Daughter Of A Murdering Mother
Or
Like Mother – Like Daughter
Sunday June 21, 2020
Scripture To Consider:
“Then an opportune day came when Herod on his birthday gave a feast for his nobles, the high officers, and the chief men of Galilee. And when Herodias’ daughter herself came in and danced, and pleased Herod and those who sat with him, the king said to the girl, ‘Ask me whatever you want, and I will give it to you.’ He also swore to her, ‘Whatever you ask me, I will give you, up to half my kingdom.’”
“So she went out and said to her mother, ‘What shall I ask?’ And she said, ‘The head of John the Baptist!’ Immediately she came in with haste to the king, and asked saying, ‘I want you to give me at once the head of John the Baptist on a platter.’ And the king was exceedingly sorry; yet, because of the oaths and because of those who sat with him, he did not want to refuse her.”
“Immediately the king sent an executioner and commanded his head to be brought. And he went and beheaded John in prison, brought his head on a platter, and gave it to the girl; and the girl gave it to her mother. When his disciples heard of it, they came and took away his corpse and laid it in a tomb.” Mark 6.21-29
Something To Consider:
As discovered last week, the family of Herod the Great was exceedingly evil. But in today’s reading we find that Herodias, the wicked wife of Herod Antipas was not far from her father-in-law in her evil actions. Her murderous plot against John the Baptist was from a heart filled with hatred for John and a personal refusal to repent of her evil. As her hatred festered it soon led her to becoming a murderous mother.
As also mentioned last week, according to Jesus, if we harbor anger in our hearts, we are spiritually guilty of murder. The apostle Paul instructed all true believers in Ephesians 4.31, by declaring; “Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor [loud quarreling], and evil speaking to be put away from you, with all malice.” And if we do not, then we are as guilty of spiritual murder as was Herod the Great, Herod Antipas, Herodias, and her daughter.
The writer of Proverbs 29.22 proclaimed, “An angry man [woman or young person] stirs up strife, and a furious man [woman or young person] abounds in transgressions.” In place of our becoming angry, we should heed the instruction of Paul’s in Colossians 3.12; “Therefore, as the elect of God [as true believers in Christ], holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, and long suffering.”
Something Else To Consider:
If evil could be inherited, the daughter of Herodias would have had more than her fair share. The daughter of Herodias was certainly allowed by her mother and possibly encouraged to dance the seductive sensual dance that was usually reserved for professional prostitutes. And her sexually suggestive dancing pleased Herod and the officers and nobles who sat with him at the feast.
Herod was so pleased that he offered Herodias’ daughter anything up to half of his entire kingdom. That is a lot to offer for one dance of the daughter of a murdering mother. And yet, she asked for the head of John the Baptist. It is a shame that her mother could not have encouraged her daughter at an earlier age to ask God for His tender mercies, or for a humble and kind heart.
Proverbs 22.6 declares, “Train up a child in the way he [or she] should go [that is in the things of God], and when he [or she] is old they will not depart from it [from the way of God].” But according to Jesus, only a few ever enter into that way that leads an individual to an eternal life of kindness, a life of humbleness of mind and heart, and of a life of meekness and mercy.
Something More To Consider:
After dancing, the daughter consulted her mother Herodias as to what she should ask for. Herodias whispered her insidious answer, “The head of John the Baptist.” And, this evil offspring daughter of Herodias, a murdering mother, added the revenged filled words of her mother by demanding John’s head, “At once… on a platter.”
Herod was sorry, but not sorry enough to do the right thing. And yet, how many since then, are still compromising what their conscience knows to be right? And so, once again, a clear picture has been painted in the darkest of colors of the daughter of a murdering mother. And without the forgiveness of sin it was then as it is now, like mother, like daughter!
Therefore, the apostle Paul instructed all true believers in Ephesians 4.32, by proclaiming; “Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God in Christ also forgave us.” And according to Jesus, we are admonished in Matthew 5.44; “But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you.” Those are words of instruction and of end time importance spoken by Jesus to warn us to become and to remain doers of His Word!
Trust me when I say, the time is coming when one-time believers in Jesus and one-time so-called religious leaders will wrongfully decide that compromise is better than consecration to Christ and in heeding His in advance end time warnings. And that end time event is fast approaching! Are we ready for the great departing from the faith of so many who have straddled the so-called fence of Christianity instead of taking up their own cross, denying themselves, and truly following after Christ, His ways, and His words? Time is of the essence!
A Few Final Words:
Jesus furthered warned His early disciples and all followers of His Word in John chapter 16, beginning in verse 1, by stating; “These things I have spoken to you, that you should not be made to stumble [or to depart from your biblical faith]. They will put you out of the synagogues [or places of worship]; yes, the time is coming [and now has come] that whoever kills you [you who are among the enduring to the end saints] will think that he [or she] offers God service. And these things they will [not maybe, not might, but they will] do to you [and me] because they have not known the Father nor Me.”
In other words, the many hypocritical Christians in name only refuse to experience a personal relationship w/ God in and through Jesus Christ. They are willing to maintain a religious regiment of false doctrine, but reject the Word of God and the Word of Jesus, as well as rejecting the continued conviction of the Holy Spirit. Therefore, the vast numbers of sons and daughters of murdering mothers and fathers have increased in every generation since Jesus spoke these words of warning.
Furthermore, when we begin to see and to experience end time hatred and betrayals that Jesus truthfully declared we would experience, let us be reminded that He warned us in advance! Let us also be reminded that to the spiritual leader and or leader in training, peer pressure is a powerful weapon in the arsenal of the enemy of all that is good and godly. Therefore, let us be prepared to swim against the current of sin.
Prayer:
Our Father in heaven, keep us mindful that our actions affect others. Teach us to live Christ-like, just, and holy lives in these end times. In Him Always, Amen!
According to Jesus 