Mark 6a Commentary
Nazareth was Jesus’ hometown. We also know Capernaum became his hometown later in his earthly life. Chapter 2 verse 1. His homecoming wasn’t great. Townspeople took offense at His teaching. After all, wasn’t he just a simple carpenter whose brothers and sisters were ordinary men and women from the neighborhood?
What could possibly be special about Mary’s son? The lack of reference to his earthly father, Joseph, may suggest that he was probably dead by this time.
The reaction of the townspeople confirms the prophet’s words: “He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him.” Isaiah 53. Indeed, the heavenly gift must be stripped of all human attractions in order to remain purely heavenly! Let no one get into the boat with the LORD Jesus because of some human reason! In this case, ‘home-ground advantage’.
So far, the disciples have been part and parcel of Jesus’ ministry but as water carriers and ball-boys. Saving the world isn’t work for boys! Yet in this chapter, we have a major twist to the mission. Jesus’ disciples become partners! Kingdom subjects must now work as ambassadors. They are especially empowered for the task.
Herod, an outwardly powerful man, could order the detention and execution of an innocent man at will. He could also offer up to half of his kingdom to whoever he
wished.
Poor Herod, a captive of sin and a slave of his own wickedness. We doubt if he ever made any decisions in his life. He probably didn’t have any hand in his own illegal marriage to Herodias. She possibly pulled all the strings!
Men in his position must be pitied and not admired. Stupidity at full throttle! It is a shame to make such an oath. It is unbelievably stupid to want to keep an oath like that. We understand. Herod is not in charge of his own; satan is.
Herod makes a good case study of humanity in a fallen state. Rationality is absent. Satan rules. They are merely pawns in their master’s hand. And when satan rules, what happens is not up to men but up to him. Shocking things happen.
“It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife,” John the Baptist said to Herod. He is probably quoting sections of the Torah. Herod knows it. Based on God’s commandments, what is the saint’s stance on issues of LGBTQ? It may not convert hardcore sinners but it honors the LORD when we identify with His commandments.
You cannot doubt John’s position in Heaven any more than you can doubt any saint’s faithful devotion to the cause of Jesus, even in the face of great danger. Men and women who don’t respect their lives at the expense of obedience to the cause of God’s name are truly worth admiring.
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