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•21有一天，恰巧是希律的生日，希律摆设筵席，请了大臣和千夫长，并加利利作首领的。22希罗底的女儿进来跳舞，使希律和同席的人都欢喜。王就对女子说：“你随意向我求什么，我必给你。”23又对她起誓说：“随你向我求什么，就是我国的一半，我也必给你。”24她就出去对她母亲说：“我可以求什么呢？”她母亲说：“施洗约翰的头。”25她就急忙进去见王，求他说：“我愿王立时把施洗约翰的头放在盘子里给我。”26王就甚忧愁，但因他所起的誓，又因同席的人，就不肯推辞，27随即差一个护卫兵，吩咐拿约翰的头来。护卫兵就去在监里斩了约翰，28把头放在盘子里，拿来给女子，女子就给她母亲。29约翰的门徒听见了，就来把他的尸首领去，葬在坟墓里。
多么可怕的故事!这让我想起了万圣节前后电视上的一些恐怖故事。一个女孩，可能在她十几岁的时候，为她的继父希律跳舞。希律喝得太多了，在一时冲动之下答应给她一半的王国。他甚至为此发了一个誓言!想象一下，这个年轻的女孩把施洗约翰的头放在盘子里，拿给她的母亲的场景，多么可怕。权力被败坏的多么严重。约翰并不是第一个因为宣扬神的话语而被杀害的先知，也不是最后一个，还有很多很多的人会跟随约翰的脚步。然而，神甚至用这件事来实现他的救恩计划，因为人们现在不再困惑到底要跟从谁，是约翰还是耶稣。
这个故事也有一个实际生活方面的教训。希律为不确定的事起誓。他答应给这个年轻女孩任何她想要的东西，但不知道她想要什么。在上帝和其他人面前起誓，是一件严肃的事情。我们不应该对我们不知道的事情发誓。
在生活中，当涉及到很小的事情或不确定的事情时，最好不要发誓。
祷告:亲爱的天父，我相信你会保守我的信心，直到生命的尽头。你知道生活中的所有情况。求你每天将你的灵浇灌在我身上，使我可以面对生活中的挑战和诱惑，而不会绊倒或跌倒。祷告奉你的名。阿们。
Mark 6:21-29: Finally the opportune time came. On his birthday Herod gave a banquet for his high officials and military commanders and the leading men of Galilee. 22 When the daughter of Herodias came in and danced, she pleased Herod and his dinner guests. The king said to the girl, “Ask me for anything you want, and I’ll give it to you.” 23 And he promised her with an oath, “Whatever you ask I will give you, up to half my kingdom.” 24 She went out and said to her mother, “What shall I ask for?” “The head of John the Baptist,” she answered. 25 At once the girl hurried in to the king with the request: “I want you to give me right now the head of John the Baptist on a platter.” 26 The king was greatly distressed, but because of his oaths and his dinner guests, he did not want to refuse her. 27 So he immediately sent an executioner with orders to bring John’s head. The man went, beheaded John in the prison, 28 and brought back his head on a platter. He presented it to the girl, and she gave it to her mother. 29 On hearing of this, John’s disciples came and took his body and laid it in a tomb. (NIV)
What a terrible story! It reminds me of some of the ghoulish stories on television around Halloween. A girl, probably in her early teens, dances provocatively for her step father. He has had too much to drink and is moved to promise her anything up to half of his kingdom. With an oath! Imagine this young girl carrying the head of John the Baptist to her mother on a platter? How awful. How power corrupts. John was not the first prophet killed for proclaiming God’s Word, and many, many others would follow. Yet, God used even this to carry out his plan of salvation, for now there would be no more confusion about whom to follow, John or Jesus.
There is a practical lesson in this story as well. Herod took an oath in uncertain matters. He promised to give this young girl whatever she asked without first knowing what she would ask for. Taking an oath before God and others is a serious thing. We should not take oaths regarding things we cannot know.
But what about our confirmation vow? How can we promise on oath before God to remain faithful to him as long as we live? We can, because we make that oath by faith in the work of the Holy Spirit. He is able to keep us faithful when we are not. Otherwise, it is better not to swear an oath at all when it comes to trivial matters or uncertain things.
Prayer: Dear Father in heaven, I trust in you to keep me faithful until life’s end. You know all the circumstances of life. Pour out your Spirit on me daily so that I may meet the challenges and temptations of my life without stumbling or falling. I ask this in your name. Amen.