Bible
Study: 1st Corinthians 2, 1 to 5 and Matthew 24, 42 to 51.
When we
look at today’s Gospel passage about the beheading of John the Baptist, there
are a lot of lessons we can learn.
Was Herod
such a coward that he was ready to do whatever the little girl asked for? Of
course, he was bound by the oath he had taken, but come to think of it, what if
she had asked for his own head, would he also command soldiers to take it off
and give it to her?
Anyway,
before I condemn Herod, I must ask myself. Don’t I also make promises without
considering the cost? Am I humble enough to say ‘I am sorry’ when I realize my
mistakes? Am I not also driven by pride and willing to destroy others just to
preserve my personal integrity? Don’t I kill others like Herod just to look good
or honourable before the world, for instance, through calumny, lying against
others, discussing their weaknesses openly or through abortion?
Even the
little girl herself, she had the guts to carry somebody’s head on a dish to her
mum! Was this girl really a little girl as the story puts it? If she did not
scream on seeing the head of John the Baptist, could it be the case that that
wasn’t her first time of carrying people’s heads?
Again I
ask myself, haven’t I also become so used to sins that my conscience no longer
pricks me when I am doing wrong? What kind of things do I teach my children? Do
I show good example to my younger ones and teach them to fear God and love
their neighbours as themselves?
Now for
Herodias, what sort of woman would leave her husband when he is still alive and
marry his brother! How come instead of feeling ashamed for her actions, all she
could do was to begin to plot the death of the only man who was bold enough to
tell her the truth?
But I turn
to myself and wonder, how often have I taken correction from others with joy?
Are there no persons I have stopped talking to simply because they told me the
truth? Don’t I sometimes hate those who criticize my actions? Am I a faithful
wife or husband? How many times have I broken my vows be it marital or celibate
vows? How often have I acted like Herodias by looking lustfully, committing
adultery or going out with another person’s wife or husband for the sake of
money or favours?
Now, for the
guests who were present at the party, is it the case that none of them had the
courage to challenge the king? Was it the case that they drank so much wine
that they lost their senses and watched how evil played out without even saying
anything?
Don’t I
see evil and prefer to keep quiet? Like these guests, do I eat and drink with
evil people and therefore have lost the courage to tell them the truth because
of what I am benefitting from them?
By the way,
what dance could be so entertaining as to make Herod promise anything? Even
half the kingdom? Could it be that it was a nude dance as some Biblical
Scholars have suggested?
Well,
looking at the music industry today and seeing how artists are selling millions
with all the sexually explicit dance steps and sexually loaded lyrics as well,
it is clear these scholars may not be far from the truth.
Don’t I
dance to music that I know is entirely against my faith and my beliefs? Don’t I
also give away half my kingdom (my faith) by patronizing such immoral music?
Again,
what sort of guards would be told go and bring a man’s head and would go
without questioning?
Don’t I
also carry out orders which I clearly know are against my faith all in the name
of protecting my job? Am I working for cultists, drug peddlers, armed robbers
etc.? Do I treat others equally and do to them what I would like them to do to
me?
In
conclusion, one thing is clear. Just as it is easy to condemn the characters in
the story, it should also be easy to condemn myself because looking at the
story I cannot but see how much I resemble them and how I may have done worse
if I was in their shoes. Wickedness is not genetic fact, it is always a choice.
I can decide to repent today and stop being wicked to others
Let us
Pray:
Lord
Jesus, teach me to respect rather than destroy those who tell me the truth.
Amen.
Good morning.
Be Happy. Live Positive. Have Faith. It is well with you. God bless you.
Fr. Abu
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