John the Baptist is one of the major characters in the New Testament. A cynic prophet during the time of Jesus is well-known for being active in preaching the coming of the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 11:12). As illustrated biblically, this kingdom of heaven must be established indiscriminately. It means a form of violence must be put in place in order to crush out the kingdom of darkness. The evil forces dominate the people and cause them to hate each other; greed is rampant in the government; and lust, pride, and envy are common among the people. This is how the world goes around becoming more violent. In which John the Baptist preaches about the coming of the kingdom of heaven. He prepares for the coming of the kingdom of heaven through Jesus.
In relation to our gospel reading today, it is illustrated how the Baptizer was completely killed by the present Herodian system of violence. Creating violence at that time was part of their strategy, especially with regard to their leadership and administration as well as those questioning their lavish living. According to the gospel, King Herod had a secret affair with Herodias, the wife of his brother. This was exposed by John the Baptist because committing adultery is against the will of God, as stated in the Ten Commandments. During the time of Herodias’ birthday, she requested to the King Herod the head of John, and the king immediately brought the head of John to a platter. They never address the issue; rather, they create another problem from the problem.
This scenario is similar to what is happening to us. There is a lady influencer inside the palace who is acting as a little president. According to the book of the Atty. Vic Rodriguez entitled the Kingmaker; this lady is the wife of the head of state, who is always meddling in the affairs of the government. She is not elected but rather has a strong influence on the head of the state, and whatever her will is, she should follow. She is the modern Herodias who creates misunderstanding among Filipino people, drives us to disunite, spreads fake news to the media, conducts costly parties at the palace, and controls the appointment of all positions in the government.
Actually, I highly appreciate women who have participated in governance. However, this lady is different from what I expected. The Apostle Paul reminded Timothy of the leadership authority of a woman in the church. They should learn quietness and full submission and not allow themselves to assume authority (1 Timothy 2:11–15). Women will be saved through childbearing. It means that a woman should sustain her faith in God in order to raise her child to be faithful, teach them to understand how to understand the love of God, and nurture them to keep doing right. A woman who leads to good governance is kind, modest, and has strong faith in God. But if a woman is an influencer who creates violence in our country, we need to act accordingly.
The intentions of a baptizer and an influencer are different. A baptizer is usually looking for peace, harmonious living, and maintaining the will of God in the community. Contrary to an influencer who works to create violence in order to divide the community, makes war among neighbors, and always asks for attention. According to the gospel, Herodias danced and pleased King Herod and his dinner guests. Have you remembered the influencer in the palace paying such attention during the Vin d’honneur for the members of the Diplomatic Corps on June 12, 2024? It was an unprecedented act done by her because she created a vivid scenario. She is an expert at telling lies and creating scenarios that become an attraction to many. So, the intentions of both—the baptizer and the influencer—are based on motives; rather, the baptizer has an unselfish aim, and the influencer is looking for personal interest.
In conclusion, the gospel tells us the end of the mission of John the Baptist. It was tied up with the mission of Jesus to extract the truth in times of persecution and death. Also, it reflects that there is no truth in greed, fear, and violence. Evangelist John reminds us that if we know the truth, the truth will make us free (John 8:32). Therefore, the truth should not be hidden. Second, the consequences of telling the truth lead to death. This is alarming because those who tell the truth may face consequences. We need to spiritually vanguard at this time because fake news, censorship, lies, greed, harassment, and violence are being used by the authorities so that no one can speak against them.
Prayer
Oh, God of justice and peace, please hear us. Today, we encounter uncertainty in our lives because the authorities have instigated fear among us. They force us to keep silent about what is really going on in our midst. Through Your Holy Spirit, please provide us with your care and guidance to overcome this uncertainty. Amen.
