Daily Word Of God
Mark 6:22-28
When the daughter of Herodias came in and danced, she delighted Herod and his guests; so the king said to the girl, ‘Ask me anything you like and I will give it you.’ And he swore her an oath, ‘I will give you anything you ask, even half my kingdom.’
She went out and said to her mother, ‘What shall I ask for?’ She replied, ‘The head of John the Baptist.’ The girl at once rushed back to the king and made her request, ‘I want you to give me John the Baptist’s head, immediately, on a dish.’
The king was deeply distressed but, thinking of the oaths he had sworn and of his guests, he was reluctant to break his word to her. At once the king sent one of the bodyguard with orders to bring John’s head. The man went off and beheaded him in the prison; then he brought the head on a dish and gave it to the girl, and the girl gave it to her mother.
Today's Pointers on God's Word
As you read the passage what words, phases or meanings caught your attention?
- The beheading of John the Baptist is the culmination of many other compromised decisions and actions that finally led to this tragic decision that Herod had to make.
- Herod knew at heart that John was preaching the truth about his life of immorality. Similarly the more we try to suppress our conscience and rationalize our actions, the more we will end up compromising the Gospel values in life.
- Ponder on the times when you have to compromise and rationalize your decisions and actions. Ask the Holy Spirit to lead and guide you more firmly in your daily decisions so that you can purify your motives.