Alva Review-Courier -

Perhaps you’re familiar with the untimely death of John the Baptist, but for the sake of this article, please allow me to remind you. John the Baptist was not the sort of fellow to pull his punches. No matter the circumstances, John was willing to tell people exactly what they needed to hear, in place of what they might otherwise like to hear. In the case of Herod Antipas, Mr. “the Baptist” merely reminded the puppet king that he was living in sin as long as he kept his brother’s wife as his consort (later, his wife). While Antipas seems to have taken the rebuke in stride, his girlfriend (Philip’s wife, Herodias), was not nearly so ready to forgive and forget.

Later, after watching Herodias’ daughter dance at a party he was hosting, Antipas was so “entertained” that he offered the young girl half of his kingdom. The scriptures are not specific concerning what Antipas thought he was getting in return ... but Herodias instructed her daughter to ask for the head of John the Baptist on a plate (because that’s not weird at all).

Here’s the point I’d like to pursue. From the beginning of time, until this very day, there have always been people willing to give up almost anything to do something evil. Antipas divorced his wife, lived in sin with his sister-in-law and lusted after his step-daughter-to-be. Herodias traded her husband for a boyfriend that was anything but faithful and lived a life ruled by greed and revenge. Her daughter (bless her little heart) was offered half of a kingdom and traded that for some guy’s head on a plate – just to please a mother who evidently encouraged her daughter to dance at parties full of old men.

But on the other hand, from the beginning of time until this very day there have always been people willing to give up almost anything to do something good. John’s death was expensive – to his disciples, to his family, to himself. But John was part of a movement that was so much bigger than all those things. No one likes paying the high price of Godly living, but after counting the cost, I hope you and I will be the sort of people who would be willing to trade it all for the Kingdom.

See you Sunday!