“It was Herod who had … bound him [John] in prison for the sake of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife, because he had married her. For John had been saying to Herod, ‘It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife.’ And Herodias had a grudge against him. … But an opportunity came when Herod on his birthday gave a banquet …. For when Herodias’s daughter came in and danced, … the king said to the girl, ‘Ask me for whatever you wish, and I will give it to you.’ … she went out and said to her mother, ‘For what should I ask?’ And she said, ‘The head of John the Baptist.’ And she came … to the king … saying, ‘I want you to give me at once the head of John the Baptist on a platter.’ And the king was exceedingly sorry, but because of his oaths and his guests he did not want to break his word to her. And immediately the king sent an executioner… and [he] brought his head on a platter and gave it to the girl, and the girl gave it to her mother.“
(Mark 6:17-19a, 21a, 22, 24-27a, 28 ESV)
Why does God allow horrible things to happen to His best servants? That’s what hits me every time I read this story. John was Jesus’ forerunner, the greatest of the prophets that came before Him. His whole life was about getting people ready for Jesus. And this is how it ends for him—with his head on a platter, carried by a dancing girl while his worst enemy gloats over it.
Matthew tells us how Jesus took the news: “Now when Jesus heard this, He withdrew from there in a boat to a desolate place by Himself” (Matthew 14:13a ESV). That looks like grief to me. And of course John’s death was a preview of Jesus’ own death; there’s no way Jesus could have avoided seeing that, and it would have added to the pain.
In a way, that fact comforts me. If God in human flesh could grieve for John, and needed to be alone to deal with His feelings, it tells me John’s death matters to God. God isn’t ignoring it, He’s grieving for it. And so I can trust that my own suffering matters to God also.
Because that’s what really bothers us, isn’t it? It’s not so much that we have to know exactly why God allowed something to happen. It’s that we wonder if God cares. Does He know? Does He care? Does He get pleasure out of evil? Or does He hate it—hate it as much as we do, and even more?
If God hates evil, and grieves over it, then I can trust Him with the decisions He makes about the universe. He is not ignoring my suffering; He became a human being for just that reason, to break the power of evil over us and to set us free from sin, death, and the devil. Jesus’ death means that John’s death matters—and my death, and yours. Jesus’ resurrection means that God’s love is real, and His gift to us is life—life and joy that will last forever. We can trust Him.
We Pray: Lord, when I don’t understand the evil around me, help me to trust You. Amen.
This Daily Devotion was written by Dr. Kari Vo.
Originally published in The Lutheran Hour on July 11, 2024
Used by permission from International Lutheran Laymen’s League, all rights
Reflection Questions:
1. When bad things happen, do you prefer to be alone, or with others? Why?
2. Why do you think John’s disciples went to tell Jesus right away (see Matthew 14:12)?
3. How does God help you deal with horror and evil?