A Slave to Sin - Mark 6:14-29

Looking at many of our leaders today, it’s easy to become disillusioned. So many are tarnished with corruption, stealing our tax money, stealing money that should be going to help the poorest of the poor, getting their families and friends to benefit from the looting going on. Though it’s been going on for ages, brought to the fore now as funds meant to bring relief to the pandemic are being looted too. Then on top of that, government appoints a very partial committee of their own cronies to investigate all these allegations. Seems like a never-ending spiral of sin and depravity!

The hard reality is that this is how sin works. Not only in the lives of those in government, but also in our own lives. When we allow sin to fester unchecked in our lives, we slowly start a down-ward spiral further into sin’s bondage, and in the process begin to lose all perspective, we become hardened to it, and can end up utterly consumed and trapped in it.

In this passage in Mark’s Gospel, we read about the tragic death of John the Baptist, and how King Herod brought it all about. We see here the sad end to one of God’s boldest prophets. But we also see how quickly sin enslaves. The deeper you go, the harder it is to get out of it. And left unchecked, it can destroy a man – in this case, King Herod.

What we’re going to see in this sermon is that because sin will destroy you, cut it out; and instead find satisfaction in Jesus Christ.

Preacher: Rev. Antonio Coppola.