[stephenkhoo]

29 AUGUST 2015, Saturday, Beheading of John the Baptist

THE NECESSARY DISPOSITIONS BEFORE ONE CAN PROCLAIM THE TRUTH FEARLESSLY
SCRIPTURE READINGS: JER 1:17-19; MK 6:17-29

Although many of us are unable to act the way John the Baptist did, we can still reflect on how one might be able to gather such courage and imitate his noble example.  In other words, the question is what kind of dispositions must one have before one can speak the truth for justice?  What is it that John the Baptist has that we do not?

Firstly, John the Baptist shows us that one must have a deep faith in God.   Indeed, John the Baptist was seen by everyone, even Herod himself, as a man of God, as he was an upright and holy man.  We know that he himself has spent all his life in the desert listening to the voice of God.  Only a man who has a deep faith in God is not afraid of death or any consequences because he trusts that God will somehow bring out good from any kind of situation.   This deep faith in God will also enable the person to do what he perceives to be right.

This is the second disposition necessary for a man to act.  Indeed, only a man who has a deep faith and relationship with God would be centered enough to discern the situation.  John the Baptist was not muddle-headed in evaluating the situation.  He saw that an injustice had been done and he spoke accordingly.  Without clarity of mind and heart, it is not possible even to act, or at least to act with conviction and strength.  Without conviction, one cannot commit oneself totally.  Conviction however must come from a clear mind a clean heart.

Thirdly, a deep faith in God will bring about selflessness.  When a person is truly one with God, he cannot but become selfless.  In his union with God, he loses himself and does not think of himself anymore.  Because he is already so happy to be united with God, such a man does not need anything or to gain anything from anyone since neither can add to his happiness.   This, surely, was the case for John the Baptist.  He was a man who lived meagerly because he had found the joy of God in his life.  And because he was selfless, he could stand up to Herod without fear even at the risk of his own life.  Surely, by speaking out against Herod, John the Baptist had no self-interests at all.  If John the Baptist had vested interests, then he would have lost the moral strength to speak against Herod.

Fourthly, only a selfless person can be a compassionate person.  Compassion implies that we have forgotten about our own passion and learnt to identify with the passion of another.  It is compassion for others, especially those who suffer and are voiceless, that enables one to take up their cause.  Compassion is the concrete expression of love of one’s neighbours.  In this respect, we can be very certain that John the Baptist must have felt the injustice that Herod had done to his brother.

Yes, if John the Baptist was willing to stand for the truth and for justice, it was simply because he was truly a man of God, deeply in love with Him and therefore with his fellowmen.  His lifestyle was surely in contrast to ours and to the other characters portrayed in the scripture readings of today.  Perhaps, it is good to reflect for ourselves where we stand with regard to our relationship with God and therefore with our neighbours.

Perhaps, some of us are like King Herod.  He can be likened to most ordinary Christians.  Like many of us, Herod was searching for God but had not yet found Him.  He had a certain respect for the sacred but had not come to full understanding yet.  That is why he liked to listen to John the Baptist and yet was afraid to accept his message.  Herod was confused, like many of us.  We are not too sure as to what should be done in some situations.

If we are not like Herod, perhaps, some of us are like Jeremiah.  Unlike Herod, he had deep faith in God.  However, his faith was not deep enough yet as he still lacked love for his fellow human beings.  Jeremiah, unlike John the Baptist, was not selfless.  He was more afraid for his life and his own interests than the plight of his countrymen.

There are two other characters which one can identify with.  We have the character of Herodias’ daughter.  She did not seem to have a mind of her own.  She listened to whatever her mother said.  She was unable to discern what was good and what was not good.  She had no values at all.  However, she was obedient to authority.  But isn’t that the way most people act?  Many people do not have values of their own.  The values that they have are imbibed from the mass media or from some authorities.  Are we also like her?  Are we also so obedient to authority that we have relinquished our responsibility to speak and act according to what we discern to be right?  Have we forgotten that authorities at times can be wrong in judgement?  They are not infallible.

Finally, we can be like Herodias herself, the vindictive kind.  In not so nice contemporary parlance, we call her a real bitch.  She was full of hatred and defensiveness. Why?  Because unlike John the Baptist she was fearful; fearful of her interests.  She only wanted things her way.  She had no heart for others.   She was so fearful that she needed to connive with her daughter to have John the Baptist beheaded. Her heart was so full of evil, so closed to goodness and truth that she was unable to see beyond herself at all.  She only knew revenge.  She was one who not only did not discern but was incapable of discernment.  She is an example of a real hardened sinner.

Yes, to confront the truth about the state that we are in is indeed painful.  But this is why this feast is celebrated.  We all know that most of us are far from what we should be.  We know that we are all called to be John the Baptist.  And if after reflection, we know that we belong instead to one of the other four characters, then at least we know where we have gone wrong and what we are lacking.  Let us pray that a deeper relationship with God will empower us with His love so that we too might love God and His people so deeply to the extent that we are willing to live and die for them.