I've always wondered about that Herod guy. If you read the story, it mentions that he wanted to kill John the Baptist, but he didn't out of fear of the people. But when his step-daughter asks for John's head, Herod is grieved. You would think he'd have responded differently, but I think one of the other gospels mentions that he liked listening to John. Maybe he grew a little attached to John. Maybe he just didn't like being put on the spot like that. But it's a strange story, all around. He's probably drunk, and his step-daughter's dancing pleased him so much that he offered whatever she wanted. Uh, weird, or at least creepy.
As faithful as John was, it's sort of a tragic end, if you think about it. He heralded the coming of the Messiah. He was the greatest of all men, except for Jesus. And he ends up beheaded because of the whims of these people. God's never been one to treat His people with kid gloves. Often, suffering seems to be a badge of honour for us. I've always been struck by the fact that the early church felt fortunate to be able to suffer for Christ. I kind of hope that John didn't know why he was being beheaded at the time, at least it would have saved him the indignity.
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