Herodias and Opportunists. Breakfast with the Word Mark 6:14-29.

Breakfast with the Word Friday Fourth Week in Ordinary Time of the Year.

 

 

Mark 6:14-29

 By  Fr. Sanctus Mario Okey

 

The story of the beheading of John the Baptist as the gospel of today provides, is one of those passages in the bible that is full of lessons and implications.

There are many things we can talk about through this gospel. Today, our attention is drawn to the great opportunist; the woman that beats the drum for Herod, whose name is Herodias. 

 

An opportunist is someone who utilizes a single chance to manoeuvre. So, the opportunist is one who uses some certain circumstances to gain an immediate advantage of something or someone.

 

This kind of person seizes any particular opportunity to gain something for himself. He/she does not care even if the act is evil or unethical. We have this kind of people in every arm of the society. 

 

 

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Herodias is A Great Opportunist.

 

 

For many years Herodias has been harbouring evil in her heart against a prophet. She has been sleeping and overly worried about this for long.

 

She wanted every single opportunity to eliminate the prophet because the prophet told her to cease doing evil. Therefore, the opportunity came on the day of the birthday celebration of King Herod.

 

This particular intention has kept her worried. This  may have caused her sleepless nights, but she hid this intention until the opportunity came. Aware of the promise made by the king to her daughter, to ask of anything she wants even if it is half of her kingdom, the woman hence uses the opportunity to achieve her long term hatched plan. 

 

Immediately, the daughter asked her what she would ask, the opportunist became alive again. She did not waste a single second at least to think of what to ask. She immediately used that opportunity to request the head of John Baptist. Hence, this alone tells you how long she has been seeking for an opportunity to eliminate the prophet.

 

Therefore,  Herodias is a clear example of opportunists who can harbour evil in their hearts for someone. These people continually seek opportunities to strike. 

 

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A Little Digest.

 I was watching a particular video online where a family, with some group of friends, were celebrating on the 31st night awaiting the new year celebration.

 

As a man was busy drinking and dancing with His friends, one of the friends who was drinking with them, in a cunny manner dropped some unknown substances inside the drink.

 

While watching this video through a Facebook page of Skibo Comedy, I began to wonder “why are people so evil and wicked? What truly necessitated this man to put poison inside that drink? Why do people feel happy when they see others suffer? Presumably, this man has been hatching this evil plot for long until the opportunity came.

 

This is a typical example of Herodias. Glory be to God, I read that he later dropped the drink because as God may have it, the wine splashed on his face as he was dancing. He left the wine to wipe his face, and that was how God saved Him. But the truth is that some people can be heartless. 

 

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We have Herodias Everywhere.

 

 

We have Herodias everywhere. They are among your friends, classmates, coursemates, friends, peers, business associates, even couples. Many people who are living as husbands and wives today have deeply buried secrets they have hidden from each other. 

They may laugh with you but their hearts are full of evil.

These Herodias among us are those whose interest is to do anything to achieve their bad intention. They may pretend they love you, but they don’t. Hence, whatever act they do is to achieve their evil intentions.

Sometimes, they may even be calling sweet names but those names is simply to enable achieve their long buried plan to get what they want.

They laugh with you but behind the laugh are plans filled with evil.

 

They come to you with smiles but behind those smiles, they have other plans they want to achieve. These people are everywhere with us.

They may be harbouring evil for you for many years and pretend as if they don’t. But when an opportunity strikes, they make use of that to achieve their long term desire. 

 

We have these Herodias in many political offices today whose interests are in their glory and gain and not for the interest of the people. Therefore, those whose aim is only to achieve their political ambitions even if the people are dying and suffering belong to this group.

 

 We have many of them as presidents of C.M.O, C.W.O, Youths and other organisations in the church. They are always seeking opportunities to enrich their pockets even if it is in the detriment of the people they are leading. 

 

We find these people as doctors, nurses etc. Therefore, those whose interests are to enrich their pockets instead of saving lives are the Herodias of our time.

 

We find these people among businessmen who are willing to sell expired drugs and fake products to you, knowing fully that this can endanger the health of the people. 

 

We have them among our close associates. Therefore, they are those who come to smile and laugh with you but their intention is to kill and bury your integrity to the mud.

 

They can also be seen among our family members and friends who may be harbouring grudges and revenge for years without you knowing and thus seeking an opportunity to strike.

 

Hence, you would never know what someone has been harbouring in his/her mind for you until both of you have problems. What will come out of his/her mouth, may make one begins to wonder that this person has been harbouring this, all these while. Sometimes, this life can be funny. 

 

God can transform the Negative to Positive.

 

When John the Baptist died many would have thought that his name will be buried forever but he is still counted among the greatest.

 

We seem to have forgotten that this life is not forever and ever. Therefore, we need to go in-depth and have a deep thought of the way we live. We need peace, harmony, understanding and unity. With these, progress is sure. 

We have to be careful with these Herodias that live and interact with us. Among these Herodias are hidden intentions that can so evil.

 

But the point is that, whatever happens even though we try to hide, God knows it all. There is always an end to the wicked. The wicked may reign now, but at the end there is always victory for the righteous.

 

John the baptist was killed and beheaded , yet his name still resounds through all the earth. Sometimes we may think we are fighting someone. Sometimes we may think we have the position and power to pull somebody down, but we do not know that the more we fight the person, the more God uses what we do to him/her to promote him.

 

So, God can still transform the negative situation to be a way of success to the person. This is the reason we have to commit ourselves in God’s hands. God knows every plan against you.

He knows whatever they said behind your back. He will also know how to make you succeed despite the situation. You were not there when they were orchestrating the plans but God is always there. He also knows how to save you.

 

Herodias would have been among the saints had it been she used that opportunity to save John the Baptist, but today Her name is synonymous with wickedness.

 

 

So, let us make good use of the opportunities God gives us to help, promote, and save lives rather than destroying them. 

 

May God bless you dearest and give us the grace to live by His word. May He forgives us in any way we are not doing well. Amen. Remain blessed.