Friday mornings are meant for a men's Bible study that I go to.

I try to make it every week, but sometimes I can't, or I don't, or I get there just way too late and I don't want to hear the grief from the guys, so I just sit in my car for 20 minutes and then head out.

I didn't do that yesterday.

I actually went inside.

I didn't really WANT to go inside, but I did. And... I'm glad that I did.

We're in the Gospel of Mark right now and we were studying the passage in Mark 6:14-29 about John the Baptist being beheaded in prison.

I've never really studied or thought about it before, and was a bit surprised about what it had to say about our words. Well... my words specifically.

So, in case you need a quick recap and are too lazy to pull out your Bible and read it for yourself, below is a summary.

King Herod has had John arrested and put in prison because John was speaking out against Herod for marrying his brother's wife, Herodias. Herodias wanted John dead, that's plain to see because Mark said that she did. Who likes to have their sin called out and be made as an example of what not to do?

The passage makes it seem like Herod put John in prison to actually PROTECT him and that's what we discussed yesterday, but when I go to Matthew's gospel for another version, it says that Herod hated John as well and wanted him dead, but did not for fear of the people. So... that really makes me question that Herod was doing John a service by putting him in prison. I think he just wanted to silence the critic.

Regardless (or irregardless, if you're one of those), Herod is throwing a big party at his place and his step-daughter comes out and does a little dance and Herod enjoys it so much that he promises to give her up to half of his kingdom. His SD goes to her mother (Herodias) and asks her "what should I ask for?" Herodias wastes no time and tells her to ask for the head of John the Baptist brought to her immediately on a platter to be served at the party.

This woman really hated John the Baptist.

So, her daughter, wasting a prime opportunity to ask for something that she could have actually enjoyed, does exactly what her mother told her to do. (I wonder if she always obeyed her mother?)

When Herod got the request, he was not happy about it. He did not want to do it because he had to think about all of the fallout that could happen from this rash request.

But...

Because he was a "weak man" and cared more about the "oath" that he made in front of all of his guests, he gave in and had John beheaded and then served on a platter to the rest of the party.

That's it. Nothing more is really given and Mark was not really a great writer (IMO) anyways. But, it's between the words and the lines where the lessons lie.

1. Since it was a party, everybody (including Herod) were likely drunk. Being drunk dulls your thoughts and your words and causes your tongue to be loose.
2. Herodias was obviously still angry, so the mixture of drunk AND angry... she wanted blood.
3. Herod cared more about what his guests would think about him (in their drunken state) than he did about what the people that he ruled over would think.
4. He still did not want to do it. But he did it anyways.

So, it really made me think about MY words.

How often to I say something that I would do, and I hadn't really thought about the consequences of what I said?

How often do I fail to do something that I said I would do?

Why do I even speak half the time? Wouldn't it just be better to hold my tongue on just about everything? Even a FOOL is thought WISE if he HOLDS HIS TONGUE.

I just talk too much.

And that's really the biggest part of it. I talk too much, and I do that because of my pride. I want to be well thought of. I want to be liked, admired, respected and loved. I try to use my words and what I'll do as the currency to get those things.

It usually goes bad for me when I try to do that.

So, I'll stop. I'll stop (or at least be more conscious of it) making promises I can't keep. I'll stop saying things that I should not. I'll stop talking about things and people that I should not be speaking about.

I know it's all rooted in pride. I want to be well thought of and that is an idol.

I hate idols and I will not serve them.