Don’t Cover Up! - A Reflection on Mark 6:17-29



For Herod himself had sent men who arrested John, bound him, and put him in prison on account of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife, because Herod had married her. For John had been telling Herod, “It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife.” And Herodias had a grudge against him, and wanted to kill him. But she could not, for Herod feared John, knowing that he was a righteous and holy man, and he protected him. When he heard him, he was greatly perplexed; and yet he liked to listen to him. But an opportunity came when Herod on his birthday gave a banquet for his courtiers and officers and for the leaders of Galilee. When his daughter Herodias 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 give it.” And he solemnly swore to her, “Whatever you ask me, I will give you, even half of my kingdom.” She went out and said to her mother, “What should I ask for?” She replied, “The head of John the baptizer.” Immediately she rushed back to the king and requested, “I want you to give me at once the head of John the Baptist on a platter.” The king was deeply grieved; yet out of regard for his oaths and for the guests, he did not want to refuse her. Immediately the king sent a soldier of the guard with orders to bring John’s head. He went and beheaded him in the prison, brought his head on a platter, and gave it to the girl. Then the girl gave it to her mother. When his disciples heard about it, they came and took his body, and laid it in a tomb.

 

Have you sinned lately? Has your sin been grave? As in, something serious. Yes, all sins are serious, but I think you know what I mean. I’m not talking about a little white lie or an anger outburst. I’m talking about having an affair. Or molesting a child. Or practicing witchcraft. Or slandering someone to the point of destroying them completely. Has your sin been like this or similar?

 

Now, what if someone were to come to you and confront you about this sin? What would your reaction be? Tell the person to get lost and mind their own business? Or quote Scripture saying: “Do not judge and you will not be judged” (Matthew 7:1). Or get hostile and threaten the person with bodily harm if he so much as whispered a word to anybody? Or listen in humility, realizing that perhaps the person is speaking for God, inviting you to repentance and mercy?

 

We don’t like our sins to be exposed. So we engage in cover-ups. These cover-ups can lead to murder. See what David did. He committed adultery with this woman called Bathsheba, then tried to cover it up by murdering her husband.  Then, when confronted about his sin by the prophet Nathan, I am sure he wanted to murder him too. Confrontations can lead to murder as well. Look at what happened to John the Baptist in today’s reading. He confronted Herod about the affair that he was having with his brother’s wife and his head ended up on a platter.

 

A few days ago we saw the Pharisees doing the same thing (see Restoration: https://youtu.be/1oG9rCBCniA). God sent the prophets to them with a warning to repent, but they had them put to death. He then sent his Son to warn them, thinking they would listen to HIM, but they put him to death as well. You will find Jesus talking about this in the parable about the wicked tenants (see Matthew 21:33-46). But putting them to death only results in our own death: for eternity. It’s better to repent. That’s what David did. 

 

When the prophet Nathan came to him and confronted him about his sin, David recognized it wasn’t a rebuke intended to condemn him but a call from God to turn back and be saved. And he did, admitting his faults and his failures, and repenting for them. And this would have brought him so much relief; so much peace. We need peace too. Covering up our sins doesn’t do anything for us; it just eats us up like cancer. And you know that is true. So, like David, and other wise people who have turned back to God when prophets spoke to them, let us also turn back toward him. Not tomorrow, but today.  

 

And since there is no better time than the present, how about we do this right now?


Watch a video of this reflection by Aneel Aranha here:  https://youtu.be/s2j0OAoZfTg

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