Mar 22, 2007 - Keeping Your Word

Mar 22, 2007

Keeping your word when you make a vow is important. Of course, knowing what you are saying when you make a vow is even more important.

Mat 14:1-11 WNT

(1) About that time Herod the Tetrarch heard of the fame of Jesus,

(2) and he said to his courtiers, "This is John the Baptist: he has come back to life--and that is why these miraculous Powers are working in him."

We see here that Herod is kind of confused. He knows that he has done harm to John the Baptist so how can this be him that he sees. But this is the only way that he can figure that Jesus can do his miracles.

(3) For Herod had arrested John, and had put him in chains, and imprisoned him, for the sake of Herodias his brother Philip's wife,

(4) because John had persistently said to him, "It is not lawful for you to have her."

You know that when you plan on telling people what they do not want to hear, they will want to do damage to you. It is no different today. Tell people that sex out of marriage is wrong, especially in a school, they will ride you out of town on a rail. People do not want to hear the truth when it disagrees with what they want.

(5) And he would have liked to put him to death, but was afraid of the people, because they regarded John as a Prophet.

We think that people taking polls and doing what they people want is something new in politics. It has been around since at least Jesus time. We now see the character of Herod. He is a person that wants to please. This will be his downfall. It can be our downfall as well. Let's see what happens.

(6) But when Herod's birthday came, the daughter of Herodias danced before all the company, and so pleased Herod

(7) that with an oath he promised to give her whatever she asked.

If you are not prepared to follow though on your promises you had better not make them. This is such an open ended promise that it is sure to lead to trouble.

(8) So she, instigated by her mother, said, "Give me here on a dish the head of John the Baptist."

(9) The king was deeply vexed, yet because of his repeated oath and of the guests at his table he ordered it to be given her,

(10) and he sent and beheaded John in the prison.

(11) The head was brought on a dish and given to the young girl, and she took it to her mother.

What a sad ending to such a great man. A little girl gets a drunk man to follow through on a promise that never should have been made. The promise was there and to save face he had to follow up. John the Baptist, one who Jesus said was one of the greatest men that had walked the earth, was now dead because a man did not know he should have kept his mouth shut.

When we speak, we set in motion things that we can not stop. It is even worse when we do not think about what we say before we say it. Make sure that your brain is engaged before you put your mouth in gear.