, as reported in today reading. Another incest happened when Salome, Herodias’ daughter in this passage married Philip, Cleopatra’s son.
2.2/ The different ways of life:
(1) Tetrarch Herod Antipas: Inherited an immoral and wicked character of his father, he didn’t have a disciplined life. He sent his people to arrest John Baptist and to bind him in prison on account of Herodias, the wife of his brother Philip, whom he had married. John had said to him, “It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife. “Herod feared John, knowing him to be a righteous and holy man, and kept him in custody. When he heard him speak, he was very much perplexed, yet he liked to listen to him.
One day when Herod, on his birthday, gave a banquet for his courtiers, his military officers, and the leading men of Galilee. Herodias’ own daughter came in and performed a dance that delighted Herod and his guests. The king said to the girl, “Ask of me whatever you wish, and I will grant it to you.” He even swore (many things) to her, “I will grant you whatever you ask of me, even to half of my kingdom.” Followed her mother’s instruction, she asked him, “I want you to give me at once on a platter the head of John the Baptist.” “The king was deeply distressed, but because of his oaths and the guests he did not wish to break his word to her. So, he promptly dispatched an executioner with orders to bring back his head. He went off and beheaded him in the prison. He brought in the head on a platter and gave it to the girl. The girl in turn gave it to her mother.”
(2) Herodias and Salome: They lived and witnessed for falsity. Herodias harbored a grudge against John Baptist and wanted to kill him but was unable to do so. When the opportunity came through her daughter’s question: “What shall I ask for?” She replied, “The head of John the Baptist.” The girl hurried back to the king’s presence and made her request, “I want you to give me at once on a platter the head of John the Baptist.”
(3) John Baptist: He lived and witnessed for the truth. He didn’t pay attention to all material things such as fame or power, but only to prepare people to repent from their sins and to welcome Christ and his salvation.
III. APPLICATION IN LIFE:
– We must be very careful when we compare human with divine wisdom. All of human wisdom and strength are foolish and weak before God. Moreover, what people consider as foolish and weak, God uses them to teach people a lesson; for examples: the most important people, humility and serving others.
– We need to be far-sighted and circumspect; don’t wait until the last minute to act.
– There are some things which we must have, not to borrow, such as: love for God and others, justice and knowledge.