• A monster is someone who has deviated grotesquely from the natural or normal form.

Google adds that a monster is an inhumanly cruel or wicked person OR a rude or badly behaved person. 

• Today and from Mark 6, we will see how people who are rebuked are often offended and turn into monsters.

Therefore Herodias held it against him and wanted to kill him, but she could not; for Herod feared John, knowing that he was a just and holy man, and he protected him. And when he heard him, he did many things, and heard him gladly. – Mark 6:19-20

• Herodias held a grudge against John the Baptist because of his preaching.
• John was preaching to Herod and used his marriage to Herodias (His brother’s wife), as an example of breaking God’s law.
• This beautiful (sexy) woman heard it and she was bored! But it was good preaching – a good word, a true word.

For Herod himself had given orders to have John arrested, and he had him bound and put in prison. HE DID THIS BECAUSE OF HERODIAS, his brother Philip’s wife, whom he had married. FOR JOHN HAD BEEN SAYING, “It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife.”

• She was offended and couldn’t move past that preaching. “I mean how? How could he speak about my issue? How could he use me as an example? What does he mean?”
• In the end, the offence built up in her until she became a ‘monster’ – if you want a human head on a plate, what are you? – and had him beheaded to make head-soup.
• She was so consumed with offence, that she couldn’t see clearly to ask for greater things when presented with a blank cheque.

Dear friend, please let’s not allow the rebukes and the corrections of God’s Word to turn us into monsters. Allow God’s Word to have its perfect work.

• Remember that scripture does not exist to pamper us. Nor does scripture exist to praise us.
• It exists to inspire us, to teach us doctrine, to reprove us, to correct us and to instruct us. We cannot come to God without being rebuked (Read 2 Timothy 3:16-17, Isaiah 2:2-4).

And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the Lord’s house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it. And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord,

 to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. AND HE SHALL JUDGE AMONG THE NATIONS, AND SHALL REBUKE MANY PEOPLE....

• Accept that painful corrections and sharp rebukes will be part of your life if you are at a place where the scripture is taught and preached in truth.
• It is amazing that when the truth is confronted and addressed by an authority figure, people get terribly offended and metamorphose into monsters (frightful, shocking and outrageous versions of themselves).
• If we do not flow with the rebukes, we do not flow with God. If we do not flow with corrective measures, we do not flow with most of God’s word.

Dear friend, offence will blind you to great opportunities and breakthroughs. Be willing to accept the preaching of truth from God’s word, even when it cuts you to the core. That is the ‘sword’ of the Word! (Hebrews 4:12).  

• In contrast to the lady monster, Herod loved the preaching of John (“he heard him gladly”).
• There is a part of honour that is displayed by how glad you are to listen to someone or how you receive a person’s words.

Therefore Herodias held it against him and wanted to kill him, but she could not; for Herod feared John, knowing that he was a just and holy man, and he protected him. And when he heard him, he did many things, and heard him gladly. – Mark 6:19-20

• Herod honoured John. He knew or recognised that he was a just, righteous man, and protected him.
• “He did many things” that John preached to him to do. So he listened to the preachings gladly and acted on them. [It seems the one exception here was in the case of his marriage to Herodias. Eish!].

Learn to honour the messengers God sent to you. Learn to protect them, listen to them gladly and act on what they teach you; that is how to honour them. Let’s end here for today… Heyy, you’re blessed!

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