+ The first reading today is taken from Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians. Like so many of these letters that were written to early Christian communities — to encourage them, to correct any abuses, to deepen their understanding about Jesus in whom they had come to faith, and to call them to living out deeply and faithfully their Christian commitments — this letter is no exception. It begins with such eloquence and beauty that, at least in me, I keep “waiting for the shoe to drop.”
‘Waiting for the shoe to drop’
Paul addresses them as having “been sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be holy.”
He then thanks them for their grace-filled lives and their many spiritual gifts. But, we do not get to see that shoe dropping; tomorrow’s passage from Corinthians skips from Verse 9 to Verse 17, leaving out the first tough passage in this letter.
Verse 10 begins to urge the community to oneness of purpose, to stop the divisions among themselves.
And Verse 11 throws an accusation in their faces, as Paul writes —
“For it has been reported to me about you … that there are rivalries among you.”
Remember, these letters had several purposes; one was clearly to correct any abuses, and any living that was inconsistent with their new found faith. But for today, we are able to just simply relish this remarkable introduction in this letter that is loving, kind, and filled with appreciation for and encouragement of this community in Corinth.
+ Yesterday morning, we were hanging around in Matthew’s Gospel, catching up on Jesus’ barking out those seven woes to the scribes and Pharisees.
But today for this particular feast, we come back to Markand find ourselves in the scene in which John the Baptist is killed by Herod because of his own pride and also because of the hatred that his wife, Herodias, had for John.
There is clearly an implication that perhaps Herod had too much to drink at this party, as he caused a big scene after Herodias’ daughter came before Herod and all of his guests and did an alluring dance that delighted him and everyone who was in attendance at this party.
The Gospel testified that Herod then reacted, and stated before all —
“I will grant you whatever you ask of me, even to half of my kingdom.”
The girl runs to mom and asks her what she should ask for. Mom tells the girl to ask for John’s head on a platter. The girl shows no surprises at this and runs back to Herod with this grisly request. She adds urgency with the words “at once.”
Herod is stressed and distressed, but claims virtue because he made a public oath to give the girl anything she asked for and so he had to do it. That, rather than to stand on some kind of real principle. That, rather than to stand up to Herodias’ ugly hatred for John. And so “off with his head,” and onto a platter it went; and the gift goes to the daughter, who runs immediately and gives this gift to her mother.
The disciples come to take the body so they can bury it with honor and grace.
An ugly story becomes a mirror for any and all of us to take a look at our actions, our motivations, our real values, our silly values, our real strengths, and even our fears — especially of what others may think of us.
