Yesterday we explored the background that helps explain the events we encounter today. John’s been thrown in prison. He spoke out against the King, and even though Herod felt pressured to arrest him, personally he’s been sparing his life because he believes John is a righteous man (even if he doesn’t understand the spiritual truth that he has preached to him). Herodias, Herod’s illegitimate wife, has a different – more violent plan for this desert-dwelling baptizer.
These two wills collide at a birthday bash for Herod and all his palace buddies. (This of course was before the more recent advent of Monday Night Football to hang out with the guys.) Instead Herod and the boys are eating a lot and drinking even more in the banquet room. And in comes the entertainment for the evening – Herod’s own stepdaughter, who proceeds to dance for all the guests. (We have no certain knowledge of the exact dance style she used, but the context would imply it wasn’t a well-clothed version of Swan Lake.) Her movements to the music appear to be of a more sensual nature and capture the attention of the male guests.
In any regard, Mark tells us that her dance “pleased Herod and his dinner guests.” The fact that young lady was his own stepdaughter didn’t seem to phase Herod in the least. At this point he wasn’t thinking straight. Between the wine and how shall I say it – the rush of certain hormones, rationality gave way to a toxic mixture of pride, power and animal instinct, and he found himself taking an oath to the in-house exotic dancer, saying: "Ask me for anything you want, and I'll give it to you. Whatever you ask I will give you, up to half my kingdom."
When Herodias’ daughter, came to her mother and repeated what Herod said, Herodias was quick to seize the opportunity and devise a plan to take care of her hated prisoner. She carefully rehearsed the words that her daughter would take back and announce before Herod and all his inebriated cronies. So she returned to the banquet turned raucous party, looked her step-father in the eyes, and said, “I want you to give me the head of John the Baptist right now on a platter.”
The moment those words gracefully rolled off the dancer’s tongue with ease, they slapped Herod out of his drunkenness and in an instant he knew that he was trapped. What would he do now? He had made a vow to give her whatever she requested. He didn’t want to execute John, but how would he explain his refusal to all those gathered around him? To not grant her request would make him appear to be a weak and spineless ruler, and that kind of news would spread not only throughout the palace court, but pour out into the streets just as quickly. Yes, he would gain the support of the masses who believed John was indeed a prophet. But what good was that? They had no power – no influence. He did the calculations in his head quickly. He would be publicly emasculated and in his estimation, there would be no recovery.
Long story short, though he realized he had been manipulated like a puppet, backed into a corner, and trapped by his own lack of wisdom, he succumbed to the “realities” of the situation (or at least that’s what he told himself) and gave the order to have John beheaded. (See why I didn’t include this as the devotion for December 24th?) The end result was that John, the man chosen to prepare the way for the coming of Christ, met a violent end at the hand of King Herod Antipas. (I guess you could say like father, like son – see Matthew 2:13-18 for Herod the Great – Herod Antipas’ father – and how he tried to do away with the infant Jesus.) It’s amazing how the evil one (or those modeling their actions and intentions after the evil one) can manipulate us into things we can never imagine doing. But John clung to the One who is “greater than the one who is in the world.” When we live in the light of Christ, we begin to see the devil’s maneuvers and instead, follow the leading of the Savior who trampled over the powers of darkness. When we do, we find ourselves maturing, rather than being manipulated; growing instead of giving in; moving forward instead of looking back.
These two wills collide at a birthday bash for Herod and all his palace buddies. (This of course was before the more recent advent of Monday Night Football to hang out with the guys.) Instead Herod and the boys are eating a lot and drinking even more in the banquet room. And in comes the entertainment for the evening – Herod’s own stepdaughter, who proceeds to dance for all the guests. (We have no certain knowledge of the exact dance style she used, but the context would imply it wasn’t a well-clothed version of Swan Lake.) Her movements to the music appear to be of a more sensual nature and capture the attention of the male guests.
In any regard, Mark tells us that her dance “pleased Herod and his dinner guests.” The fact that young lady was his own stepdaughter didn’t seem to phase Herod in the least. At this point he wasn’t thinking straight. Between the wine and how shall I say it – the rush of certain hormones, rationality gave way to a toxic mixture of pride, power and animal instinct, and he found himself taking an oath to the in-house exotic dancer, saying: "Ask me for anything you want, and I'll give it to you. Whatever you ask I will give you, up to half my kingdom."
When Herodias’ daughter, came to her mother and repeated what Herod said, Herodias was quick to seize the opportunity and devise a plan to take care of her hated prisoner. She carefully rehearsed the words that her daughter would take back and announce before Herod and all his inebriated cronies. So she returned to the banquet turned raucous party, looked her step-father in the eyes, and said, “I want you to give me the head of John the Baptist right now on a platter.”
The moment those words gracefully rolled off the dancer’s tongue with ease, they slapped Herod out of his drunkenness and in an instant he knew that he was trapped. What would he do now? He had made a vow to give her whatever she requested. He didn’t want to execute John, but how would he explain his refusal to all those gathered around him? To not grant her request would make him appear to be a weak and spineless ruler, and that kind of news would spread not only throughout the palace court, but pour out into the streets just as quickly. Yes, he would gain the support of the masses who believed John was indeed a prophet. But what good was that? They had no power – no influence. He did the calculations in his head quickly. He would be publicly emasculated and in his estimation, there would be no recovery.
Long story short, though he realized he had been manipulated like a puppet, backed into a corner, and trapped by his own lack of wisdom, he succumbed to the “realities” of the situation (or at least that’s what he told himself) and gave the order to have John beheaded. (See why I didn’t include this as the devotion for December 24th?) The end result was that John, the man chosen to prepare the way for the coming of Christ, met a violent end at the hand of King Herod Antipas. (I guess you could say like father, like son – see Matthew 2:13-18 for Herod the Great – Herod Antipas’ father – and how he tried to do away with the infant Jesus.) It’s amazing how the evil one (or those modeling their actions and intentions after the evil one) can manipulate us into things we can never imagine doing. But John clung to the One who is “greater than the one who is in the world.” When we live in the light of Christ, we begin to see the devil’s maneuvers and instead, follow the leading of the Savior who trampled over the powers of darkness. When we do, we find ourselves maturing, rather than being manipulated; growing instead of giving in; moving forward instead of looking back.
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