Câu
chuyện về cái chết của thánh Gioan Tẩy giả là câu chuyện có tính chất chú ý nhiều
đến bản tính con người. Chúng ta có thể bị thu hút bởi những câu chuyện có tính
chat đầy kịch tính trong điệu nhảy của con gái bà Hêrôdiat và lời thề ngu ngốc
của vua Hêrôđê và sự yêu cầu của cô gái xin cho bằng được cái đầu của ông Gioan
Tẩy Giả đặt trên mâm. Đằng sau của câu chuyện là khi vua Hêrôđê đã có vợ mà còn
muốn kết hôn với bà Hêrôdiat người vợ của anh trai mình. Khi làm như vậy, theo
quan điểm của luật Do Thái, ông ta đã phạm hai tội trọng. Việc đầu tiên là ông
ly dị người vợ trước của ông mà không có lý do chính đáng. Thứ hai là ông kết
hôn với chị dâu của mình, đó là một mối quan hệ bị cấm tuyệt đối.
Ông Gioan không sợ hãi đê đứng ra chỉ
trích và phê phán nhà vua vì những hành
vi của nhà Vua và vì vậy ông đã bị tống giam trong tù. Những lý do cho việc làm
của vua Hêrôđê thì quá phức tạp. Có thể nhà vua không thích Gioan, Nhưng trong
trái tim của nha vua, ông biết rằng những gì Gioan nói là đúng. Chúng ta không
ai thích được nghe nói là chúng ta đang làm điều gì đó mà sai trái; đặc biệt là
nếu chúng ta đang cố gắng để đánh lừa chính bản thân là những gì chúng ta đang
làm là đều tốt đẹp cả. Vua Hêrôđê biết rằng
ông Gioan là một người thánh thiện và không muốn thực hiện nó, nhưng nó đã
không được chuẩn bị để thừa nhận tội lỗi của mình.
Ông
Gioan đã trả một cái giá quá mắc cho việc nói sự thật mà không sợ hãi. Đây là
việc mà chúng ta được kêu gọi để làm, mặc dù có lẽ trong đó có đầy những tính
chất quá kịch tính. Chúng ta phải lên tiếng chống lại những bất công, bóc lột
và những việc sai trái ở bất cứ nơi nào mà chúng ta nhìn thấy nó. Trong cách
này, chúng ta đang bắt chước không phải chỉ có thánh Gioan Tẩy Giả mà thôi,
nhưng chúng ta cũng bắt chước như chính Chúa Giêsu, Người đã bị bắt, chịu khổ
hình và bị giết chỉ vì đã nói lên sự thật;
và chúng ta cũng có thể chắc chắn rằng Chúa Giêsu sẽ ở lại với chúng ta khi
chúng ta cố gắng để làm đại sứ của Ngài trong một thế giới mà thường là thù địch
với giá trị Kitô giáo.
REFLECTION Saturday 17th Ordinary Time
The
story of the death of John the Baptist is full of human interest. We can be
fascinated by the dramatic story of the dance of Herodias' daughter and Herod's
foolish oath and the request of the girl to have John the Baptist's head on a
platter. The background to the story is that Herod had married his brother's
wife. In doing so, from the viewpoint of the Jewish law, he committed two
crimes. The first was that he divorced his first wife without good reason. The
second was that he married his sister-in-law, which was a prohibited relationship.
John
fearlessly criticized the king for his behavior and so was thrown into prison.
The reasons for Herod's conduct are complex. Maybe, he disliked John because,
at heart, he knew that what John said was right. We do not like to be told that
something we are doing is wrong; especially if we are trying to deceive
ourselves that what we are doing is all right. Herod knew that John was a holy
man and did not want to execute him, but he was not prepared to admit his guilt.
John
paid the price for speaking the truth without fear. This is something that we
are all called to do, though probably in less dramatic ways. We should speak up
against injustice and wrongdoing wherever we see it. In this we are imitating
not only John the Baptist but also Jesus himself, who was put to death for
speaking the truth; and we can be sure that Jesus will be with us as we try to
be his ambassadors in a world that is often hostile to Christian values.
Saturday of the Seventeenth Week in Ordinary Time
Herod the tetrarch heard of the reputation of Jesus and said
to his servants, “This man is John the Baptist. He has been raised from the
dead; that is why mighty powers are at work in him.” Matthew 14:1–2
Herod the tetrarch was one of three brothers and a sister
who became 1st-century rulers to succeed their father, Herod the Great, when he
died in 4 B.C. Herod governed much of the territory west of the Sea of Galilee,
which was the territory in which Jesus spent most of His time during His public
ministry. He also ruled a territory just east of the Dead Sea, which is where
he had imprisoned and ultimately killed John the Baptist. Herod was known for
being a very busy builder and is prominently known for his role in the deaths
of Saint John the Baptist and Jesus.
Recall that Herod had taken his brother’s wife, Herodias, as
his own, and John the Baptist publicly opposed this. For that reason,
Herod had John arrested and ultimately beheaded at the request of Herodias, who
took the Baptist’s criticism very personally. Herod, on the other hand, had a
strange sort of admiration for the Baptist.
The Gospel passage quoted above reveals a somewhat unusual
statement by Herod. After he had killed Saint John the Baptist, he heard about
the reputation of Jesus Who was traveling throughout Herod’s territory
preaching and performing many mighty deeds. Word spread fast about Jesus and
quickly reached even the ears of Herod. So why did Herod strangely think that
Jesus must have been John the Baptist raised from the dead? Though we do not
know for certain, we certainly can speculate.
In the version of this story found in the Gospel of Mark, we
read, “Herod feared John, knowing him to be a righteous and holy man, and kept
him in custody. When he heard him speak he was very much perplexed, yet he
liked to listen to him” (Mark
6:20). Herod may have been a man who had
a spark of faith but was ultimately ruled by his passions and desire for power.
