THEN JESUS WENT around teaching from village to village. 7Calling the Twelve to him, he sent them out two by two and gave them authority over evil spirits.
8These were his instructions: “Take nothing for the journey except a staff—no bread, no bag, no money in your belts. 9Wear sandals but not an extra tunic. 10Whenever you enter a house, stay there until you leave that town. 11And if any place will not welcome you or listen to you, shake the dust off your feet when you leave, as a testimony against them.”
12They went out and preached that people should repent. 13They drove out many demons and anointed many sick people with oil and healed them.
14King Herod heard about this, for Jesus’ name had become well known. Some were saying, “John the Baptist has been raised from the dead, and that is why miraculous powers are at work in him.”
15Others said, “He is Elijah.”
And still others claimed, “He is a prophet, like one of the prophets of long ago.”
16But when Herod heard this, he said, “John, the man I beheaded, has been raised from the dead!”
17For Herod himself had given orders to have John arrested, and he had him bound and put in prison. He did this because of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife, whom he had married. 18For John had been saying to Herod, “It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife.” 19So Herodias nursed a grudge against John and wanted to kill him. But she was not able to, 20because Herod feared John and protected him, knowing him to be a righteous and holy man. When Herod heard John, he was greatly puzzled; yet he liked to listen to him.
21Finally the opportune time came. On his birthday Herod gave a banquet for his high officials and military commanders and the leading men of Galilee. 22When the daughter of Herodias came in and danced, she pleased Herod and his dinner guests.
The king said to the girl, “Ask me for anything you want, and I’ll give it to you.” 23And he promised her with an oath, “Whatever you ask I will give you, up to half my kingdom.”
24She went out and said to her mother, “What shall I ask for?”
“The head of John the Baptist,” she answered.
25At once the girl hurried in to the king with the request: “I want you to give me right now the head of John the Baptist on a platter.”
26The king was greatly distressed, but because of his oaths and his dinner guests, he did not want to refuse her. 27So he immediately sent an executioner with orders to bring John’s head. The man went, beheaded John in the prison, 28and brought back his head on a platter. He presented it to the girl, and she gave it to her mother. 29On hearing of this, John’s disciples came and took his body and laid it in a tomb.
30The apostles gathered around Jesus and reported to him all they had done and taught.
Original Meaning
THE DEPUTATION OF the disciples to preach repentance (6:6b–13) and their reporting back to Jesus (6:30–32) sandwiches the account of the death of John the Baptizer (6:14–29). These two events seem to be totally unrelated to each other, but Mark deliberately links them together.
The Mission of the Disciples
JESUS LAUNCHED HIS public ministry by calling Israel to repentance (1:14–15); now he expands that mission by sending the Twelve to their unbelieving countrymen to preach repentance, to cast out demons, and to anoint the sick. Jesus invests them with his authority over unclean spirits (see 3:15) and appoints them to travel two by two, satisfying the requirement of two or three witnesses (Num. 35:30; Deut. 17:6; 19:15; 2 Cor. 13:1; 1 Tim. 5:19) and providing them with some measure of protection. When Jesus gives them their marching orders, we might expect him to give detailed advice on what to do when they encounter unclean spirits, for example; but instead he instructs them on what not to pack for the trip. He allows them to take a staff and to wear sandals, but they are to take no provisions, no beggar’s bag, no money in the belt, and no change of clothing.
