Monday 20 October 2025
But when Herod’s birthday came, the daughter of Herodias danced before the company, and she pleased Herod so much that he promised on oath to grant her whatever she might ask. (vs 6-7)
Background
I hope we can learn from this tragic passage how dangerous authoritarian power is, especially when combined with, frankly, a stupid regard of oaths. Scripture has a number of examples, all of them tragic. Think how Daniel ended up in the lion's den (see Daniel 6:6-15) or how Jephthah sacrificed his only daughter (Judges 11:30-31 and 34-35).
This has not been learned by many with, or seeking political power today. Many make dangerous promises. When these are combined with narcissism and authoritarian power, the result can be utterly devastating, especially for vulnerable people.
Verse 1 dives straight into the heart of the problem: Herod had heard about Jesus and felt threatened. Authoritarian power comes with violent responses driven by fear of losing that power. This time we are reading about 'Herod Antipas', but earlier in the life of Jesus we saw how 'Herod the Great' responded to the message of the wise men by killing innocent children.
In verse 2 we see how the fears of authoritarian narcissists lead to embracing conspiracies and irrational thinking. Again, there are plenty of examples today that demonstrate how common this is.
Verse 6 demonstrates another aspect of authoritarians: how easily they are manipulated, here by Herodias and her daughter. Go back to the passages about Daniel, or the book of Esther to see other examples. Or look at politicians today. Manipulation often works on our fears, a common theme in this passage. In verse 5 it is Herod’s fear of crowds and in verse 9 it is his fear of appearing weak. Scripture often presents love and God's faithfulness as an alternative to being motivated by fear. For example:
- 1 John 4:18 "There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear; for fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not reached perfection in love."
- Isaiah 41:10 "do not fear, for I am with you; do not be afraid, for I am your God; I will strengthen you; I will help you."
The example of Herod shows that fear (or anxiety or worry) is not the real problem. It is allowing ourselves to be manipulated by fear, or making decisions guided by fear. The bravest people are not those who fear nothing, but those who do the right thing despite their fears. The distinction is important: Scripture is not setting us up for manipulation by saying we should feel guilty over our fears but instead it is helping to free us from the fears that stop us from doing what is good, true, just and holy.
Tomorrow we see how Jesus responds to the violence of authoritarians. Today, I want to stay with the dangers of, and suffering caused by, all forms of authoritarian power. That is true in our homes, organisations, churches, in wider society and on the world stage. Authoritarians talk constantly of the need for strong leadership (by which they typically mean leadership that is imposed, unchallenged and violent). Very frequently (as here) it is combined with toxic views about masculinity.
It saddens me that Christians and the Church often fail to stand against authoritarians (and sometimes even support them if it seems expedient) despite the Bible having so many examples of Jesus modelling servant leadership motivated by love, compassion, justice and love.
To Ponder:
- Reflect on your experiences of authoritarians and the impact they had on you and others.
- Depending on our experiences and situation it may or may not be appropriate or safe for us to challenge authoritarians. How might we together build Church and society at every level to be resistant to authoritarians?
- If you are not vulnerable to the power of authoritarians then what can you do to support those who are?
Prayer
Jesus, help us to follow you as we see and experience the violence, manipulation, hate and fear of authoritarians. Protect the vulnerable and guide us all in your ways of justice, love and peace. Amen.
Bible notes author: The Revd Dave Warnock
Dave is now a Methodist minister without an appointment. He and his wife Jane are finishing a very extensive refit of a 1977 sailing boat so they can sail around the world for five years as sustainably as possible. The intention is to model sustainable living and help encourage connections between sustainability and faith. He wants to move from negative to positive impacts of sailing on vulnerable coastal communities. See their blog and YouTube channel