What Will We Give?

DEVOTION

THE GOSPEL OF MARK

WHAT WILL WE GIVE?

Mark 6:21-23

21 Finally the opportune time came. On his birthday Herod gave a banquet for his high officials and military commanders and the leading men of Galilee. 22 When the daughter of Herodias came in and danced, she pleased Herod and his dinner guests. The king said to the girl, "Ask me for anything you want, and I'll give it to you." 23 And he promised her with an oath, "Whatever you ask I will give you, up to half my kingdom."

Temptation comes in many forms, but for Herod it was this young beautiful daughter of the wife of his brother who he took for himself and married. The sinister temptation thickens as now he shows his desire for this younger version of Herodias. For a man, a king who is willing to give anything, up to half his kingdom had to have been so entangled with temptation. This oath was not just because she danced well, but for an alternative motive. Surely Herod wanted more than this dance. Are we willing to give up anything in order to enjoy the pleasure temptations have to offer? Surely this sin Herod was involved in is far greater than those small temptations we are faced with. But are they? What pleasure do we derive from gossip? Are we willing to give up being trustworthy in order to be first to tell another? What pleasure do we obtain from harboring any ill will toward another? What are we willing to give in order to feel this kind of hate? We will we give in order to have the feeling of envy or jealousy? What is worth giving so we can hoard as much money as possible, or having treasures here on earth? What are we willing to sacrifice in order to enjoy the pleasures of un-forgiveness? What will we give so we can feel prideful or that we are better than orders or the feeling of superiority? How much will we give in order to enjoy a judgmental attitude? The list of modern day temptations is as long as our list can be. The truth is all temptations are for the purpose of self-gratification. Herod was looking for some sort of self-gratification from his oath. If it was not the pleasures of this young woman, it was the pleasure of making himself “look good” in front of his dinner guests, or some other reason we could only guess at. Whenever we give in to temptation, whatever it is, no matter how small or insignificant it may seem to us, we have to give something up. Are we bold enough to say it out loud? Are we brazen enough to admit what we are willing to give in order to satisfy our need? Or do we try to ignore what we will give up as we face our temptation with a yielding will? Surely we would not give up the whole of our kingdom, but maybe up to half.  What will we give?