On Herod’s birthday the daughter of Herodias danced for them and pleased Herod so much that he promised with an oath to give her whatever she asked.
Matthew 14: 6-7 (NIV)
Scripture: Matthew 14: 1-12
People appreciate when other people are consistent. Most of the time this involves sticking by your words. These days, it is challenging sometimes to stick by your convictions. This devotion will explore how we can do both.
One day there was a party going on. Herod seemed to be enjoying himself (even if he was a year older). In fact, everyone was enjoying themselves.
It was the King’s birthday party, so it was a celebration. There was food, wine and dancing. The excessive food and wine didn’t help, but the dancing seemed to be the downfall – at least the combination was deadly.
We don’t know if Herod specifically asked Herodias’ daughter to dance or if she was just on the program. What we can deduce is that she nailed her routine because Herod was so pleased, he gave her a reward.
It went south quickly when Herod opened his mouth. He told her she could have anything she wanted. She could even ask for half his kingdom. That may have been a figure of speech, but he opened it wide open.
Herodias’ daughter had to ask mom for help on this one, but she ultimately asked for the head of John the Baptist (now remember, at the time it was still attached to his body). Only when she asked for something Herod really didn’t want to give did he get squeamish.
We usually just say, “Oh, gross.” But let’s look at the story a little closer.
Kings couldn’t go back on the laws they made. Case in point: King Xerxes in the Book of Esther. Haman tricked him into declaring that the Jews were going to be slaughtered in a couple of months (Es. 3: 6-15). That was supposed to be cast in stone. But God found a way around it.
The example of King Cyrus’ decree in Daniel’s time (Dan. 6: 8) wasn’t a law. This was just an oath. Was that as binding? I guess you could argue the point that a good leader should keep the promises made.
We’re not kings and queens. Our oaths usually aren’t legally binding. But can’t an argument be made that we should stick by our words?
Those who are not following Jesus are quick to point out when we who are Christ followers do not stick to our words. They see it as a black mark in the column of “what is wrong with Christians these days.”
What do we do? We have to be cognizant of our words. How are we saying them, and how can they be misconstrued?
Is what we are saying different from something we have said in the past? If so and it is because we have changed our way of thinking, what explanation can be given first before we get to what we now believe? Has something changed in our lives or has something in the world changed since we last spoke on the topic?
Unfortunately, many times we have to respond when, all of the sudden, an attack on our convictions is launched. Why do we believe what we do?
Most of the time these situations do pop up out of the blue. Things are going along smoothly, then bang. Up pops a situation where we’ve got to make a choice or defend a choice.
The best defense is to know what we believe and why we believe it. (Talking to myself here, too.) For those of us who grew up in the church, it might look like we were just programmed to believe what we do.
Followers of Christ, I believe, will need to consciously think through what we believe. We will have to look closely at the Bible to see what it says, and then determine what we believe. Is it something different than what the Bible says or just something different than what the church we are going to says? We need to be able to give a concise argument as to our thought processes in determining what we believe.
Yes, there are a lot of issues in today’s world that are challenging our beliefs. What do we do when challenged?
Do we buckle under pressure like Herod did? John the Baptist was probably not a popular person in Herod’s crowd. They probably were glad he was beheaded.
Or do we stand up for our convictions? Do we look at both sides of the issue when backed into a corner and pick the greater right – in this case, breaking an oath over murder?
Most of the time we are not faced with murdering someone. However, our choices may mean the end of jobs or relationships. How do we know which choice to make?
We look to God for guidance. What would he want us to do? What would Jesus do? That should help us make our decisions.
Loving Father. There are so many times in life when we are backed into a corner. Suddenly, we are faced with choosing between committing a sin that could damage our witness for You and committing a sin with which we still struggle. It is Satan working on us. He wants us to disobey Your will. Ultimately, He wants us to disavow You. Help us to turn the situation over to You. Lead us down Your path. Help us to stand firm. Show us Your Will. Amen.
What do you think? How can we prepare ourselves for the challenges we face in today’s world? Leave me a comment on this (or anything else) below or head over to my Facebook group for some interactive discussion.
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