What Do You Get for Faithful Service to God?

What are the rewards for faithfully serving our God? What are the blessings for a life of devotion to King Jesus? Jesus will actually address these questions later when He tells His disciples, “I assure you ... there is no one who has left house, brothers or sisters, mother or father, children, or fields because of Me and the gospel, who will not receive 100 times more, now at this time—houses, brothers and sisters, mothers and children, and fields, with persecutions—and eternal life in the age to come” (10:29-30). You see, sometimes the rewards and spiritual benefits include persecution.

On March 2, 2011 Shahbaz Bhatti—age 42 and the only Christian serving in Pakistan’s cabinet—was brutally murdered when gunmen sprayed his body with bullets. Al-Qaeda claimed responsibility, saying the attack was a “fitting lesson for the world of infidelity, the crusaders, the Jews and their aides.... This is the fitting end of the accursed one which [will] serve as an example to others. And now with the blessing and aid of Allah, the mujahedeen will send all of you, one by one, to hell.” Shahbaz Bhatti knew the risk he was taking as a devoted follower of King Jesus. A few months before his martyrdom, he said, “I want to share that I believe in Jesus Christ who has given His own life for us. I know what is the meaning of the cross. And I’m ready to die for a cause. I’m living for my community and suffering people and I will die to defend their rights” (Belz, “Ready,” 15). And indeed, he did just that.

Yes, you may lose your life for faithfully serving King Jesus. You may actually lose your head, as John the Baptist found out. Mark 6:14-29 is something of a parenthesis and flashback that records the imprisonment and execution of John the Baptist. John is the forerunner of Jesus’ message and ministry. He is also the forerunner of His death. Jesus has just warned the 12 apostles that their preaching would not always be welcomed. The brief ministry and abrupt end of John the Baptist would confirm Jesus’ point: the cost of discipleship is great indeed.

This tragedy in many ways foreshadowed the miscarriage of justice when our Savior was put to death on the cross. In both cases cowardly men capitulated to pressure and executed God’s man. A servant is not greater130 than his master. If they treated Jesus with cruelty, they will do the same to His followers. The life of John the Baptist perfectly illustrates what we might expect as we faithfully serve our God.

Expect That Some Will Fear You

Mark 6:14-16

When we are doing the work of God, some may rejoice in our good works and praise God for them (Matt 5:16). Others may oppose and reject us (Mark 6:11). Still others may actually fear us, not liking what we say or do but being unable to deny that God is at work. This was the reaction of a man Mark sarcastically refers to as “King Herod,” a title Herod demanded from the locals but never received from Rome.

He was Herod Antipas, a mere tetrarch, ruler of one-fourth of his father Herod the Great’s kingdom. Antipas ruled over Galilee and Perea until ad 39. He requested the title of “king” from Emperor Augustus and was soundly turned down. His nephew Herod Agrippa received the title of “king” form Caligula in ad 37. Antipas’s adulterous wife Herodias became jealous and egged him on to request again the title. This ultimately played into his dismissal and exile.

This wicked, henpecked politician did not know what to do with a man like John. He feared John (v. 16) and was “very disturbed” by him. How do we respond if we find ourselves in such a mess of confusion and intrigue?

Let Your Good Works Honor You (Mark 6:14-15)

Herod heard of the ministry of Jesus and the 12 apostles. Jesus’ miraculous works were not denied, but neither did they lead to faith. They did, however, lead to some interesting speculation. Herod entertained three options concerning Jesus: (1) He is John the Baptist raised from the dead; (2) He is Elijah; (3) He is a prophet like those of old.

Preaching and doing the work of the kingdom caused serious jitters in Herod’s court and kingdom. Like the people of Nazareth, Herod wondered at the source of His “supernatural powers.” Surprisingly, Herod’s conclusion comes closer to the truth. Jesus, John, the Twelve, Elijah, and the prophets all allowed their good works to honor them. Even their enemies could not deny their works.

Let Your Good Works Haunt Them (Mark 6:16)

The generally held opinion of the common people was that Jesus was a prophet. Not so with Herod. He was convinced that Jesus was John the131 Baptist raised from the dead. We are now informed that John had already been beheaded by Herod. This miracle child—born to a priest named Zacharias and his wife Elizabeth in their old age (Luke 1:5-56), uniquely called from his mother’s womb, and who Jesus said was the greatest man who ever lived (Matt 11:11)—Herod had wickedly put to death.

