I like Mark for the “unspoken contrasts.”

The dinner party/slash/birthday bash, was a typical soiree of the rich and the famous and the powerful.

You and I would not be present, nor would we ever in our wildest dreams be invited.
Antipas is hosting the nobles, the chief Army Officers, and all the Galilean big-shots—the “first ones” of Galilee.

Remember that Jesus is a Galilean.

Government “big wigs” – the government officials, the army, and the commercial interests are all represented.

The people would have understood these to be – the very forces oppressing them and holding them back and even holding them down.

The powerful are all obviously in cahoots together.

I see the blatant contrast between the powerful and the powerless.

It is “the old” – “haves versus the have nots” – all over again!

I also see another unspoken contrast.

Who has more power? Herod Antipas or Jesus of Nazareth?

What is power? What is real power? How do you define it?

Herod Antipas as King, as tetrarch has the power of “capital punishment” – which is the “power of death.”

While Jesus however, has the “power of life,” which although not directly stated in this pericope or lection, is implied in the beginning when Antipas says, that “Jesus is really John, who “has been raised.”

Unwittingly, unknowingly…Antipas has expressed – his own personal fear that the power or his power – “the power of death,” has been broken.

Silly, silly Antipas in Mark the 6th chapter has again “unknowingly and unwittingly” opened the door for “resurrection.”

But to be resurrected, you first have to die.

It may be subtle, but it is present.

It is all like “a foretaste of things to come.”

The powerful and the mighty will one day, be brought down to their knees. They will ultimately cry uncle.

You have to admit, it is a strange text coming from Mark. Jesus is mentioned but never ever says a word.
He is there in the background, which I am sure that Antipas “felt.”

Jesus was a presence to be dealt with – just as the baptizer was a presence to be dealt with…

Jesus has got to know that he will suffer the fate of John. It is always the possible fate of all those who speak for God.

Both John and Jesus and every prophet in Israel knew this going into it. Jesus knew. He was no fool.

There is a realism here.

There is always the danger in religious circles to think that if you are on “God’s Team” or on God’s side then, everything will be great. You will be healthy, wealthy and wise. God will heal your every disease and conquer your every foe for you.

We know better. But this message is still preached today.

That is simply not true or the case! So there is a realism, here. What we have here is a story of sobering reality. Mark does not hold back.

Even the best of us can be victim to the very worst among us. I know that I do not have to give you examples. The examples of good people being hurt and harmed by others is all around us. It is a constant in the daily news.

There is a timely and true message here not only for people in the first century, but in the twenty-first century as well.

Whatever fates befall us…like John the Baptizer…

Those fates do not define us. For even if we suffer or are cut down, we still belong to God.

God has the final word and not the powers of this world – or the powers of darkness.

God rules and reigns eternally, kings or tetrarchs like Herod Antipas are temporary. But while they are among they can do a lot of damage.

One thing of which I am certain is underneath this text is that “age-old-blame-the-woman-defense” going on.

Like Eve, Delilah, Jezebel and countless and sometimes even nameless others, so Herodias and Salome are blamed and not the weak, misguided Herod.

I guess Biblically speaking it is just easier to pick on women. To blame women. To use them as scapegoats and to not blame the men associated with them.

Mark holds nothing back.

A point is – word of Jesus is now spreading. It now has the attention of Herod Antipas in Galilee. Jesus will be under his watchful eye.

It is when Caiaphas, Pilate and Antipas all team up together – that the fate of Jesus will become sealed.

It is only a matter of time or so…Mark wants us to know. Wait for it.