Beware the Leaven of Herod’s Haunted Conscience (Mark 6:14-29)
Beware the Leaven of Herod’s Haunted Conscience
Mark 6:14-29
Introduction
My greatest fear is self-deception.
My second greatest fear is settling down comfortably with a haunted conscience.
One of the worst mistakes we can make—one of the fastest ways of robbing ourselves of joy in the Lord—is to feel the pang of conscience because of past or present sins, and to plow through life ignoring them like they don’t exist.
Too often we are tempted to go about our hum drum lives bearing the burdensome weight of nagging doubts about forgiveness, and we become accustomed to it. It becomes the white noise of life—the distorted elevator music playing quietly in the background. And although everything is outwardly fine, and there never feels like there is anything quite wrong, neither are we quite right either. We settle for the middle road of the OK—just good enough to get by with religion but never truly at peace in our souls.
This is the tale of Herod, and the lesson we are to learn from his life. Romans 15:4; 1 Corinthians 10:6. In fact, this story of Herod marks the beginning of a section which ends with anther reference to Herod—Mark 8:15: “Watch out; beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod.” What is the leaven of Herod? We might be immediately tempted to answer immorality—after all, the story is rife with sin: he fears his wife and listens to her voice, injustice against John by imprisoning him, sinning against revelation, hardening his conscience, drunkenness, gluttony, sexual immorality, rash oaths, the fear of man, pompous pride, not to mention Herodias’s grudge bearing and plotting and manipulation and murderous heart and her daughter’s immodesty and zeal for wickedness, all conspiring unto the murder of the last and greatest OT prophet.
Is this the leaven of Herod? I believe it is, at least in part. But underneath all this is something malignant: the persistent, perplexed guilt of past sins which he never brings to Jesus for forgiveness. Hear the fear in 6:16: “But when Herod heard of it, he said, ‘John, whom I beheaded, has been raised.’” Why? Because of the story that follows. Herod is afraid of divine judgment because Herod knows he has sinned. In fact, Mark specifically says that “Herod feared John” because of his righteous character and would listen to his preaching gladly yet would be at a loss about what to do or what to think.
Rather than coming to Christ and finding out more about him, he persists in the low-grade fear of judgment, culminating in a single earthly encounter with Jesus where he rejoices to see him. Why? He isn’t John come back to judge him. So his conscience is mollified and his heart is hardened. This is the leaven of Herod. If the leaven of the Pharisees is the self-righteous legalism which judges ourselves by our works, then the leaven of Herod is the low-grade fear which judges ourselves by our sins.
Yet there is another element to this story—and it comes in its situation within the mission of the 12. In 6:7-13 Jesus sends them out in dependence on him. In 6:30, they return and tell Jesus what they did and taught. Nestled between these to facts is a retelling of how John lost his head. Why? To show how the message of repentance is received by the world to whom we will preach.
It is further clear that the nature of that persecution arises not from a deeply seated and principled hatred of the Christian religion. Rather, it comes from the hearts of those deeply entrenched in systems of sin, whose consciences have been pricked by the call to repentance, and who then take advantages of opportunities to break out upon those they have come to despise. In other words, most persecution is opportunistic rather than systematic.
Which Herod are we talking about? The Bible mentions several, and I will give you the overview.
The first Herod of note was Herod the Great. Reigned from 37BC-4AD. Herod the great was known for his building projects, which included the renovation of the second temple originally built by Zerubbabel in Ezra-Nehemiah. But he also was a paranoid womanizer. He had at least 10 women for wives, and he regularly executed them and their sons on suspicion that they were trying to take his throne. We see Herod the Great’s paranoia reflected in the murder of thousands of infants in Bethlehem upon hearing the rumor of a competing king from the wise men from the East. Joseph flees with Mary and Jesus to Egypt from this Herod.
Herod the Great had two sons by a Samaritan woman named Malthace. When Herod the Great died, his reign over Judea was assumed by his son, Herod Archelaus, who only had a short reign in Jerusalem (4BC-6AD). Because of bad mismanagement, he was removed by the Romans and replaced by a series of Roman Governors, which included Pontius Pilate (r. 26-36AD). Herod Archelaus, according to Matthew 2:22 is that under whose rule Joseph returned from Egypt after Herod the Great died.