John was a man of great courage and moral fiber. Herod was not. John loved God and boldly proclaimed His Word. Herod did not. John denounced sin and called people to repentance and a radical change in life. Herod murdered an innocent man, a prophet of God. It haunted him, and rightly so. John’s blood was on his hands.

We need not defend ourselves if we walk with God. We need never employ methods of violence and coercion as we represent King Jesus and extend His kingdom. Our good works will honor us before men, and our good works will haunt those who oppose us, now or in eternity.

Expect That Some Will Try to Stop You

Mark 6:17-20

We now move into the lurid events that led to the execution of John. It is an all too familiar story of sex, power, pride, lust, and revenge. Herod may have been weak and paranoid, but his wife Herodias was conniving and ruthless. She would stop at nothing, even prostituting her daughter. Divorce, adultery, incest, drunkenness, striptease dancing, and murder characterized the Herods. It was “sin on steroids.” And in the midst of all of this is a man consumed with a guilty conscience for not doing the right thing.

Guilt Will Drive Some to Oppose You (Mark 6:17-18, 20)

Herod Antipas had met his niece, Herodias, in Rome. At the time she was married to his half brother, Herod Philip, making her also his sister-in-law. He evidently seduced her (or she him!), she left her husband, and they married. This was a clear act of adultery and bigamy.

Leviticus 18:16 says, “You are not to have sexual intercourse with your brother’s wife; it will shame your brother,” and Leviticus 20:21 says, “If a man marries his brother’s wife, it is impurity. He has shamed his brother.” This is a sinful situation that requires the man of God to speak.

John spoke up more than once (“had been telling,” Mark 6:18). This greatly offended Herodias, the first-century Jezebel. It also caused problems for her weakling husband! So Herod had John arrested and imprisoned, even while he knew in his heart that John was right.

132Amazingly, Herod feared John, since he knew John was a righteous and holy man. He therefore kept him safe and kept listening to him. He was greatly perplexed, yet he heard him gladly. He feared John but was fascinated with him. John, on the other hand, had no fear of the powerful and influential. He boldly confronted these royals in their sin. And though Herod could not help but listen, he was too weak and sinful to obey John’s message.

The contrast between John the Baptist and Herod Antipas sets the stage for the final act of this tragedy:

JOHN THE BAPTIST	HEROD ANTIPAS
A hair-coated prophet	A gorgeously robed ruler
Austere and simple	Flamboyant and ornate
Righteous	Debaucherous
A prophet without price	A man who could be bought
Moral courage	Spineless coward
A clear conscience	A troubled conscience
Maintained his integrity and lost his head	Forfeited his integrity and lost his soul
A man of the Spirit	A man of the flesh

Jesus and Pilate will provide a similar contrast when our Lord endures His passion and goes to the cross for sinners.

Hatred Will Drive Others to Oppose You (Mark 6:19)

Herod did not know what to do with John, but unfortunately his Jezebel knew exactly what she wanted. Herodias “held a grudge against” John and “wanted to kill him.” But her weak husband kept him safe in prison, so any assassination plan would have to be put on hold. Herodias felt that “the only place where her marriage certificate could safely be written was on the back of the death warrant of John the Baptist” (Wessel, “Mark,” 670). All she needed was an opportune moment.

Expect That Some Will Attempt to Destroy You

Mark 6:21-29

The adage “Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned” is certainly appropriate here (though often attributed to William Shakespeare, these words were133 actually penned by a man named William Congreve in a 1697 play titled The Mourning Bride). Herodias had been condemned by John as a treacherous and adulterous woman. How far she is willing to go to get revenge is truly amazing.

Accept That the Ungodly Will Use Ungodly Means to Get You (Mark 6:21-23)

Herod threw a birthday party for himself. The Jews viewed birthday parties as pagan celebrations. Herod did not care. He had invited the important people of his little kingdom. Herodias’s daughter enters the room filled with drunken men. There is little doubt she was sent by her mother, and there is little doubt Salome (we learn her name from Josephus’s writings) danced seductively and greatly appealed to the lustful passions of these unregenerate, pagan men.

