Herod’s Puzzle
…Herod feared John and protected him,
knowing him to be a righteous and holy man.
When Herod heard John he was greatly puzzled;
yet he liked to listen to him. Mark 6:20
Herod liked to listen to John. Okay, so how is it that John ends up beheaded at Herod’s command, only seven verses later? For the same reason many of us make lousy choices. Herod let the call of the world, the beauty of a woman and the lust in his heart, rule over the sweet, subtle invitation from God. He liked listening to John. The Bible says he was “puzzled.” That made me think of my own reading of many parts of the Bible, I read the verse, reread the verse, read the commentary, reread the verse and still I’m scratching my head in total confusion. I keep reading because I like it, even the parts I don’t get. In this I have a distinct advantage over Herod. I know that what I am reading is the true word of God. I know that each word is included in that sacred tome for a reason. Herod knew only that he was interested in the words and thoughts of a man, most people described as crazy.
There was something in the message of that man that spoke to Herod. Herod saw righteousness in a man who, to the eye, looked like a lunatic. John ate bugs, he wore animal skin, (and don’t picture mink stoles, picture dirty dogs) and his hair was a version of the worst form of dreadlocks after a rough night. John was not pretty and neither were his words. This was the guy who was telling them all to repent because the Messiah was coming.
Reading about John I’ve always thought his words were probably tinged with frustration. “Come on people! Quit with the parties and orgies, the Messiah is coming!” It reminds me of my own frustration with my adult children who believe they can live as if they’ve never heard the Word. On a much lesser scale it reminds me of my children at younger ages minutes before company was expected. “Get the toys out of the den and dining room! Nana will be here any minute.” As my son Joseph would say the focus was on the wrong part of the story.
For Herod, his focus was drawn away from the right part of the story. He liked to listen to John. He may have eventually heard John but the nagging tones of his wife, the wife of whom John disapproved, was louder than John’s message. One may read this and think, aw Herod! You missed the boat. I’ve never removed anyone’s head but I’ve missed the boat more than I care to remember. How many times have my harsh words or lack of compassion removed a bit of someone’s heart? How many times has God been calling to me and listening, though puzzling, was lovely, until something else called louder? What could be more intriguing than God’s voice? The sad answer is, things that are very far removed from God. Things like gossip, the need to be heard, a desire to get even, are on the list, but so are things that can be good. Often we can find ourselves distracted by commitments to family, friends or work. None of those things are bad but they do have to take a backseat to our God time.
knowing him to be a righteous and holy man.
When Herod heard John he was greatly puzzled;
yet he liked to listen to him. Mark 6:20
Herod liked to listen to John. Okay, so how is it that John ends up beheaded at Herod’s command, only seven verses later? For the same reason many of us make lousy choices. Herod let the call of the world, the beauty of a woman and the lust in his heart, rule over the sweet, subtle invitation from God. He liked listening to John. The Bible says he was “puzzled.” That made me think of my own reading of many parts of the Bible, I read the verse, reread the verse, read the commentary, reread the verse and still I’m scratching my head in total confusion. I keep reading because I like it, even the parts I don’t get. In this I have a distinct advantage over Herod. I know that what I am reading is the true word of God. I know that each word is included in that sacred tome for a reason. Herod knew only that he was interested in the words and thoughts of a man, most people described as crazy.
There was something in the message of that man that spoke to Herod. Herod saw righteousness in a man who, to the eye, looked like a lunatic. John ate bugs, he wore animal skin, (and don’t picture mink stoles, picture dirty dogs) and his hair was a version of the worst form of dreadlocks after a rough night. John was not pretty and neither were his words. This was the guy who was telling them all to repent because the Messiah was coming.
Reading about John I’ve always thought his words were probably tinged with frustration. “Come on people! Quit with the parties and orgies, the Messiah is coming!” It reminds me of my own frustration with my adult children who believe they can live as if they’ve never heard the Word. On a much lesser scale it reminds me of my children at younger ages minutes before company was expected. “Get the toys out of the den and dining room! Nana will be here any minute.” As my son Joseph would say the focus was on the wrong part of the story.
For Herod, his focus was drawn away from the right part of the story. He liked to listen to John. He may have eventually heard John but the nagging tones of his wife, the wife of whom John disapproved, was louder than John’s message. One may read this and think, aw Herod! You missed the boat. I’ve never removed anyone’s head but I’ve missed the boat more than I care to remember. How many times have my harsh words or lack of compassion removed a bit of someone’s heart? How many times has God been calling to me and listening, though puzzling, was lovely, until something else called louder? What could be more intriguing than God’s voice? The sad answer is, things that are very far removed from God. Things like gossip, the need to be heard, a desire to get even, are on the list, but so are things that can be good. Often we can find ourselves distracted by commitments to family, friends or work. None of those things are bad but they do have to take a backseat to our God time.
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