Reign over Galilee, however, passed on to Herod Antipas (4BC-39AD). Antipas and Archelaus were blood brothers. This is the Herod in our story. He was the one who executed John the Baptist. He was the one who received Jesus from Pontius Pilate and sent him back dressed in an expensive robe—who became friends with Pilate from that day forward.
Another one of Herod’s wives was named Mariamne I. By him, Herod the Great had two sons, Aristobulus and Alexander. Herod the Great murdered both of them when he became paranoid that they would take his throne. But, before he died, Aristobulus had two children. Their names were Herod Agrippa I and Herodias. Herod Agrippa I was the Agrippa that imprisoned the Apostle Peter in Acts and killed James by throwing him from the temple. He was the Herod that was eaten by worms when he sat upon the judgment seat when the people said, “The voice of a god and not of a man!” While we’re here, I might as well mention that Agrippa I was the father of Bernice, who is mentioned in Acts 25:23 as coming with her brother, Agrippa II, to hear Paul as his judge. Agrippa I was also the father of Drucilla who was the wife of Felix, who kept Paul in prison in Acts 24:24.
Yet another wife of Herod the Great was Mariamne II, with whom he had a son named Herod Philip. Herod Philip, known in our story only as Philip, was not the ruler of anything. This man was Herodias’ first husband. Which means, yes, that Herodias was married to her uncle, making this an incestuous relationship and strictly prohibited under Mosaic Law. Philip and Herodias had a daughter, whose name, history tells us, was Salome (a family name). Herodias left Philip with Salome to marry Herod Antipas, another one of her uncles, and this is the situation which presents us with our story—a marriage both incestuous the second time over and unlawful because she was never divorced from Philip nor did she have grounds to.
By the way, Herod the Great had another wife named Cleopatra of Jerusalem (not Egypt) with whom he had another son named Philip, which the Bible knows as Philip the Tetrarch who ruled over the territories north of Galilee. In keeping with the family tradition of incest, Salome was married to Philip the Tetrarch as his grand-niece.
But things get spicier. Herod Antipas himself was also married to the daughter of a man named King Aretas IV, an Arabian king who is the same king that Paul mentions as seeking to seize him in Damascus in 2 Cor 11:32. From Josephus we learn that when Antipas divorced his daughter it became the occasion to settle a long-standing border dispute and led to a war between Antipas and Aretas. Aretas completely overwhelmed Antipas and Antipas had to call in the Roman army to rescue him—something which never fully materialized.
This is the backstory to our account, to which we now turn in two parts: Herod’s Fearful Conscience, and Herod’s Foolish Vow.
I. Herod’s Fearful Conscience (6:14-20)
· The context is Jesus’ mission for the 12. Mark will return to it in 6:30.
o This detail is fine, but important—it tells us something about how people will respond to the gospel.
· King Herod hears of the mission of the 12 because Jesus is now famous. He’s a household name, spoken of around the dinner table, the regular subject of news. People tell of his message, but particularly of his miracles.
· His miracles were the basis of speculation about who he was.
o Some said he was John the Baptist raised from the dead. Superstition. He got the ability to do these things by passing through the realm of the dead.
o Some said he was Elijah. Malachi. Mark 1:2-3. John himself was the Elijah to come, which Jesus says explicitly.
o Some said he was a prophet like one of the prophets of old. People still say this today
· But Herod’s personal opinion was v16—“John, whom I beheaded, has been raised.” He puts the emphasis on himself and his action: Literally, “He whom I myself beheaded, John, this one has been raised!”
· Herod is afraid that John is back to get him. Why? Because he is haunted by the sins he had committed against John.
· V17 tells us the backstory. As we talked about, Herod took his brother Philip’s wife, Herodias, who was his niece, when she was 40 years old, and John the Baptist rebuked him for this.
o Herod was an Idumean—a descendant of Esau—and so technically he was not under the law as he was not a Jew. However, ostensibly he was part of the Jewish faith for political purposes.
o So, John reproved him on the basis of texts like Leviticus 18:16, “You shall not uncover the nakedness of your brother’s wife; it is your brother’s nakedness.” And Leviticus 20:21, “If a man takes his brother’s wife, it is impurity. He has uncovered his brother’s nakedness; they shall be childless.”
