Abstract
This article compares the the fates of John the Baptist and Jesus in Mark's Gospel by examining the parallel structures of their enounters with unjust authority: Herod and Pilate. It is argued that Herodian and Roman (in) justice are indistinguishable and that Mark warns his readers that they should expect no better treatment from the authorities with whom they may have to deal than John and Jesus had. It is also argued that because of this portrayal of both Judean and Roman authorities as shameless, Mark is not in any way trying to illustrate that Jesus is politically neutral and that Rome therefore has no reason to regard Christians with suspicion: the last thing Mark does in his Gospel is flatter unjust and shameless men, no matter their social rank. His objective is instruction in discipleship, nothing less.
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