Driven by passion and ambition

Matthew 14: 1 - 12

.....he (Herod) promised to give her whatever she asked.........because of his oaths and his dinner guests, he ordered that her request be granted and had John beheaded in the prison.

The darkness of human hearts is evident everywhere we turn. We read in the newspapers of people being murdered, the body chopped into pieces and stored in a refrigerator for months. We read of mothers accused of playing a part in the death of their own children. Sometimes we read such sensational news flippantly, and it becomes just another item to shake our heads at. Or we might numb ourselves. The alternative would be to feel great distress and even helplessness at the depth of human depravity. These stories are not new. They have happened throughout history. Matthew the gospel writer tells us about Herod Antipas who ordered the beheading of John the Baptist at the whim of a promise he made to a girl who pleased him with her dance. His name in God's Word is limited to several mentions....all of which paint a picture of unbridled passion and ruthless ambition, like his father Herod the Great.

It is easy to distance ourselves - them (the bad guys) and us. We would never do such things would we? Have we looked inside our hearts from where, as Jesus says, comes all evil.....which lead to murder, lying, robbing and slander (Matt. 15: 19). Perhaps we do not have the opportunity to commit brutal acts or perhaps we can by sheer will power stop all the potential for evil from revealing itself. But I often ask myself whether I know what is going on inside. On the outside I may portray a pleasant personality and even make a show of being nice to someone else. It's simple courtesy; quite automatic once one has learned the art. Or maybe, I have self centered passions and ambitions. But these are easy to cloak in 'pious' ways by claiming to do things in the name of God.

Raw evil is a reality in this fallen world. And wherever possible we do need to take an active stand against it. We could flee from it, like the Desert Fathers fled from the evil in the decadent cities in the fourth century A.D. But they soon found that that was not the solution. They soon found that even without external temptations, they were faced with their own 'inner demons' of anger, lust, greed etc. It was in the desert that they battled these and finally came to greater purity of heart. In the same way we need to listen to our hearts too, for therein lies the potential to be driven by self-centered passion and ambition.

The old monk was asked,'What should a man do in all the temptations and evil thoughts that come upon him? The old monk said to him, 'He should weep and implore the goodness of God to come to his aid, and he will obtain peace if he prays with discernment. For it is written, "With the Lord on my side I do not fear. What can man do to me?" ' (Ps.118: 6)