Of Justice and Blame

In the book The Gospel of Mark by Amy-Jill Levine, she spends some time writing about the beheading of John the Baptist.

To set the scene, we need to know about Herod Antipas, who was the ruler of Galilee. Also in the passage are his wife, Herodias, and his niece, Salome, who is his wife's daughter. Yes, there you catch part of the issue - Antipas was married his brother's wife, and he divorced his previous wife to do so.  John, according the Mark, has been preaching against this, implying it was incest. On top of that, word of Jesus' activity has reached Herod Antipas. Also, Josephus, an ancient historian, recounts that Herod Antipas was concerned about the popularity of John the Baptist, worried that John could lead the people to rebellion.  Let's just say the situation was complicated.

Antipas holds a party to celebrate his birthday. As part of the entertainment, Salome, who was probably about 12 years old, dances for those attending. Levine writes, "Herod Antipas and Herodias are well matched. He, inappropriately, lusts for the girl; she, inappropriately, uses the girl to achieve her own ends.  Caught in the middle is John, who loses his head.

Levine also writes, "While history tends to blame Herodias - blaming the 'evil woman' is an easy and common move - the person finally responsible for Johns' death is the tetrarch (Herod Antipas) or, in Mark's account, the king. His oaths, and the co-recliners, that is his guests, are more important than justice."

When, in our lives, do we place our reputation, our belongings, or our own plans above the work of justice? When, in our society, do we do that? And isn't it easy to blame someone else?