Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time Year B 11th July 2021
Lectionary Readings: Amos 7 v7-15; Psalm 85 v8-13; Ephesians 1 v3-14; Mark 6 v14-29.
Measuring up to God’s standard of justice.
Amos writes, ‘The lord showed me a vision of himself standing besides a wall and holding a string with a weight tied to the end of it….. The lord said “I am using this measuring line to show that my people Israel don’t measure up.” (v7a, 8b).
Amos was a reluctant prophet, send by God to tell the people of Israel about their failure to live as the people of God. Amos particularly condemns the rich and powerful for their abuse of power, their exploitation of the poor and their selfish ways.
The psalmist has a vision of how life will be when living in God’s company. ‘Love and loyalty will come together; goodness and peace will unite. Loyalty will sprout from the ground; justice will look down from the sky above’. (Psalm 85 v10, 11).
The contrast is stark and sobering.
In the reading from Mark’s gospel, we read about the reality of life under Roman occupation.
Herod Antipas was appointed by the Romans to rule in Galilee. Herod was married to Herodias, (his niece, and the ex wife of his half brother, Philip). John the Baptist denounced this marriage as wrong, according to scripture. (Leviticus 18 v16; 20 v21). Herod’s response was to put John in prison.
Mark tells us that ‘Herodias had a grudge against John and wanted to kill him. But she could not do it because Herod was afraid of John and protected him. He knew that John was a good and holy man. Even though Herod was confused by what John said, he was glad to listen to him. And he often did’. (Mark 6 v19, 20). Herod knew that he was out of step with God, but chose not to do anything about it.
Meanwhile, Herodias was waiting for an opportunity to silence John, and to remove his influence over her husband. Her daughter’s dancing, which had delighted the all male gathering, and her husband’s rash promise of a substantial reward, handed her the chance to strike.
Mark’s account suggests that the girl was a willing participant in her mother’s vengeful plan. Mark also suggests that the party guests, ‘court officials, army officers and the leaders of Galilee’ were passive observers of this ugly murder.
Were they all accessories to murder? Rotten to the core? Did no one speak up for John? Did no one have the courage to challenge Herod’s lack of wisdom in agreeing to his step daughter’s grotesque request? Did they just accept that cruelty and barbarity had become the new ‘norm’ for the people of Israel under Roman occupation?
The reading from Mark’s gospel starts with a mention of Jesus becoming well known in the region. Herod wonders if Jesus is John the Baptist returned from the dead to haunt him.
Jesus didn’t go after Herod, but he did denounce all forms of injustice and abuse of power as being at odds with ‘kingdom values’ and the will of God. Jesus taught that what we choose to do, or choose not to do, matters to God. (see Matthew 25 v31-45).
Bible quotations are taken from the Contemporary English Version.