Why must they travel so lightly without standard gear, and why are only a staff and sandals allowed? Some connect this command to the urgency of the impending doom of the temple and Jerusalem. Caird argues, for example, that Jesus believed that Israel “was at the cross-roads; it must choose between two conceptions of its national destiny, and the time for choice was terrifyingly short.”1 A pressing sense of urgency did have an impact on Jesus’ ministry, but how will the disciples travel faster without provisions? The list reflects something about the character of their mission. To go on mission entirely dependent on the generosity of others for food and lodging is an expression of extreme poverty.2 They do not travel first class. They do not come like an invading army living off the land. The Twelve come more humbly and must be totally dependent on God for their support.3 They are to go out as the poor to those who are also poor and hungry. As Minear puts it, “Weakness and poverty are effective means of proclaiming that men should repent (1 Cor. 2:3–5).”4
Since God instructed Isaiah to walk naked and barefoot, like a prisoner of war, as a sign of coming judgment (Isa. 20:2–4), the poverty of the disciples may be intended as a prophetic warning of judgment that will come upon Israel.5 The staff Jesus allows them to take may simply be a reference to a traveler’s stick, but it has a rich imagery in the history of God’s dealings with Israel, beginning with Moses’ staff (Ex. 4:2–5, 20). It may be connected to the staffs of the twelve tribes (Num. 17) and a symbol of a tribal leader’s authority or a prophet’s authority (2 Kings 4:29). It may have some symbolic connection to the covenant renewal of Israel (see also Ezek. 20:37; 37:15–28). They are to call Israel back to God.
Jesus instructs the Twelve to accept the first accommodations offered to them and not to move if they chance to find something better. This demonstration of commitment is a testimony of their devotion to their mission and not to themselves. It also reduces the chance that they will create jealousy by moving to better quarters, which will interfere with their mission. Jesus seems to expect either mass reception or mass rejection, and he instructs them to do as he did when the Gerasenes rejected him. If a place neither receives nor hears them, they are to shake the dust from their feet and leave. There is no time to waste arguing.6 This gesture within the land of Israel serves as a prophetic, if enigmatic, warning that this is a pagan place and will be cut off from the kingdom of God if they fail to respond.
The mission of the Twelve communicates in dramatic and harrowing fashion the seriousness of the need for Israel to repent now. The message of repentance is that God reigns. The messengers do not invite Israel to accept God’s reign if it suits them; they confront people with a yes or no decision, so that there can be no middle ground. If they reject the message, they will deprive themselves of the opportunity to receive healing and deliverance. If they continue in their dogged defiance, they will face the judgment of God.7
Mark tells us the disciples obey Jesus’ commission. They preach repentance, cast out demons, and anoint the sick with oil.8 But Mark tells us nothing more about the results of their mission, whether it is successful or not. Why? The best answer is that Mark sees it as preparatory for the later mission of the disciples after Jesus’ death and resurrection. It introduces them to the requirement of total self-sacrifice in commitment to their mission. It also acquaints them with the reality of rejection—sowing the word means they can expect to find that some ground will be unproductive. It therefore prepares them for Jesus’ teaching about his destiny, which will follow.
The Death of John the Baptizer (6:14–29)
MARK INTERRUPTS HIS report of the disciples’ mission with a flashback, recounting the execution of John the Baptizer. It begins with the ominous news that Jesus’ growing reputation has been causing ripples of concern in the highest circles.9 The review relating the lurid details behind the slaying of John the Baptizer explains why Herod guesses that Jesus may be John raised from the dead. The account divides into two parts: the reason behind John’s arrest and imprisonment (6:17–20), and the sordid account of his beheading (6:21–29).
The question raised by Jesus’ disciples, “Who is this?” (4:41), is now rousing the interest of the political gentry as Herod’s court is abuzz with the news of him. Perhaps the mission of the Twelve has expanded Jesus’ reputation, for Herod has heard about his “name” (6:14; see 9:37–41; 13:6, 13). We almost get the impression that a worried Herod is hearing theories concerning this new menacing prophet bandied about in emergency cabinet meetings. They are asking the same basic question as was posed in Jesus’ hometown: “Where does this guy get the power to do what he is doing?”
Herod comes closer to the truth than the synagogue in Nazareth. The estimation that Jesus is “John the Baptist … raised from the dead” (6:14), and Herod’s opinion that he is “John, the man I beheaded,… raised from the dead!” (6:16), brackets the best guesses of others who think he might be Elijah or a prophet like one of the prophets of old. Herod believes that Jesus’ power must derive from some divine action—resurrection. If prophets like the prophets of old are abroad, or if one recently executed has been raised, then the new age of God’s dealing with humanity has been ushered in; but Herod makes no move to go to find out more about him. Like the skeptics of Nazareth, he has no ambition to become his follower in spite of the reports of his wondrous deeds.10 Herod’s fear is not a fear of God. What he heard may cause him some consternation and a sleepless night or two, but it has no other effect on him. He may be thinking, “You no sooner kill one preacher of repentance than another pops up to stir up the masses.”
