Sometimes people will do things for others, even when they don’t want to. They feel a pull for the relationship which is greater than the pull toward doing what they had first intended to do. Relationship is more important than whatever other choice they had.
Or perhaps embarrassment holds a stronger pull than even a relationship. You make a particular choice because of pressure you feel to keep something quiet, or keep it from getting out in the first place. Compromise comes from so many different angles.
Herod, the King at the time Jesus was here on earth, got himself in a pickle. He was stuck. You see, he had married his brother’s wife. The relationships within this royal family would make the best soap opera or made for TV movie. Let’s just say that by marrying Herod, they both had violated family and society. One account has the Herod of our text basically kidnapping Herodias from his brother and taking her to be his wife. What a mess! And on top of this, everyone is related to each other! Yikes!
Herod’s problem was that he didn’t want to kill John, but his wife did. You see, John had a habit of speaking the truth, even to those who were most powerful. He was not afraid of the earthly powers. His only fear was the LORD. We could sure use some people like this today, willing to speak truth to power. We have some people speaking truth, but the powers don’t seem to care!
And what was the truth? You shouldn’t have married your brother’s wife! What we know is that his wife, Herodias, didn’t like John interfering with her life and marriage. Perhaps, like many political spouses, she had ambitions of her own. Perhaps she was using Herod to advance her own position in society, gaining more status by leaving her first husband to marry her second, both of whom had political ambitions and positions.
What we do know is that Herodias didn’t want John broadcasting her business. Her anger was to the point of murder. She wanted John killed at almost any cost. But her husband stood in the way. Sometimes being stopped from doing evil is a good thing, even if it gets in the way of your plans. But political power has not changed over the centuries. Political power has the tendency to corrupt those who seek it.
One of the lessons from US history that we need to remember is that George Washington didn’t want to be the first president. He only accepted the position reluctantly and for a limited time. He only did it because everyone was telling him, and he himself was convinced, that no one else could hold the fragile nation together. If only we could get politicians who took their positions reluctantly. Instead, we have people whose ambitions are to gain political power and then use it for their own ends. Not much has changed!
The Arnold Journey 