St. Mark 6:14-29
Dearly beloved saints in Christ, Jesus called him the greatest of all, one who towered above all men who are born of women (St. Matthew 11:11). John the Baptist was greatest next to the One who is greatest of all, Jesus Himself. The gospel recounts for us the demise and death of St. John the Baptist. What an ignoble end for one who so faithfully pointed to Christ as the coming One who was to save the world from sin. The church calls John a martyr. The paraments are red, indicating such. Why do we say John was a martyr? After all, John was arrested because a vain woman did not like what he had to say about marriage. John was beheaded because of trickery and the foolishness and arrogance of Herod. He was beheaded because a young girl danced and enticed a foolish ruler to make a vain promise. Is this what we call martyrdom? It isn’t the punishment that makes the martyr. Rather it is the cause that makes a martyr. John was originally arrested because he condemned an unholy living arrangement between Herod and his brother’s wife, Herodias. John was upholding the biblical teaching of manhood and womanhood, as well as the conjugal nature of what marriage is in God’s eyes. So, nobody should say “I cannot be a martyr.” One also does not have to shed blood to be a martyr. All times and places are open season for martyrs. St. Paul tells Timothy, the young pastor, that “All who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted...”(2 Tim. 3:12). Satan will not leave the faithful Christian alone. Peter tells the churches, “Brethren, be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls about like a roaring lion seeking someone to devour”(1 Peter 5:8). We cannot sleep or become weary in the faith. We are to be steadfast. Persecution in the faith comes in many forms. Satan sets lures and traps for you. Satan will get you to gossip, lust, envy, hate, dissension, hunger for money and possessions, all in the name of noble causes. The danger is that the more we commit a sin, the worse it goes for us. If we commit a sin once, then it might sting our conscience. The second time we commit the same sin, the less it stings the conscience. It will go on like this until we are numb and no longer recognize the sin. Then, the the devil has you right where he wants you. All those who desire to live loyally in Christ are battered by this sort of persecution. It is the day to day persecutions from Satan that weigh down the Christian and threaten to overtake the faithful. If you lie, ruin someone’s reputation, give false evidence, or go forth seeking selfish gain, then you are a killer just like Herod. Listen to the Lord who desires to reassure you as you seek to loyally follow Christ: “Do not be afraid of those who kill the body, and after that have nothing more that they can do. But I will warn you whom to fear: fear him who, after he has killed, has authority to cast into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him!”(St. Luke 12:5). John the Baptist lived humbly. John did not seek much in this life. Clothed in camel’s hair and eating locusts and wild honey, John distanced himself from the things of this world as best he could. He pointed always to His Lord and Savior, for John knew that when it was all said and done, he was only going to get into the kingdom of heaven by the grace of God through the cross of Jesus Christ. John therefore held steadfast to the word of God. He knew that in the Holy Word is life. John knew that he must conform his life to Christ. He also knew that his life was to be patterned by Christ’s life. Jesus was to die on the cross. That being the case, why would Christians think that it would be any different for them, as faithful followers of Jesus. John knew that the Christian confession in this life would cause a battle. The word made flesh is confessed, Satan responds with a roar, and the battle ensues. This is precisely what John the Baptist witnessed in his own life. Wherever the word is preached in its truth and purity, trouble will not be far off. Danger is all around as we see from the gospel, for St. Mark even recounts for us that while John was in prison, Herod tried to protect him from Herodias. Even more remarkable is that Herod, we are told, gladly listened to the teaching of John. The hint of danger, however, lies in the fact that John’s teaching greatly perplexed Herod, which is to say that Herod did not understand what he was taught. The seed that was sown into the ear of Herod was stolen away by Satan. This is why, brothers and sisters in Christ, we are to be faithful in what the Lord has given us. Being faithful in what the Lord has given us, ironically, does not mean that we are to do something. Rather, it means that we are to faithfully receive what the Lord gives to His church. To put on the whole armor of God means that you faithfully listen to God’s holy word, pray it, meditate upon it. The church wins her victory not by her own merits, but by relying on the cross of Jesus Christ. For in this cross are your sins paid and you are declared holy. Christ’s blood is poured from the cross and into the cup of blessing, which you drink in faith seeking the forgiveness and help of Christ. It is the faithfulness of Christ that sets us free. It is this same faithfulness on the part of Jesus that enabled John the Baptist to stand firm in the faith all the way to his martyrdom. There is a long line of martyrs scattered throughout church history, scattered throughout many lands and nations. The martyrs of the Christian church have confessed the faith, upheld Christ and the Scriptures, along with all the doctrines from those Holy Scriptures. John the Baptist died as he lived: paving the way for others. Dying in order to show us the pattern set by Christ. Your sins are forgiven. The faithfulness of Jesus will carry you. Cast your cares and burdens upon your Lord Jesus. Take your weakness that leads you into temptation and exchange them with Christ’s help and strength. It is the Spirit who helps us in our weakness(Romans 8:26). It is Jesus who loves. It is Jesus who saves. It is Jesus who makes holy. You stand as Christ’s baptized children, washed in the blood of the greatest martyr of all, Jesus Christ. It is His blood that washes you clean of your sins. It is His blood that is poured into the waters of baptism and into the cup in the Lord’s Supper. The blood of Christ shed for the sins of the world opens the gates of heaven, destroys the fiery darts of Satan, and carries you into the land of promise. Amen. -- Rev. Chad Kendall Trinity Lutheran Church Lowell, Indiana www.trinitylowell.org