One of the things that must have troubled someone like “King Herod” (6:14) is that Jesus and his disciples were proclaiming the kingdom of God. It boils down to the simple message: God is king, and Herod (and anybody else) is not. Matthew 14:1 and Luke 3:19; 9:7 refer to Herod’s title correctly as tetrarch. Mark’s designation of him as a king may reflect a less technical, popular usage, or it may be intentionally ironic. The emperor Augustus specifically refused Herod that royal title when his father, Herod the Great, died, and his former kingdom was sliced up and parceled out to the surviving sons.11 Allegedly, his wife, Herodias, was so jealous when his nephew, Herod Agrippa, received the title king from the emperor Gaius Caligula in A.D. 37 that she egged on her husband to request the title for himself. His petition ultimately led to his dismissal and exile when opponents reported that he had stashed away a stockpile of weapons.12 Mark may be scornfully mocking Herod’s royal pretensions by giving him the title he coveted and that led to his ruin.13
Herod’s dealing with his prophetic nemesis, John, provides a classic example of how official Israel treats its prophets. He is a swollen peacock pitted against a humble and holy prophet (6:20) and is too timid to do anything about him. It recalls the conflict between king and prophet that runs through the Old Testament. As a true prophet, John has no fear of the great and powerful and boldly confronts them with their sin. Strangely, Herod wants to protect John from the wrath of his wife, Herodias, a Jezebel-like figure, and places him in custody.14
The account of John’s imprisonment and execution underscores the great impiety of Herod.15 First, John reproachs him publicly for marrying Herodias, his niece, who is already the wife of his half brother.16 According to Josephus, when Herod Antipas stayed with them on his way to Rome, he fell in love with her and brazenly proposed marriage. Herodias may have perceived this arrangement as a move up the social ladder and agreed upon the condition that he divorce his wife, the daughter of Aretas IV, the ruler of neighboring Nabatea. The divorce may have touched off a border war with the outraged Aretas years later, which resulted in serious military losses for Herod.17 His new marriage ignited religious protests at home because it was classified as incestuous (Lev. 18:16; 20:21).
Ironically, Herod’s young stepdaughter captivates him with her presumably erotic dancing, which also hints of incestuous lust. John condemns Herod for the lust that led to the first incest; his inflamed passion for his stepdaughter results in John’s execution. Herod is therefore presented as one who knows no taboos. The lascivious behavior at Herod’s court would also have been considered disgraceful to a pious Jew, and Jews viewed birthdays as pagan celebrations.18 The party is rife with paganism: the presence of dancing girls at a stag party (Herodias is not present), a drunken king doing the bidding of a woman, and the beheading of a prophet on a whim.
Herodias understandably holds a grudge against someone who has called for her removal from the seat of power. Either Herodias seizes the moment to sacrifice her daughter’s dignity by sending her in to dance to win Herod’s favor or takes advantage of an opportunity to do away with her prophetic nemesis when her daughter comes to consult with her. The delighted king impulsively or drunkenly offers the girl half of his kingdom, a proverbial expression for generosity (1 Kings 13:8; Est. 5:3, 6; 7:2). As a puppet of Rome, Herod does not have the right to give half of his kingdom away.19 By contrast, Jesus bestows the gift of the power of the kingdom of God on his disciples, which brings healing to others. Herod Antipas offers up half of his pitiful little kingdom, which brings death to one of God’s prophets.20 Herod, whom Jesus calls a shaking reed (Matt. 11:7) and a fox (Luke 13:32), is himself outfoxed by his wife, who is engaged in court intrigue. He values his honor in keeping his rash oath more than John’s life and winds up killing the one he fears and has gladly heard. It will not be the last time that a ruler submits to the will of others to have an innocent man executed.
The grisly detail of John’s head brought to Herod and the other partyers on a platter caps off a banquet already polluted by excess. John dies according to the caprice of an evil woman and the weakness of her impotent and debauched husband. Even beheaded, John is more powerful than this so-called king. Herod’s ghastly crime will live on in infamy while John’s message of moral outrage and call for repentance still rings in the corridors of power.
