Hebrews 13:1-8 / Mark 6:14-29
In the cycle of life, there is this reality of retribution that cannot be denied.
Call it whatever, it stems from the Golden Rule, i.e. "Do to others what you want others to do unto you".
Obviously, this is not limited to one-to-one situation. More so in the case of an evil deed, the elimination of the victim does not mean that retribution for the aggressor will not take place.
From the gospel, we can see this happening to king Herod. He had John the Baptist beheaded because he made an oath to the daughter of Herodias in the presence of his guests.
But king Herod knew that John the Baptist was innocent and that he was a good and holy man.
So when he heard of Jesus and the miraculous powers at work in Him, disturbing thoughts of John the Baptist came to his mind. And this was just the beginning of the retribution that he would have to face, even though John the Baptist was already dead.
The 1st reading puts the Golden Rule in a more positive way as it says: Continue to love each other like brothers, and remember always to welcome strangers, for by doing this, some people have entertained angels without knowing it.
And we also know that whatever we do to others, we do it to Jesus. May we always treat others with love, and be assured that in the end, it is Jesus who will reward us.