“If Mama Ain’t Happy . . .” (Mark 6:14-29)

Central to our story this morning is the anger of a woman . . . Herodias.  Herodias was originally the wife of King Herod’s brother, Philip.  Herod wanted Herodias to be his wife, so he stole her . . . divorced his own wife and married Herodias making her the queen.  Salome, her daughter from her marriage to Philip, came as a part of the package.  Not quite the makings of what one would call a morally and romantic arrangement, but most people looked the other way at the shenanigans of the royalty . . . except for one person . . . John the Baptist.

John the Baptist did not approve of the marriage or the way the matrimony came to be.  Neither did he hold his contempt and distain for their marriage speaking it to the people and the king himself.  This did not make Herodias a happy woman.  The writer of Mark’s gospel tells us that she “. . . nursed a grudge against John and wanted to kill him.”  

John the Baptist was playing with fire and Herodias was out to burn him.  You know the stories and myths about women and their anger.  One anonymous person stated: “You can tell a lot about a woman by her hands.  For instance, if they’re placed around your throat she’s probably slightly upset.”  Another wrote: “When she’s mad; even the demons run for cover . . .”  One said, “Behind every angry woman, stands a man who has absolutely no idea what he did wrong!”  And, finally, one wrote: “A man who has never made a woman angry is a failure in life.”  John the Baptist had succeeded . . . he angered Herodias.  And, as my mother used to say to us kids when we were growing up: “If Momma ain’t happy, ain’t nobody happy!”

Thus, it is that John the Baptist gets his due.  In a round-about, sneaky way, Herodias gets her wish . . . John is beheaded, and his head is presented on a platter.  That is pretty much how we remember the story, but this is not so much a story about John losing his head to an angry woman.  No, this story really isn’t about that at all . . . that’s all background story to what is really happening in the story.  This seemingly out-of-place story in Mark’s gospel is warning us that the tone of the story is about to change . . . that the mission of Jesus is moving from its innocence into the realm of politics and power.

This story actually begins after the beheading of the John the Baptist.  Herod has been hearing the news and rumors about Jesus and his ministry . . . about his growing popularity.  Some had said that Jesus was Elijah, others said he was just a prophet, but others insisted that he was John the Baptist raised from the dead . . . how else could he display all those miraculous powers?  All this talk shook Herod up, after all he was the one who had ordered John’s head to be lopped off.  Herod was scared . . . scared of the implications that this brought up.  Naturally, Herod had thought he had taken care the problem the first time . . . wiped out the challenge to his power.  Yet, here was this new challenge . . . whether it be a resurrected John the Baptist or a living Jesus.  This news created a new threat to his power with the people.  Herod recognizes the interconnected between Jesus and John, whether or not they are one and the same.  Whoever it is creates an issue with Herod . . . an issue that is resolved much later in Jesus’ story with Herod playing a major role.

Just as John and his ministry stepped on the toes of the political and powerful . . . with awful consequences; so, does the ministry of Jesus.  Mark is announcing this shift through this story.  It is a simple message: those who challenge power, they will face the consequences.  As my momma used to say, “If Momma ain’t happy, ain’t nobody happy!”  In the story of Jesus, in particular in Mark’s gospel, we are warned that the ball is rolling towards its fateful conclusion.

I do not want to perpetuate the caricature about women and anger . . . because it is falsehood.  Everyone gets angry . . . men, women, everyone!  It is no fun to be around angry people, especially if they are set on vindicating their anger.  Anger, in my estimation, is typically not the problem.  No anger is a masking device.  There is usually something that hides behind the anger for the protection that it can buy.  In this story it is fear that hides behind the anger . . . Herod’s fear of losing power and control.  Isn’t that a theme we hear over and over again in the story of Jesus and his dealings with those in power . . . they are afraid of losing their power and control.  In their minds the best way to handle that issue is to get rid of the threat.  Herodias has John beheaded . . . others will have Jesus crucified.

As I stated earlier, one thing is certain, those who follow Jesus to do God’s will and challenge those in power will usually suffer significant consequences.  There is no such things as “cheap discipleship”.  This phrase came from a book written by a German pastor during the second world war.  The pastor’s name was Dietrich Bonhoeffer.  As Adolf Hitler and his Nazis regime rose to power they exerted more and more control over the people eliminating those who were not deemed worthy and human, and dealing with those who spoke out against these atrocities.  In Nazis Germany there was a heavy price to pay in speaking out against Hitler and his methods of control.  Bonhoeffer was arrested and imprisoned.  His book, The Cost of Discipleship, was written and smuggled out while he was in prison.  He was executed hours before Allied troops freed the prisoners from the prison where he was held.

Bonhoeffer’s point was simple . . . if one is going to follow Jesus, then one should understand that there is price to pay . . . being ostracized, beaten, imprisoned, and even killed.  Mark shares that truth in our reading this morning, and he foreshadows it as it points to Jesus.  As the followers of Jesus, we should expect nothing less for ourselves.

As we seek to live our lives as Jesus lived his, we need to understand that there will be moments when we are called upon to challenge those who are in power and control . . . that we are going to upset the apple cart from time to time . . . that we are going to make someone angry and unhappy.  Because we do, we must be ready for whatever the consequences of our faith brings . . . and, we should not allow it to deter us from marching forward in the footsteps of Jesus.

The psalmist writes in Psalm 19, verse 14: “May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, Lord, my Rock and Redeemer.”  I like that, but I would change it.  I would paraphrase it and add to it: “May the words of my mouth . . . the meditations of my heart . . . and the actions of my hands, be pleasing in your sight, O Lord, my God.”  I would change it because in the end, God is the only one we must please.

So, Mark is giving us a warning here.  Be careful out there as you live your faith . . . there is a good chance you are going to make someone mad.  It might cost you your head . . . ‘cause if Momma ain’t happy, ain’t no body going to be happy!  That is the cost you pay when you give your life to Jesus . . . there is no such thing as cheap discipleship.  Amen.