The Return of the “Apostles” (6:30)
IN 6:30 THE Twelve are called “apostles” for the first and only time in this Gospel. The title has in view their function as those sent out rather than some permanent office or status. They have fulfilled the particular commission Jesus gave them to do and now report to him. The mission of the apostles therefore brackets the account of the death of John. As we have seen before (3:20–35; 5:21–43), recognizing this sandwich technique is crucial for unfolding Mark’s theological purpose. The insertion does more than provide an interlude between the sending out and return of the disciples; it interprets the flanking halves.21 It foreshadows the suffering that comes to God’s messengers. What happens to John will happen to Jesus in his mission and to the disciples in theirs.
By identifying himself as a prophet in Nazareth (6:4), Jesus links himself to the fate of prophets. The report of the execution of John then follows. Mark has only spoken of John as a forerunner who came preaching a baptism of repentance, in order to prepare the way for the one who will baptize in the Holy Spirit. He does not mention the circumstances of his birth (cf. Luke 1:5–25) or of his lingering doubts about what Jesus was doing (cf. Matt. 11:2–6). Nor does John serve in Mark as a prominent a witness to Jesus, as he does in the Gospel of John (1:15, 19–35; 3:22–30; 5:33; 10:41).
What is pivotal about John’s role for this Gospel is what happens to him when he goes out to preach (Mark 1:4). It foreshadows what will happen to Jesus when he goes out to preach (1:14). Just as John was “handed over” (1:14; “put in prison,” NIV), so Jesus will be “handed over” (3:19; 9:31; 10:33; “betrayed,” NIV). Just as John is executed by a reluctant political ruler at the instigation of a conniving individual who plotted his death behind the scenes (6:14–29), so Jesus will be sentenced to death by a reluctant political ruler at the instigation of hostile leaders who engineer his death behind the scenes (14:1–2; 15:1–2, 11). Just as Herodias seized an “opportune time” to carry out her evil designs (6:21), so Judas will seek an “opportunity” to betray Jesus to the high priests (14:11). Just as Herod was caught off guard by the response to his reckless offer (6:23–26); so Pilate will be surprised by the response to his offer of releasing a prisoner (15:6–15). The violent and shameful death of John augurs the violent and shameful death of Jesus.
When Jesus is dying on the cross, those who taunt him in his last moments think that he calls for Elijah and wait to see if the prophet will come in dramatic fashion to rescue him. Jesus has already identified John the Baptizer as Elijah who has come: “But I tell you, Elijah has come, and they have done to him everything they wished, just as it is written about him” (9:13). The message is clear. If they did this to the messenger of the Lord who preached repentance (1:4), they will do it also to the Lord himself, who also preaches repentance (1:15).
John’s death foreshadows the suffering of the Son of Man, but the sending out of the Twelve and their return “sandwiches” the account of his death. John’s beheading, therefore, casts the shadow of death over the disciples’ mission. The bracketing suggests that what happened to John the Baptizer presages what will also happen to any who preach the same message of repentance in a hostile world (6:12). They too will be handed over (13:9, 11–12). They too will have to stand before kings (13:9). While Jesus’ ministry began after John’s imprisonment (1:14), the disciples’ preaching begins after John’s death.
In spite of the disciples’ success in casting out demons and healing the sick, death and evil loom on the horizon because humankind is evil and resists the message that God is king. All would-be kings will consider this message subversive and will do all in their power to stamp it out. The power to do miracles does not grant them immunity from suffering and death. The world is filled with villainous people in high and low places, who will try to rub out the messengers of God and their disturbing message. But it will not work. When the princes of this world have done their stamping, God is not through. The world will not easily be rid of prophets like John because of the God who raises the dead and enables disciples to remain faithful. The kingdom advances in spite of the murderous evil in the world.
