Success and Significance (Mark 6:14-29)

A sermon preached at Hebron Baptist Church, Sunday, May 16, 2010 by Pastor Joe Alain.

What's the difference between success and significance? Do we desire to be successful or significant? What comes to your mind when you think of success? Having a family, accomplishing goals that we have set, working at what we enjoy doing in life, having the comforts of life, a home, a nice car, the ability to take vacations, being safe and secure. In short, success for us is probably living the American Dream. However, much of how we define success probably revolves around the acquisition of material things. Success by its definition is based on outcomes or results, which are not always accurate indicators when it comes to spiritual matters.

Living successfully in the eyes of the world does not necessarily mean that we will live a life of significance. On the other hand, you can live a life of great significance (i.e., meaning, purpose, influence) in the eyes of the Lord and not appear successful at all as the world defines success. Case in point – John the Baptist.

In the story of the death of John the Baptist, we find a man who lived courageously and who desired to be significant in the eyes of God. Mark 6:14-29 provides a stark contrast between John the Baptist and Herod and his wife Herodias. While Herod and those who surrounded him prided themselves on being successful, it was John, the one who risks and loses his life that lives a life of significance.

Of course there is a price to living a life of significance. John was the good guy but he didn’t win. John was a man who followed the call of God, who was fully submitted to doing God’s will, and he ended up dead! But what really matters? That we are successful as people view us? Or that we live a life that is significant for our generation and for generations to come? Are we willing to the few who pursue this life of significance? Or will we be content to be among the masses of people who are pursuing success apart from a life significance? And if we are willing, are we willing to pay the price?

Story Summary
The fame of Jesus is spreading (v.14) and people were wondering who Jesus really was. Some were saying that he was John the Baptist raised from the dead, others Elijah, and others one of the prophets of old. Herod is worried (v.16) and for good reason.
In this passage Mark recounts the story of John’s imprisonment and execution (vv.17-20).

Apparently, John had been exposing the open scandal that was taking place in Herod’s home. Herod Anitipas lived a complicated life from a relationship standpoint. His father, Herod the Great, the Herod of Jesus’ time married many wives and had sons and daughters. So insanely suspicious was Herod the Great in his later life, that it was said, “It is safer to be Herod’s pig than Herod’s son.” What was the present scandal? Herodias was the daughter of Herod’s half-brother, Aristobulus, and therefore Herod’s niece. Herodias was also the wife of his half-brother Herod Philip, and therefore his sister-in-law.

What was spoken of only in secret among polite society, John used as his main sermon content on more than one occasion (v.18, “had been saying”)! Herod had broken Jewish law (Lev. 18:16; 20:21) and all the laws of common decency and John had continually reminded them of that.

Of course, this kind of preaching can get you in serious trouble! So Herod has John arrested at Herodias’s insistence. But Herod meant John no harm. In fact he feared John and even had him protected (v.20). He may not have liked what John said, but he knew John was right and a righteous man, he knew he was a man of God and he respected him. He even enjoyed listening to John preach (v.20) although what John said puzzled him.

Unlike Herod who struggles with his conscious, you get the picture of Herodias as a cold, calculating and cruel woman. She almost makes Herod look good. She has nursed a grudge against John (v.19). She’s not willing to forgive and forget. She determines to get even. The series of events that transpire at Herod’s birthday banquet are no doubt carefully engineered by Herodias herself.
Her opportunity came at Herod’s birthday celebration. Here’s a guy who throws his own party (v.21). Salome, the daughter of Herodias by Philip, the man she just left dances for the party guests (v.22). Herodias had no qualms about using her daughter in this way to fulfill her evil plan. Salome’s dance pleased Herod and his guests and he makes a foolish and rash vow (v.23) that Herodias takes full advantage of (vv.24-25).

