So why does the account of the beheading of John the Baptist sit where it does within the Gospel of Mark? From the beginning, Mark presents Jesus as a man of action. He enters the synagogues, and he goes about teaching and healing and feeding the people. In our one image of Herod in this passage, we see him as a man of sloth and indulgence. Whereas Jesus is a healer, Herod is a murderer. Whereas Jesus feeds the people, Herod sets up a feast for the rich and powerful. Whereas Jesus fears no man for the sake of truth, Herod is willing to go against the truth for fear of those at the feast. When the people came to Jesus, he had compassion on them, seeing that they were without a shepherd. Herod, who should have been the shepherd-king in the image of David prior to Bathsheba, was neglecting the people. Jesus instead had come as the true shepherd-king, the heir of the throne of David. He was Israel’s true rightful ruler.
No comments:
Post a Comment