· Because John rebuked him, Herod imprisoned John. This was not only for personal reasons of pride, but also for political reasons. Part of Herod’s fear, like his father, was political rebellion and losing rule over galilee like his brother lost rule over Jerusalem.
· Herodias also found out about it, as took up a grudge against John the Baptist and wanted to kill him. At this point, we learn of the intrigue of the royal court where the women pull the strings of power while the men seek their own pleasure.
· But she was unable to kill him. Even though Herod imprisoned John, he also was afraid of him.
o The reason is interesting: he feared him because he knew that he was a righteous and holy man. This speaks of a basic sensitivity of conscience—he knew it was wrong to kill him, or let his wife kill him, because he knew God was on John’s side because John was godly.
o There is a kind of holy “intimidation” of godly men. True godliness in others can strike fear into our hearts.
· So, John was imprisoned not only for personal pride, nor only for political intrigue, but also for John’s own safety, and so that Herod could continue to hear him.
· Apparently he would listen to John. His sermons. Maybe private conversations. Yet when he would listen, he would be “perplexed.” Literally “at a loss.” He didn’t know what to do.
· What did John tell Herod? What did Herod hear?
o Mark 1:7-8 – He pointed to Jesus
o Luke 3:7-14 – he called for repentance
o John 1:29-34 – Behold the lamb of God
· All this told me that Herod was in the thralls of a dilemma. John told him in no uncertain terms that he had to repent of his unlawful marriage to his wife, to God to Jesus the lamb of God who would take away his sins.
· In response, Herod is at a loss. On the one hand, the promise of forgiveness and a clean conscience, yet at the cost of his sins. On the other, keep his sins but only under the abiding fear of judgment and a haunted conscience.
· Yet he heard him gladly. What does that mean? At least two things
o John was a great preacher—the greatest of the OT prophets and second only to Jesus himself in his preaching ministry. Drew crowds.
§ Sometimes we hear preachers for their entertainment value rather than because we actually want to believe their message and go to Christ.
o We, paradoxically, love to hear about forgiveness yet are unwilling to receive it. Why? The perennial human mistake that hearing = doing. In this way, we turn the grace of God into licentiousness. It is one thing to hear the gospel. It is another thing to receive it.
II. Herod’s Foolish Vow (6:21-29)
· This is not how things stayed. How did John die? Why is Herod so afraid? Why does his conscience haunt him?
· An “opportunity” came.
o Persecution is mostly opportunistic rather than systematic.
· A “gentlemen’s” party. All the higherups—his court, his military commanders of his (small) army, and the leaders of Galilee—many of them likely Jews, demonstrating the level of compromise among Jewish leadership.
· Food and plenty of drink—drunkenness and gluttony.
· Add immorality and further incestuous tendencies. Mark does not explicitly say that Salome’s dance was seductive, and many will argue that a princess would never degrade herself in such a way, especially one so young (middle teens). Yet you heard the story of the Herods—it is very easy to imagine that this happened. So, while Mark does not explicitly say that this dance was seductive, it is perfectly reasonable to think that it was.
· She pleases the crowd and Herod, in a drunken fervor, rashly vows to give Salome whatever she wants, up to half his kingdom, confirming it with an oath.
o He is not allowed to give away his kingdom because he is a tetrarch, not a true king. So either he is overreaching, or he is exaggerating. Whatever the case, it is not well-thought-out.
· She goes and asks her scheming, murderous, plotting, manipulative mother, Herodias, what to do. Makes sense, as she was only 12+.
· Herodias takes the opportunity and asks for John’s head—a common way to prove that an execution has taken place, you can see their face.
· See how much Salome is like her mother. She returns “immediately…with haste” and asks for his head “at once” and adds that he should present it “on a platter.” Cannibalistic.
· Herod now grieves. He knows what has happened. He knows Herodias has it in for John. He knows that Salome is with Herodias on this one. He knows he has been outsmarted and manipulated into doing his wife’s will. He does not want to take John’s life. He know’s he is righteous. He fears him. He hears him gladly. Maybe he’s even afraid of what it could mean politically to kill such an influential figure.
