This week’s gospel text is unusual in part because it is a lengthy section in which Jesus is neither speaking nor acting. While the focus of this text is on the dramatic story of John the Baptist’s death, Mark manages to remind his readers of Jesus’ own experience. While the awful end that awaits John is one of the most compelling stories in scripture, it also points readers toward the greatest story ever told the story of God’s ultimate saving work through Jesus Christ.

What we do hear about in this unit is the twisted and nefarious nature of family life within the Herodians. Keeping track of the gnarled and nasty family tree that sprung forth from Herod the Great is about as confusing as a family reunion of the child of retired boxer/grillmaster George Foreman, who named all five of h…