Bridging Contexts
THE REVIEW OF the circumstances of John’s execution inserted into the account of the disciples’ mission informs the meaning of the disciples’ mission. The gruesome account of John’s undoing by a wicked queen and a feckless so-called king should not be interpreted simply as an engaging digression. Mark’s use of the bracketing technique elsewhere suggests that he wrapped the sending of the disciples off on their mission around the death of John so that the two accounts would help interpret one another. The account of Herod’s weakness, Herodias’ scheming, and John’s death has something do with the mission of the disciples. Recognizing this helps us in our attempt to bring this passage into contemporary society. This passage is not about how to do mission but about the character of the disciples’ mission.
(1) Jesus’ strange instructions reveal that the mission is to be carried out with the utmost urgency. All that the disciples do in their mission—their proclamation, their healing, their provisions, their housing—reveal to others that they go with Jesus’ authority and that the call to repentance is not routine preaching that can be casually ignored. To scorn their message has dire consequences.
(2) The account of John’s death reveals that mission to a world under the domination of the powers is filled with danger. Not only may disciples face rejection and be forced to abandon an area, they may actually face execution. Secular rulers do not want to hear preaching about another king, even if that king is God. They do not want to be confronted with their sins, and they do not fear the power of those who work wonders or even the power of the One who is able to raise the dead. The prospect of death when one ventures on mission for Christ into a world ruled by such kings is not some remote possibility. It is real.
Contemporary Significance
WHILE WE MUST always trust God to supply all our needs, Jesus’ charge dispatching his disciples on their mission without preparations or provisions hardly applies today. Few churches or mission agencies send off missionaries to fend for themselves without any support. Some missionaries may be required to line up their own financial support before they go; others receive generous support from the cooperative giving of their denomination or home church. Hardly any missionaries from wealthy countries go out expecting to depend entirely on the goodwill of those to whom they preach. Other than the judicious advice to go two by two, which provides some measure of protection from the twin dangers of attack and temptation, this passage informs us more about the character of mission for Christ than the specifics of mission. From a close reading of the text we can draw the following principles about their mission that apply today.
(1) The disciples’ mission is an extension of Christ’s work in the world. They go as the voice and action of Christ. Jesus will not do it all. He sends out disciples to help make ministry happen. They go in his name, preach what he taught, and work by his power. He does not send them out hat-in-hand to beg for a positive response but with divine authority to call others to repentance.
(2) They are to be so dedicated to the task of their mission that personal comforts become inconsequential. When Jesus sends out his disciples, he expects them to concentrate more on getting the message out than getting the finest accommodations. They are not sent out on a vacation excursion but are charged with a matter of life and death for others. They not only need to win their attention but also their confidence. No one will take seriously messengers who claim to bring an urgent message of life and death when it becomes evident that their first concern is to secure their own ease. Interest in luxurious living can only undermine the message’s gravity. If disciples must from time to time shake the dust from their feet, they must be free from any worldly entanglements. The more they become entrenched in power structures of society with its values and pleasures, the harder it will be to disengage themselves and point to God’s judgment.
Devotion to the task rather than devotion to oneself is therefore an absolute requirement for those who serve God. Some students leave seminary with their hearts set on gaining some great church where they will be well paid and applauded for their great successes; the less affluent churches go begging for someone to serve them. Few graduates want to go to places where no established churches exist and start from scratch. How can we pray for the evangelization of the world when we are unwilling to make sacrifices ourselves to help in that task? How can we expect to reach others when we seek shelter behind a stained-glass curtain? When Jesus calls us, he sends us out. He does not promise a successful career or protection from sickness, ordeals, or tyrants. We do not always get to choose where we will go. It may be next door; it may be to death’s door. In order to be of service to Christ and others we must die to ourselves, something Jesus will expand upon later in the Gospel (8:34–37). Answering the call to serve others is risky business, but ignoring it or scorning it is even riskier.
(3) The disciples’ mission is not just a matter of preaching the good news but of bringing into effect in people’s lives the good news of healing and deliverance. They do not offer people something new to believe in but something that tangibly changes their lives. The good news is not just about saving souls but is also connected to physical healing. If people ask, as they frequently do, “What’s in it for me?” the answer is clear: healing and restoration.
(4) Jesus does not commission his disciples to bestow blessings on people if they first believe and are willing to pay them for their ministry. They are to touch any who are in need, without any conditions. They are not sent to places that promise to be the most lucrative but to places where there is the greatest need.
