Mark 6:14-29 "Herod's Folly"
Do you ever feel like you are in a pressure-cooker or that you are being pulled and pushed in every direction?
Some of us live under pressure – some of us create it.
Herod Antipas felt pressure.
This story relates how we can become so entangled in the web of human relationships and people-pressure that we ultimately decide to do even what we don’t want to do.
What happened to Herod can happen to us.
Pressure-Pushers (Herodias)
A pressure-pusher is someone who seeks to have their own way by whatever means necessary.
John the Baptist confronted Herod about his relationship with Herodias.
Herodias waited until just the right time to put the pressure on Herod to have John killed.
We can be pressure-pushers as well. How do you try to influence people?
- Do you ever withhold affection?
- Do you ever use power or the fear of retaliation or rejection?
- Do you ever continue to press or push?
- Do you seek to manipulate and set people up?
Pressure-Pawn (Salome)
Salome was a willing pawn in her mother’s hand.
In the church we need to be on our guard against this.
We must never do someone else’s bidding as a conduit for their influence to be felt.
We must guard against both using people and being used ourselves.
Pressure-Perpetuators (Herod’s friends)
Herod’s friends said nothing but they spoke volumes.
In the silence they perpetuated the pressure Herod felt; they participated in the evil and cruel act that followed.
Do we keep silent when we see others manipulated and pressured?
The person we need to please is God. The question before us at all times is not “What will they think?” but “What will God think?”
How do you respond to the pressure from situations and circumstances, pressure from people, and even pressure from yourself?
Respond as Jesus did. He did not react, He acted.
We must understand that we are here to glorify God and to serve Him. He is a pressure-buster!
