The Scripture Reading this week is Mark 6:14-29.
The Sermon title is Dangerous Oaths
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Early Thoughts: This week we continue our journey through Mark's Gospel. But what on earth do we do with this story?
It is a nice light thing to talk about in the middle of the summer isn't it. Salome dances and pleases the king [side note, this story is the origin of the famed "Dance of the Seven Veils", which adds a bit of a salacious angle to the story] who makes a somewhat rash promise. Then Salome's mother sees a chance to get revenge on a troublesome preacher, ending with a rather gruesome addition to the evening's festivities.
I see a few possibilities. One could take a slightly misogynistic turn on the story and preach on the ways women lead men astray, using both Salome and her mother as examples. Not going there myself. Not ever going there.
Or one could use this to talk about the risks of speaking truth to power. John is in this situation because he called Herod and Herodias to account for their behaviour. And he ends up paying a really steep price for doing that. We too are called to speak truth to power, to take risks for what we feel is right. There is certainly a sermon there.
For me this year one line jumped out. When Salome comes back and tells Herod what she wants him to do to fulfill his oath Mark says "he king was deeply grieved, yet out of regard for his oaths and for the guests, he did not want to refuse her". Earlier in the story we have been told that for various reasons Herod was reluctant to kill John, but now he seems to be trapped by his own words.
When do we find ourselves trapped by our own words? When do we make a promise and then feel honour-bound to keep it even when it feels distasteful or wrong to do so?
From an early age we are told to keep our promises. Scripturally speaking, keeping oaths would be a good thing. Herod would lose face if he 'chickened out' and reneged on the vow that he made in front of them,. There are lots of reasons to follow-through. And yet....
When I re-read the story I have to wonder if anyone other than Herodias thought this was a good idea. I ponder the possibility that some or all of the guests were repulsed as the platter was brought in and presented to Salome. Might the gathering have given Herod a free pass when they heard the request?
AS people of faith we are called first to be faithful to the rule of love. Yes we need to be people who keep our word, we need to be seen as people of integrity but our first loyalty is to the gospel of love. So we need to be careful about the promises we make, we have to not make promises that put us in conflict between keeping our word and living as people of love.
Even more important, there may be times when we need to be ready to look foolish or lose honour and respect because we know what the right thing to do is. Sometimes we need to do what is right and faithful even when it means breaking our word.
If we are realistic, we know that this is the way life works. We know, and we teach our children, that there are time when we have to say "I know I promised but...".
Words, oaths, promises are powerful and important things. They can keep us on the right path or they can push us into doing terrible things. We need to discern when to make promises, when/how to keep our promises, and also when to break our promises. May love always be our guide.
--Gord
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