Mark 6:21-25: a reflection

21Then a convenient day came when Herod on his birthday made a supper for his nobles, the high officers, and the chief men of Galilee. 22When the daughter of Herodias herself came in and danced, she pleased Herod and those sitting with him. The king said to the young lady, “Ask me whatever you want, and I will give it to you.” 23He swore to her, “Whatever you ask of me, I will give you, up to half of my kingdom.” 24She went out and said to her mother, “What shall I ask?” She said, “The head of John the Baptizer.” 25She came in immediately with haste to the king and requested, “I want you to give me right now the head of John the Baptizer on a platter.”

At his birthday feast, King Herod is so pleased by the dancing of Herodias's daughter that he makes a reckless oath: Ask me whatever you want, and I will give it, up to half my kingdom. Carried away in the moment, wanting to impress his guests, he binds himself with an extravagant promise, without thinking where it might lead. And it leads to a terrible place: prompted by her mother, the girl asks for the head of John the Baptist. Herod's rash oath has trapped him.

Notice how Herod's reckless promise ensnared him. He swore his oath impulsively, to impress his guests, in the pleasure of the moment, without thought for the consequences. And then, when the request came, he felt bound by his oath and his pride before his guests, and did a terrible thing he would not otherwise have done. A rash promise, made without thought, trapped him into evil; and his concern for his reputation before others kept him from backing out.

That is a warning about rash, impulsive commitments. We can bind ourselves with promises made in the heat of a moment, to impress others, in the flush of pleasure, or without thinking through where they lead; and then find ourselves trapped, feeling bound to follow through even into wrong, held partly by pride before those who heard us. Think before you bind yourself. Do not make rash promises to impress others or in the heat of the moment, which you may regret and feel trapped by. And if you have made a foolish promise, do not let pride before others drive you to keep it into wrong; better to swallow your pride than to follow a rash oath into evil, as Herod did. Guard against the reckless commitment that pride will not let you undo.

Lord, at his feast, Herod made a reckless oath to impress his guests, and was then trapped by it, and by his pride before them, into the terrible act of killing John the Baptist. Warn me about rash, impulsive commitments. I can bind myself with promises made in the heat of a moment, to impress others, in the flush of pleasure, or without thinking through where they lead; and then find myself trapped, feeling bound to follow through even into wrong, held partly by pride before those who heard me. Help me think before I bind myself. Keep me from making rash promises to impress others or in the heat of the moment, which I may regret and feel trapped by. And if I have made a foolish promise, keep pride before others from driving me to keep it into wrong; help me swallow my pride rather than follow a rash oath into evil, as Herod did. Guard me against the reckless commitment that pride will not let me undo, and give me wisdom to weigh my words before I speak them.