Most likely she was only in her teens. The daughter of Herodias and Philip, she was also Herod’s stepdaughter and niece! This is how low Herodias stooped. She cared more about the head of John the Baptist than she did the dignity and reputation of her daughter.

Salome’s dance pleased Herod and his guests. Parroting the language of Esther 5:2-3, he utters a proverbial saying that binds him to grant a generous gift for her performance. The ungodly has used ungodly means to get what she wants, and in God’s mysterious providence, she succeeds.

Accept That the Ungodly May Get Your Head on a Platter (Mark 6:24-29)

Salome goes to Mommy and says, “What should I ask for?” The unhesitating response is, “John the Baptist’s head!” “Immediately she hurried” to tell Herod. Not surprisingly, Herod was sad but spineless in his response. He could not afford to lose face in front of his guests, so the executioner is immediately sent and John is beheaded. The executioner brings John’s head in to Herod; Herod directs it to Salome; Salome then gives it to Herodias. It’s done and John is gone!

Herod feared displeasing his wife and losing face with man more than he feared God. Pride took him down, just like it did Satan and Adam. Herodias feared and hated John because he was right and she knew it. John was a nuisance to her conscience and a cancer to her reputation. He had to go. His head on a platter would solve all her problems, or at least she thought so.

134Isn’t it amazing that John the Baptist was declared by Jesus to be the last and greatest prophet? Yet John died in his early 30s, never performed a single miracle, and had a public ministry that lasted only about a year. Bad things do happen to good people. Life is often unfair. The righteous do suffer. And yes, sometimes good things happen to bad people. But never forget, God sees. He knows!

“When Jesus heard about it, He withdrew from there by boat to a remote place to be alone” (Matt 14:13). There is no doubt He was grieved, He was hurt, and He wept. And He would not forget! Note Jesus’ opinion of Herod: “He said to them, ‘Go tell that fox, “Look! I’m driving out demons and performing healings today and tomorrow, and on the third day I will complete My work”’” (Luke 13:32). And when the two met (Luke 23:8-9), the encounter revealed this tension: “Herod was very glad to see Jesus; for a long time he had wanted to see Him because he had heard about Him and was hoping to see some miracle performed by Him. So he kept asking Him questions, but Jesus did not answer him.”

Conclusion

Death cannot silence a life. Murdering someone will not put an end to their testimony. Remember the saying, “Even though he is dead, he still speaks through his faith” (Heb 11:4). Today no one names their son Herod. Millions, on the other hand, bear the name of John. One’s tombstone may serve as a trumpet, one’s grave a megaphone of a life well lived for the glory of a great King whose name is Jesus. Throughout history the message of the martyrs continues to ring loud and clear. These choice servants of Jesus are a wonderful source of strength and encouragement. None fulfills that assignment better than John the Baptist. Herod and Herodias may have received his head on a platter, but our Lord received his soul into heaven for all eternity. John lost his head, but Herod and Herodias lost their souls. In the end there is no question who won and who lost. Bad things do happen to good people. But great things happen to godly people who put it all on the line, even their head on a platter, for the truth of God’s Word and the glory of His name!

Reflect and Discuss

1. Which is harder, dying for Jesus once or living radically sold out to Jesus day after day, year after year?
2. What is the most recent example you have heard of a martyr for Christ? What is the most recent example of persecution you heard of in your own country?
3. 135What reactions have you seen in today’s world that could be characterized as fear of Christianity?
4. Why did Herod fear John, and why was he tormented after his death? If you lived radically for Christ, who might fear you, and why?
5. What are the right reasons non-Christians should fear Christians? What are some bad ways some Christians cause fear and loathing in society?
6. What unbiblical practices in your own country are popular, so that if you spoke out against them, you would be persecuted? Should you speak out anyway?
7. What other cases do you know of where someone has used sex and lust to manipulate a leader? How can a leader prepare his or her mind and heart to resist such manipulation?
8. Is there any person or leader you fear more than God? Are you tempted to protect your own reputation rather than honoring God?
9. How would you explain to a non-Christian why bad things happen to good people and good things happen to bad people? How would you explain it in a Sunday school class?
10. Who do you think of that, “even though he is dead, he still speaks through his faith”?