Mark 6:14-29

Mark's account of the death of John the Baptist is placed in reference to the growing fame of Christ. Jesus not revealing his identity to the public led to speculations. The wildest speculation came from the guiltiest conscience. The whole Herodian family was dysfunctional in the extreme. This is put on display for the ages in the events of John’s death.  The conscience is a powerful thing.  With the exception of a sociopath who has completely killed his conscience, everyone struggles with what a conscience brings.  While vile and wicked to the core, Herod was bothered by what he had done to John and it provoked what was left of his guilty conscience. Herod also protected John enjoying listening to him and was challenged by him. Herod wants to find a middle ground a way that will not do the greatest evil, but is not genuinely righteous. One who is in deeper darkness easily manipulates a person who is trying to find a middle way. Like the gravitational pull of a planet on a satellite with a degrading orbit is the effect of an evil person on the individual who is not committed to biblical grace, holiness and faith. Herodias was like that to Herod.

When there is such a person in our lives there must be a clean break from the negative influences because the cunning of the powers of darkness will always outmaneuver the person given to compromise; if not now later, if not on this occasion, some future opportunity. The person who still has a conscience, but is living in sin is never completely at peace. They have two options.  One option is they can give themselves over completely to righteousness. This painful experience begins with a coming to terms with their evil and this coming to terms is called repentance. This requires us to renounce and reject completely the world, the flesh and the Devil along with all the delights such as a dancing girl that these may offer. The other option is to slowly and passively degrade ourselves, killing our conscience a bit at a time till we either are overtaken by death, or become a spiritual sociopath with no conscience left. There is no third way.  Herod took one more step into deeper darkness when he killed John.