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19. The Fate of John
the Baptist.
But why did John the
Baptist not appear for so long? John the Baptist never appears again.
Herod the king took an illicit fancy to Herodias, the wife of his
natural brother Philip, and married her while Philip, her lawful husband,
was still alive. Then John, the pious and intrepid man, came to him and
said to him in a few, but difficult words: ‘It is not right for you to
have her.’ Because of this speech, Herod had the pious John bound and
put in prison at the instigation of his wife. For it is a hard saying:
‘What you are doing is not right,’ to whom it must be heard and to whom
it concerns, and to whom it cannot be answered.
But when John heard the works of Christ in prison, he sent two of his
disciples to him and asked him, ‘Are you the one who is to come, or
should we wait for another?’ John's disciples came at the right time,
after Jesus had healed many sick people and raised the young man from
Nain from the dead, refreshing many troubled minds with the comfort of
the gospel. Jesus' answer to their question was neither yes nor no. Yes
and no are easy words. They pass quickly from the mouth. Jesus said to
them in the presence of all the people standing by: ‘Go and tell John
again what you see and hear. The blind see, the lame walk, the lepers
are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor have the
gospel preached to them.’ That is an answer against which nothing can be
said. This message was brought to John by his disciples, so that he was
lifted up by it until his death. For the vengeful queen was not yet
satisfied with John's imprisonment. She was just waiting for an
opportunity to have him killed. The opportunity soon came. Herod was
celebrating his anniversary and gave a great hospitality to many nobles
from Galilee. Herodias' daughter danced before them and pleased the king.
The king said to her, ‘Ask of me what you want. I will give it to you.’
This was a dangerous word, and Herod confirmed it to her with a
light-hearted oath in front of everyone present. The daughter asked her
mother: ‘What shall I desire?’ The mother, briefly prudent, replied:
‘The head of John the Baptist.’ Like mother, like daughter. She came
back to the king: ‘I want you to give me the head of John the Baptist on
a dish right away!’ Herod was not prepared for such a request. But being
afraid of those present that he should be a king and not keep his word,
he sent him to prison and had the pious Baptist beheaded; the daughter
received his bloody head, as she had desired, and brought it to her
mother on a dish. The king was more interested in appearing righteous
before frivolous men than before God. John, the youthful companion of
Jesus and harbinger of the kingdom of God, died such a death through the
weakness of a king and the vengefulness of a dishonourable woman. A
heart that has cast off its fear of God and surrendered to sin and
recklessness can be brought to such atrocities. In whichever heart one
sin reigns, in the same heart the others also find their refuge. When
John was beheaded, his disciples buried the disembodied body of their
dear teacher so that he would not be dishonoured, and then came to Jesus
and lamented their suffering.
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