(5) We should note the hint of triumph in the midst of suffering. Geddert maintains that Mark is not intent on giving only “ominous warnings of doom” in 1:14 and 6:14–29 but tries to help the discerning reader “trace the silver lining” in the dark cloud. The powers of evil seem to deal a dismal defeat with the arrest and death of John, but John’s beheading does not silence God’s message. Twelve messengers take his place, who, like Jesus, go about preaching, healing, and exorcising demons. Geddert comments: “One is rejected, but the work goes on and expands. The kingdom cannot be stopped by human opposition.”22 Ironically, even John’s executioner suspected that he might ultimately triumph (6:16); and he was right. Death to God’s messengers will not defeat God’s cause. Justin Martyr’s famous dictum, “the blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church,” applies, as does Søren Kierkegaard’s: “The tyrant dies and his rule ends, the martyr dies and his rule begins.” God raises the dead and raises up new witnesses to take their place here in this life.
Two final notes: On Jesus’ instruction to shake dust from the feet and the theme of “hearing.” The instructions to shake the dust from their feet indicates that the disciples’ mission is to have a dramatic flair. It does not eternally condemn those who reject the rule of God, but it does convey how serious it is to do so. It also frees the messenger to move on. One cannot coerce, entice, or threaten people into the kingdom of God. Each person must make his or her own decision. Jesus recognizes that people can and will reject the gospel, but the gesture of shaking dust drives home the gravity of their rejection.
Today, this instruction may create a dilemma. When does one decide that it is time to “shake the dust from one’s feet” in an unproductive area and when to stick it out and continue to try to find the lost? During his earthly ministry, Jesus and his disciples had only a short time to call Israel to repentance. The urgent time constraints of his ministry, therefore, make this command less applicable for us today. We have the luxury of staying in one place longer, even if results are not immediately apparent or people are overtly hostile. We should not use this phrase as an excuse to move on when the going gets hard, though there are times when it is necessary to close the book and relocate. But how do we express the grave danger of spurning the message of the kingdom without allowing a vindictive spirit to creep in? How many times have we heard someone say, “I showed them—I shook the dust of that place from my feet”? Mission work is a never-ending task, and one must be careful before writing a place off as a failure or chalking another one up as a success.
The account of John’s death throws cold water on the rush of excitement that being able to cast out demons and heal illnesses might bring. It makes plain that Jesus sends disciples into a dangerous world. They may encounter something far more perilous than indifference. Herod is said to have listened to John the Baptizer with fascination. John elicited both gladness and perplexity in the ruler (see Paul and Felix in Acts). How often God’s message exerts a strange power that makes people want to listen to things that disturb them greatly. Apparently, Herod could listen to sermons all day long; but like so many, he had a rock-hard resistance to repentance and was too weak to obey. The cost would have been enormous for him. He would have had to give up his wife, his dancing parties, and his abuse of power.
Hearing John’s message and acknowledging that he was a righteous man, however, only served to compound the enormity of Herod’s guilt. The theme of hearing reemerges in 6:14 and 20, which brackets the first section 6:14–20. According to the criteria of Jesus’ parable of the sower, Herod qualifies as bad ground. He hears gladly, but does nothing. He reveres John as a prophet but cannot muster enough courage to admit he made a rash oath and should not submit to his wife’s wicked request. A fearless prophet is undone by a cowardly king, who saved his face but lost his soul.
On her part, Herodias refuses even to listen to John and is perhaps worried over her husband’s fascination with this troublesome prophet. She is a social climber, who is willing to sacrifice even her daughter to secure her hold on her husband and power. She is hardly a shining parental example. What does her daughter learn from being encouraged to dance lasciviously before her father and his guests? What does she learn from the joy of her mother when she presents her with the head of John? Surely Herodias would probably not have openly taught her daughter to be conniving, heartless, and cruel. But she taught her through her actions. More than one parent has communicated to their children more through action than through words: I’m willing to sacrifice you, your integrity, your self-esteem, to get what I want. Children are resilient and can overcome bad parenting, but, more often than not, the result is a shattered life.