Herod had a decision to make and the Bible tells us that he was “greatly distressed” (v.26). He could renounce his vow which although was not the kingly thing to do (admit that he was foolish), it would have been the right thing to do, or he could go along with his foolish vow, which he did. This kind of dilemma faces us on a daily basis. Will I chose to do what is right even if it’s not popular and is costly? Will I do what’s right even if it makes me look imperfect or human? Or will I follow the crowd? Will I do what is expedient? Herod did not want to look indecisive or appear humble in front of his dinner guests, so he consented to that which he knew was wrong. Herod chose success over significance. Fear of man drove his choice.

People who live a life of significance are people who make choices based on principle not popularity. They sometimes have to say “I made a mistake” but that’s ok, because they want to do what is right and godly. I think probably all of us would like to see ourselves like John, courageous people of conviction who do the right thing even if it’s very costly. The truth is less exciting, because we may often look like Herod. And it may be because we prize the world’s favor and success over God’s favor and significance.

Herod is struggling internally with his choice, but he makes it nonetheless (v.27). There is no internal moral struggle going on with Herodias. She’s quite happy with her little evil plan. William Barclay says of Herodias short-sighted and wicked plan that “She murdered John that she might live in peace. She forgot that while she need no longer meet John, she still had to meet God.”

The story doesn’t end on a happy note. John, the good guy, the one who followed God’s will is dead, while the successful people, the ones who will stop at nothing to maintain the status quo go on with their lives. Which brings me to this question, “What are you pursuing in life? Success? Or significance?” What’s wrong with simply pursuing success as the world defines it? Pursuing success apart from significance leads to some pitfalls. These pitfalls can be seen in Herod’s character. I mention three of them as warnings to the person who would place success above significance.

Pitfalls of pursuing success
1. The pitfall of pleasing men rather than God. Herod was more concerned about pleasing men than God. He bases his decisions on how he will be received by his wife and guests. Their approval is sought above God’s. Every move he makes is dictated by the approval of others. He feared what men might say. You cannot be a man pleaser and follow God with your whole heart. Success at any price will tempt you to please men instead of God.

2. The pitfall of ignoring your conscience. Herod followed his desires rather than listening to his conscious. He knows his lifestyle is not right and he knows killing John is wrong. But he has ignored his conscience and it has become hardened. Herod must make moral compromises and go along to get along. Success at any price will tempt you to ignore your conscience.

3. The pitfall of not taking God’s Word seriously. This explains why his conscience is hardened. Herod does not take God’s Word seriously. He is surrounded by biblical culture, yet he will not personally commit to God’s truth. Herod is in a dangerous position, a position many are in today. He enjoys listening to God’s Word, but he has no real commitment to do what it says. Success at any price will tempt you to be half-hearted in your commitment to God’s Word.

These are the dangerous pitfalls of the person who pursues success at any price, who values the world’s success over living a life of significance.

So what then characterizes the man or woman of significance?
1. Conviction born out of a whole-hearted commitment to God’s Word. John was a man of deep conviction because he was a man committed to God’s truth in His word. His moral foundation was rock solid because it was built on the truth of God’s Word. This is why all of us must be growing disciples. We must know God!

2. Courage born out of a passionate understanding of God’s heart.
John knew the heart of God, he knew that God desired to raise up a holy people. John could not help but speak up and out against the things which were robbing God’s people. Knowing God’s heart empowers us to live with courage.

3. Contentment born out of an understanding of God’s sovereign plan. John spent time in prison and time alone but he knew that God had a plan and that He was fulfilling His plan. Knowing God intimately empowers us to serve in obscurity, to serve when no one else is, to serve when we are not seeing results. We know that God has a plan and we chose to pursue an eternal life of significance over the temporary pursuit of earthly fame and fortune.

There’s a paradox in pursuing a life of significance. That is, you must first see yourself as insignificant so that your significance will be in the Lord. R.C. Sproul says, “Men are never duly touched and impressed with a conviction of their insignificance, until they have contrasted themselves with the majesty of God.”

So what kind of life are you pursuing? Success at any price? Success that is temporal? Or a life of significance? A life of impact in your generation for God and for generations yet to come?

For His Glory!
Pastor Joe