Perhaps that is why he initially kept John the Baptist alive in his prison. It
also appears that Herod had some form of either regret or fear over his
beheading of John. And it is most likely for this reason that Herod immediately
thought of John when he initially heard of Jesus and the “mighty powers” that
were at work within Him.
Regret, fear and guilt are common effects of a conscience
that is in conflict. Herod the tetrarch is a good example of what happens when
we do not resolve that conflict within ourselves. The only way to resolve the
interior confusion of a conflicted conscience is to humbly submit to the truth.
Imagine if Herod would have repented. Imagine if he would have sought out
Jesus, confessed his sins, and begged for forgiveness. What a glorious story
that would have been. Instead, we have the witness of a man who has gone astray
and remained obstinate in his sin.
Reflect, today, upon this unholy witness of Herod. God can
use all things for His glory, and He can even use the example of Herod to
reveal to ourselves any similar tendency. Do you struggle with regret, fear and
guilt? Does this cause conflict within you? The good news is that this conflict
is easily resolved by a humble heart that seeks the truth. Seek the truth by
admitting any long-lasting sin you need to resolve and permit the mercy of God
to enter in so as to set you free.
My merciful Jesus, You desire that all people experience
freedom from the sins of the past. You desire to penetrate our hearts and to
bring resolution and peace. Please help me to open my mind and heart to You in
the areas that still cause pain and regret, and help me to be set free by Your
infinite mercy. Jesus, I trust in You.
Saturday 17th
Ordinary Time
Opening Prayer: Lord God, I
hear the stories of how the innocent are persecuted by the wicked. Your
prophet, Jeremiah, suffered because he preached your word. Your servant, John,
suffered because he called Herod to repent from sin. Your Son, Jesus, suffered
to save us from sin and death. Strengthen me in times of suffering so that I
may attain your glory.
Encountering the Word of God
1. The Condemnation of
Jeremiah: When Jeremiah gave his temple sermon, he said that if the people
of Judah continued to disobey the Lord, not live according to the law, and not
listen to the words of the prophets, then the temple of the Lord and Jerusalem
will be destroyed like the city and sanctuary of Shiloh. The reaction of the
people to Jeremiah’s message was not one of repentance, but of condemnation.
The people cried out: “This man deserves death.” Jeremiah defended himself
saying that the Lord sent him to prophesy against the Temple, the house of the
Lord, and the city of Jerusalem. Jeremiah’s message was simple: Reform your
ways and your deeds and listen to the voice of the Lord so that the Lord will
repent of the evil with which he threatens you. Jeremiah declared his innocence
before the people. If the people were to carry out their judgment upon him,
then they would be bringing innocent blood upon themselves.
2. Jeremiah and Jesus: The life
and story of Jeremiah look forward to the story and the trial of Jesus. Jesus
cleansed the Temple of the sellers and preached that the Temple would be
destroyed. In response, the chief priests, elders, scribes, and Pharisees
sought to put Jesus to death. When Pilate declared himself innocent of Jesus’
blood, all the people answered: “His blood be on us and on our children!”
(Matthew 27:25). The outcomes of Jeremiah and Jesus were different. When
Jeremiah declared his innocence, the people immediately switched their cries
and said: “This man does not deserve death.” When Pilate declared the innocence
of Jesus, the people, led by the chief priests and elders, cried out: “Crucify
him! Crucify him!” (Mark 15:13-14; Luke 23:21).
3. Jeremiah and John the
Baptist: In today’s Gospel, we can see another contrast between Jeremiah,
who was saved from a dungeon pit, and John the Baptist, who was killed by
Herod. Both Jeremiah and John preached the truth. Jeremiah revealed the
people’s disobedience to them; John revealed Herod’s unlawful union with
Herodias. Just as Jeremiah was apprehended, John was also arrested and thrown
into prison. Herod did not kill John because many people regarded him as a
prophet of the Lord. Herod feared John, knowing that John was a righteous and
holy man, and kept him safe. When Herod heard John, he was much perplexed, and
yet heard John gladly (Mark 6:20). Just as Pilate didn’t want to hand Jesus
over, Herod didn't want to hand John over. Both men, however, gave in to
pressure. Pilate feared Rome. Herod felt obliged to fulfill his oaths in the
presence of his guests. Jeremiah’s life points to Jesus’ persecution and
rejection by the people. The prophet will be thrown into the pit, but he will
be rescued from imminent death. John the Baptist, on the other hand, is Jesus’
forerunner not only in life but also in death. John was persecuted for the sake
of righteousness, and to him belongs the Kingdom of heaven, inaugurated by
Jesus Christ.
Conversing with Christ: Lord
Jesus, you know my trials, sacrifices, and suffering. Help me to face my trials
and temptations with courage and your grace. Help me to offer up my sacrifices
to the Father through you. Help me to persevere through suffering so that I may
attain eternal glory with you, the Father, and the Holy Spirit.
Reflection:
"So you shall not wrong one another
but you shall fear your God. . ." These were the words spoken by God to
Moses but it seems Herod must have forgotten these words thinking that he shall
not wrong another by giving in to the evil request because of his promise under
oath to give anything to the daughter of Herodias. His fear of things of the
world made him forget about the fear of being separated from God.
Yes, there are still some individuals,
modern day Herods in the different sectors of our society who continue to exist
pleasing others or themselves at the expense of others, causing different kinds
of death in humanity. We sometimes become like Herod when we opt to follow what
is pleasing in the eyes of the world and we forget about what is pleasing to
God. Let us not forget about what our greatest fear should be, to be separated
from God for all eternity.
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