that Heworked elsewhere.Jesus vented Jesusfromworking thesamesortsofmiracles not. fact thatsomeonetheyknew hadthispower,buttheydid Jesus’ powerandauthority becausetheyresentedthe thing isn’tright!”Theywere jealous:theycouldn’taccept penter like and they’reabunchofnobodies!Howdidsimplecar- said, “WeknowJesus’family, low). Thepeopleessentially trust thatwhichheshouldfol- that apersoniscausedtodis- eskandalizonto fense” inversethreeis Greek wordtranslated“of- cause distrusted Jesusprecisely to teachandworkmiracles. and wasempoweredbyGod their peoplehad“madegood,” would bethrilledthatoneof come outofNazareth?”— of Jesus,“Cananythinggood insignificant thatSt.Nathan’a-elaskedwhenhefirstheard would thinkthatthepeopleofNazareth—atownso town ofNazareth,about20milesfromCapernaum.We Unfortunately fortheNazarenes, theirdistrustpre- Instead, theNazarenes Jesus andtheDisciplesreturnedtoJesus’home- ofHisbackground(the Him MARK 6:1-6 MARK 6:1-6 , whichmeans becomesosmartandpowerful?Some- LESSON EIGHT:THEGOSPELACCORDINGTOS.MARK6:1-29

be- FAST FACTSFACTS headed St.JohntheBaptist. l Hero’di-as, thewifeofhisbrotherPhilip. Antipas forpubliclycondemningHerod’smarriageto l mons, andcommissionedthemtopreachheal. l there. and power,Jesusdidnotworkmanymiracles l what Hetaught). He taughtinthesynagogue(readLuke4:16-21tosee l IT’S INTHEBIBLE... IT’S INTHEBIBLE... IT’S INTHEBIBLE... IT’S INTHEBIBLE... could Nazarenes did: people wouldrespondtoJesusinthewaythat Jesus returnedtoHishometownofNazareth,where To fulfillanoathmadetohisdaughter,Herodbe- Jesus gavethetwelveDisciplespoweroverde- The NazareneswerejealousofJesus’wisdom St. JohntheBaptistwasimprisonedbyHerod spised, andweesteemedhimnot. from whommenhidetheirfaceshewasde- rows, andacquaintedwithgrief;asone despised andrejectedbymen;amanofsor- no beautythatweshoulddesirehim.Hewas or comelinessthatweshouldlookathim,and like arootoutofdryground;hehadnoform He grewupbeforehimlikeayoungplant,and The HolyProphetIsaiahprophesiedthatmany havehealed the Jesus? bring honorto What canIdotodayto Him thehonorHedeserves? I liveinwaysthatdonotshow love andrespectHim,ordo self: DoIhonorJesus,do things, youneedtoaskyour- honor fromthepeoplewithwhomHegrewupin own house”(vs.4).WeseethatJesusdidnotreceive in hisowncountry,andamongkin, LOOK ATYOURSELF LOOK ATYOURSELF LOOK ATYOURSELF LOOK ATYOURSELF Since youareallthese Jesus said,“Aprophetisnotwithouthonor,except (53:2-3) 14:23). (John loves Him home ineverypersonwho Jesus promisestomakeHis Samuel 7:14).Furthermore, Corinthians 6:18,quoting2 or daughterofGod(2 (2:19-20). Youarealsoason tian, isthebrideofChrist and thereforeyouasaChris- saw inMark2thattheChurch, Nazareth. Do MAP you honorChrist?We sick Nazarenes — as God, He could heal them regard- Chrysostom, in his commentary on the Gospel accord- less of whether they wanted to be healed— but He ing to St. Matthew, explains that Jesus didn’t simply mean, wouldn’t force His healing upon them when they refused “‘Take them not with you,’ but, ‘Even if you can obtain to accept Him as the healer. According Abba Chaermeon, them from another, flee the evil disease [of greed, en- one of the Desert Fathers, “The bounty of God is actu- gaging in God’s work only to make money].’ And you see ally curtailed temporarily according to the receptivity of that hereby He was answering many good purposes; first our faith.” setting His disciples above suspicion; secondly, freeing them from all care, so that they might give all their lei- MARK 6:7-13 sure to the word; thirdly, teaching them His own power.” The Gospel accounts of Jesus sending the twelve Notice what Jesus commissioned and empowered Disciples out to evangelize and heal (Matthew 10:5-11:1; the Disciples to do: exorcise demons (vs. 7), preach the Luke 9:1-6) give different descriptions of what the Dis- Kingdom of God so that people would repent (vs. 12; ciples were allowed to take with them, but they all have see 1:14-15), and heal the sick (vs. 13). This is the same one thing in common: the Disciples were to “travel light,” ministry in which they saw Christ engage: a ministry of taking neither money nor food with them. St. John restoring humanity to God. MARK 6:14-29 TIME TRAVEL Herod the Great, who attempted to kill Jesus after When we look at the circumstances of the behead- His birth (Matthew 2:16), divided his kingdom among ing of St. John the Baptist, we are shocked by the dis- his three sons: Herod Archelaeus (who governed Judea gusting details: a fearless prophet is killed by a vicious and Samaria), Herod Philip (who governed the north- ruler to fulfill the promise he made to his shameless eastern territories), and Herod Antipas (who governed daughter (in Jewish culture, only a woman with low mor- Galilee and Perea, and is described by Jesus in Luke als would have danced to entertain partygoers) at the 13:32 as “that fox”). request of his wife (whom he stole from his brother). It is After killing St. John the Baptist, Herod Antipas easy for us to read this story and ask, “Where is God in requested that Caesar Augustus make him King. This this injustice?” angered Augustus, who exiled Antipas in 39 AD. St. John Chrysostom answers St. Mark calls Herod Antipas “king,” not because this question: “Do not say, ‘Why was he was unaware that Antipas was merely a tetrarch, John allowed to die?’ For what oc- but as an ironic statement that pokes fun at Antipas’ curred was not a death, but a crown, ambitions and showed that neither his position or be- not an end, but the beginning of a havior were those of a good king. greater life. Learn to think and live like a Christian. You will not only re- main unharmed by these events, OUR FAITH TEACHES but will reap the greatest benefits.” OUR FAITH TEACHES On August 29th the Church cel- Kontakion for the Feast of the Beheading of St. John: ebrates the Beheading of the Holy The memory of the righteous is celebrated with songs Glorious Prophet, Forerunner, and Baptist John. Ortho- of praise, but the Lord’s testimony is sufficient for you, dox Christians fast on this day to remind us that our O Forerunner. You were shown indeed to be the most lifestyle is different than that of Herod. Many Orthodox honorable of the prophets, for in the waters you bap- Christians also do not use plates on this day (because tize the one whom you preached. After suffering with St. John’s head was served on a platter), or eat food cut joy on behalf of the truth, you proclaimed even to those with a knife (because a sharp instrument was used to in hell the God who appeared in the flesh, Who takes behead him). away the sin of the world, and grants us great mercy.

WHAT DID I LEARN ABOUT FOLLOWING JESUS?

l Do I live my life in a way that brings honor to Jesus? Do I honor Him by both worshipping at church, and praying to Him at home? l Even though I have not been empowered by God to miracu- lously heal the sick and exorcise demons, what can I do to restore others to God? l Holy martyrs like St. John the Baptist can teach me a lot about treasuring my relationship with God above everything else - even my life. Are there things that are more important to me than this relationship?