I am in awe of those who can dance. I mean dance properly. I can do Dad dancing at a wedding or birthday party, but that is pretty much the only kind of dancing I’ve ever been able to manage, shuffling from side to side, maybe waving my arms around a bit. I did once go to dancing lessons so that I could dance a waltz with Liz at our wedding reception, and Liz, who can dance, taught me a bit of jive as well, but to be honest I have neither the sense of timing nor the coordination to really be any good. I enjoy dancing well enough on the right occasion, but it is not a gift of mine.
In general the Bible passages we read in our services aren’t particularly connected. In the Old Testament we are reading our way through the second book of the prophet Samuel, and in the New Testament we’ve been following Mark’s eye witness account of the good news of Jesus. And that’s what I was expecting when I came to prepare what I was going to say this morning, I was planning to choose to explore one of them in detail, and perhaps make passing reference to the other.
But, then, as I read, the dances caught my eye. And once I’d noticed the dances, other themes that the two passages have in common or in contrast leapt out at me. There’s a king in each. There’s a princess in each. There’s pride in each. As a reflected on these, it seemed to me that they formed a pattern, almost a dance of themes and ideas that I wanted to watch and appreciate. So, if it’s not too fanciful, I’d like to invite you to join me this morning in watching this dance. There are some fancy bits of footwork I’d like to point out, but I expect you’ll see other things as well, as we allow the Holy Spirit to speak to us through the word.
So, let’s begin by focussing on the two Kings in turn.
In our first reading we heard about King David. He has come a long way from those fields as a young man when he used to tend the sheep for his father. Following his breakthrough defeat of Goliath, he has served in King Saul’s army and court, run the gauntlet of the old King’s jealousy, and has now arrived, triumphant and recently anointed as King of God’s people. He has conquered Jerusalem to establish it as his fortress capital and defeated the long term enemy of God’s people, the Philistines.
Now he is ready to bring the sign and symbol of God’s presence with his people, the Ark of the Covenant, to Jerusalem. He is a king of humble origins, after God’s heart, who leads the people in the worship of God.
In our second reading we heard about King Herod. Now there were a few kings called Herod in the time of Jesus. The first one we come across is Herod the Great. He was King in Jerusalem at the time of Jesus’ birth. The wise ones visited him on the way to find the infant Jesus, and he ordered the massacre of all the young boys in Bethlehem in a futile attempt to kill Jesus. Herod the Great died shortly after this, and various of his sons succeeded to parts of the kingdom. There are a couple of these tetrarchs mentioned in the gospels, and it’s not always entirely clear which is which. There is one mentioned at the beginning of Luke 3, as being tetrarch of Galilee when John the Baptist began his ministry – and this might be Herod Philip 1 or Herod Antipas.
By the time we get to today’s reading, in Mark 6 we are definitely with Herod Antipas, who had by this time contracted an adulterous marriage with the wife of his brother Herod Philip 2. It is this Herod, Antipas, who was in Jerusalem when Jesus was on trial. As we move into the story of the early church we find more Herods – probably Herod Agrippa 1 and Herod Agrippa 2, grandson and great grandson of Herod the Great, persecuting Christians and sitting in judgement on Paul.
This Herod did not come of humble origins, he was of a royal family, used to getting what he wanted when he wanted it. His lead was in parties and drinking, in leveraging political connections, in taking advantage.
Now, our eyes shift on the dance floor to our princesses. To Michal and Salome.
Michal was the daughter of the previous king, Saul. She was sister to David’s best friend, Jonathan. In 1 Samuel 18 we read that Michal loved David, but her father Saul tried to manipulate this love to undermine David. He named a bride price – 100 Philistine foreskins, because he wanted David to die at the hands of the Philistines in attempting to achieve this. This backfired, as David went off with his soldiers and returned with not 100, but 200 foreskins and claimed his bride. Saul was increasingly afraid of David, and plotted to kill him. Michal warned her husband, and helped him to escape Saul’s wrath. Here was a princess who, it seems to me, really did love her husband, but fell into a temptation that drove them apart – a temptation that we will return to shortly.
Now, I’ve said that the other princess was called Salome. You might have noticed, though, that she isn’t actually named by Mark, she is referred to as “Herodias’ daughter.” The name Salome comes from the work of the Jewish historian, Josephus, who recorded the names of the royal families of the time. The lack of a name for her in the narrative reflects her objectification and lack of agency. She is an object of lust for Herod and the men in the party. She is a tool of revenge to her mother. She is, perhaps, a princess in name only, and in some senses as a much a prisoner of her circumstances as John was in the physical realm.
Now we have the main characters in this dance story, let’s notice where they in relation to the dance floor.
David and Salome are dancing. They are very different dances, that’s for sure, but they are both dancing. David is dancing with joy before the Lord, abandoned in praise and worship of the God who has given him victory, given him the throne, and whose presence is a delight. He’s thrown off the royal robes and trappings and is prancing about in his undergarments. He doesn’t care who is watching, or what they think of him. He just wants to express his praise of God.
Salome is dancing for different reasons, and with different intent. She may seem abandoned, but her moves are calculated to delight the men watching – she cares very much who is watching and if she has thrown off clothing it is with deliberate purpose. She knows the effect she is having, and is seeking the praise of her step father.
What about those who aren’t dancing, Michal and Herod, where are they?
I hope it’s not too much of a stretch to suggest that they are sat with Len and Bruno at the Strictly Come Dancing judges’ table. They are not participating in the dance themselves, or at least only in their imaginations, but they are judging those who are dancing. And they are both afflicted by pride.
The connection between judgement and pride is, perhaps, most evident in Michal’s attitude. She saw David dancing and “she despised him in her heart.” Why did she despise him? If we read on a bit further into verse 20 we read what Michal said to David when he returned home,
“How the king of Israel honoured himself today, uncovering himself today before the eyes of his servants’ maids as one of the vulgar fellows shamelessly uncovers himself.”
It seems to be that this is a prideful standing on dignity. Michal does not want a “vulgar fellow” as a husband. No matter that David’s passion and abandon is for the God who made them both, maintaining dignity and being mindful of status is more important to Michal, and that is pride.
And what about Herod? We know that he made a judgement, he was bedazzled by Salome, and his good judgement went out of the window as he foolishly promised her anything, up to half his kingdom. And pride? Well that led him to take a fall when it wouldn’t allow him to back out of his folly when Salome asked for the head of John the Baptiser.
Pride and skewed judgement, often dance partners, causing chaos and pain in lives from earliest times.
And, actually, am I any better? Particularly when it come to Salome. I have imputed all kinds of intentions to her, that aren’t in the text. She may have been aiming to seduce, but we don’t know that. It’s possible that she also was dancing innocently. We know about Herod’s reaction, but that is all. Have I fallen into the trap of victim blaming, of judging Salome for Herod’s response? Quite possibly.
So, what might we have learnt as we’ve watched these dances? I wonder what questions they have prompted for us. I have some suggestions. Where might pride be skewing our judgement? How do we judge those that we see dancing? Who are we dancing for?
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