· But, now his reputation is on the line. He’s sworn an oath.
o Could he break it? Certainly! David did. Saul foolishly vowed and is rebuked by Jonathan about it. Our vows, made sinfully, can and sometimes should be broken, even if we should never have made those vows in the first place.
· The problem is not that he is bound by his vow. The problem is that he is bound by his pride. He doesn’t want to be seen as weak-willed, manipulated, taken advantage of by his wife, unwilling to give his daughter something that she asked for.
· So, he obliges. He orders it to be done, and it is.
· It’s an age-old story. A manipulative and intelligent women pulls the strings behind the scenes to lead her weak and unwitting husband to do what she wants. Jezebel.
o In a way it also recalls Esther—a drunken king and a lavish party calling for lurid entertainment from his own wife, only to be taken advantage of by Haman to kill the Jews.
· Yet this is the story of Herod’s haunted conscience: the sin of which John’s preaching convicted Herod’s conscience ended up being the sin which caused John’s death. Herod was unwilling to repent, and his lack of repentance killed the perplexing preacher he loved to hear.
o Herod loved his reputation more than the lamb of God which could take away his sins.
o So he killed John.
· And so this also is the story of persecution. Sometimes, we are pursued and killed by those who hate the gospel on principle. But most times, a conscience pricked by faithful preaching waits for the opportunity to strike.
· John, the greatest human preacher, did not escape this fate. The Apostles certainly would not escape it—everyone but John martyred, and John died in exile. Nor will we escape the same kinds of persecution
Conclusion
I want to focus on the haunted conscience at the close. Some of us live this way—haunted by the sins of our past. We need to learn to bring them to Jesus, lest we learn to despise his grace.
John Owen, in his exposition of Psalm 130, comments on verse 4: “But with you there is forgiveness, that you may be feared.” He does so by having an imaginary conversation with a saint who has gone through deep convictions of conscience and come out the other side.
Someone asks the saint: “Did we not know you some while since to be full of sadness and great anxiety of spirit; yea, sorrowful almost to death, and bitter in soul?”
Answer: “Yes, so it was indeed. My days were consumed with mourning and my life with sorrow; and I walked heavily, in fear and bitterness of spirit, all the day long.”
“Why? What ailed you, what was the matter with you, seeing as to outward things you were at peace?”
Answer: “The law of God had laid hold upon me and slain me. I found myself thereby a woful sinner, yea, overwhelmed with the guilt of sin. Every moment I expected tribulation and wrath from the hand of God; my sore ran in the night and ceased not, and my soul refused comfort.”
“How is it, then, that you are thus delivered, that you are no more sad? Where have you found ease and peace? Have you been by any means delivered, or did your trouble wear off and depart of its own accord?”
Answer: “Alas, no! Had I not met with an effectual remedy, I had sunk and everlastingly perished.”
“What course did you take?”
Answer: “I went unto Him by Jesus Christ against whom I have sinned, and have found him better unto me than I could expect or ever should have believed, had not he overpowered my heart by his Spirit. Instead of wrath, which I feared, and that justly, because I had deserved it, he said unto me in Christ, ‘Fury is not in me.’ For a long time I thought it impossible that there should be mercy and pardon for me, or such a one as I. But he still supported me, sometimes by one means, sometimes by another; until, taking my soul near to him, he caused me to see the folly of my unbelieving heart, and the vileness of the hard thoughts I had of him, and that, indeed, there is with him forgiveness and plenteous redemption. This hath taken away all my sorrows, and given me quietness, with rest and assurance.”
“But are you sure now that it is so? Is it not possible that you have been deceived?”
Answer: “I have not the least suspicion of any such matter; and if at any time the thought arises, it is quickly overcome.”
“How are you confirmed in this persuasion?”
Answer: “That sense of it which I have in my heart; that sweetness and rest which I have experience of; that influence it hath upon my soul; that Obligation I find laid upon me by it unto all thankful obedience; that relief, supportment, and consolation that it hath afforded me in trials and troubles, in the mouth of the grave and entrances of eternity—all answering what is declared concerning these things in the word—will not suffer me to be deceived. I could not, indeed, receive it until God was pleased to speak it unto me; but now let Satan do his utmost, I shall never cease to bear this testimony, that there is mercy and forgiveness with him.”