Reverse Chronology

 

For by Him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities--all things were created through Him and for Him.  --Colossians 1:16

Most stories are told in chronological order, with a definite beginning, middle, and end.  When we read to small children, often we hear then exclaim, "And then what happened?"  We are conditioned to appreciate narratives, especially historical narratives, that move from one point to the next to the next until the final scene unfolds.  It's how we learn cause and effect.

Skilled storytellers sometimes tell their story backwards.  This is a technique called reverse chronology.  According to Wikipedia, "in a story employing this technique, the first scene is actually the conclusion to the plot.  Once that scene ends, the penultimate scene is shown, and so on, so that the final scene the viewer sees is the first chronologically."  It is often done to make a point, or to emphasize the motives or the way of thinking of the narrator.

Our passage today, Mark 6:14-29, is told in reverse chronology.  The same story is told in a similar way in Matthew 14:1-12, and to a limited extent in Luke 9:7-9, but no one has more backstory than Mark when relating this tale.  I want to break up the narrative Mark lays out with a little commentary between just to emphasize the technique (and also with a bit of backstory myself).  

You will recall that we have, up to now, heard Mark tell of Jesus preaching the gospel, urging people to repent, but also meeting their needs through miraculous acts of healing and driving out demons.

King Herod heard of it, for Jesus' name had become known. --Mark 6:14a

Never having seen Jesus personally, Herod must have had discussions with his friends and advisors about the source or cause of these miracles.  "How can these things be?" was a question on everyone's mind, not only Herod's.

Some said, "John the Baptist has been raised from the dead.  That is why these miraculous powers are at work in him."  But others said, "He is Elijah."  And others said, "He is a prophet, like one of the prophets of old."  --Mark 6:14b-15

In trying to explain the unexplainable, some were superstitious, saying it was the ghost of John the Baptist.  They remembered John had come preaching the same message of repentance and gospel of forgiveness that Jesus was preaching.  It was only natural that they would think of John, because the message was the same.  However, the acts that were being done were definitely supernatural.  John had been known for preaching and for baptizing the repentant, not for miracles; therefore it had to be his ghost.

The less superstitious among them were apparently more religious, because they called Jesus a prophet.  One of the most famous prophets in Judaism was Elijah, and they remembered that Elijah had performed many miracles while he was alive.  They also remembered the last two verses of the Hebrew Bible, Malachi 4:5-6, where it was prophesied, "Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and awesome day of the Lord comes.  And he will turn the hearts of fathers to their children and the hearts of children to their fathers, lest I come and strike the land with a decree of utter destruction."  Therefore, they believed that Jesus was Elijah--either literally reincarnated or figuratively a prophet of the same caliber.

But when Herod heard of it, he said, "John, whom I beheaded, has been raised."  --Mark 6:16

Herod, being overcome by guilt, believes those who had said it was John the Baptist.  Mark, the narrator of the story, then tries to explain why Herod felt so guilty.

 For it was Herod who had sent and seized John and bound him in prison for the sake of Herodias, his brother Philip's wife, because he had married her.  --Mark 6:17

Here Mark feels that more backstory is needed.

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 and wanted him put to death.  But she could not, for Herod feared John, knowing that he was a righteous and holy man, and he kept him safe.  When he heard him, he was greatly perplexed, and yet he heard him gladly.  --Mark 6:18-20

John spoke truth to power.  Herod was convicted of sin, "and greatly perplexed."  Herodias wanted John dead for speaking out against the king.  Herod put John in protective custody, in prison but close enough that he could have John brought out from time to time so he could speak (remember this was before television or the internet.)  So how did John die, if Herod had protected him?  More backstory.

But an opportunity came when Herod on his birthday gave a banquet for his nobles and military commanders and the leading men of Galilee.  For when Herodias's daughter came in and danced, she pleased Herod and his guests.  And the king said to the girl, "Ask me for whatever you wish, and I will give it to you."  And he vowed to her, "Whatever you ask me, I will give you, up to half my kingdom."  And 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 in immediately with haste to the king and asked, saying, "I want you to give me 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 with orders to bring John's head.  He went and beheaded him in the prison and brought his head on a platter and gave it to the girl, and the girl gave it to her mother.  When his disciples heard of it, they came and took his body and laid it in a tomb.  --Mark 6:21-29

So we know why John the Baptist died, but the story is not about John the Baptist.  We know that Herodias hated John the Baptist, but the story is not really about Herodias.  We know that Herod had John killed, and felt sorry because he really liked John, but that's not what the story is about, either.  The story is not about any of these people, but about Jesus.  That's why I think it was told in reverse chronological order.  

If Mark had started with John the Baptist calling out the king for taking his sister-in-law as his wife, then the story would have been about John being a martyr, and Herodias being a jealous queen.  Although we find out about all of this in the backstory, the real narrative is about Jesus.  Luke tells the story much more succinctly:

Now Herod the tetrarch heard about all that was happening, and he was perplexed, because it was said by some that John had been raised from the dead, by some that Elijah had appeared, and by others that one of the prophets of old had risen.  Herod said, "John I beheaded, but who is this about whom I hear such things?"  And he sought to see Him.  --Luke 9:7-9

As you can see, Luke makes this passage about Herod, but he compresses the story so that he can get back to telling about Jesus.  Mark, on the other hand, starts with Jesus, because that was the main character of the story.  In telling the story in reverse chronology, Mark makes us realize that Jesus perplexes the powerful because He defies explanation.  Mark shows us that Jesus empowers men like John to speak truth to power, and the message of repentance can cause kings to feel conviction.  His story encourages those who may be persecuted or martyred to remain faithful, and to hold to the message even unto death.  Above all, Mark reminds us that it's all about Jesus.