The Ties That Corrupt

Sorting out one's personal priorities is the most difficult aspect of committing to anything of value. Well, let’s qualify that statement. Committing to your priorities is easy when you measure value using money or self-interest. Everyone happily, readily, half-consciously, and with much pomp, fanfare, and self-justification explains how busy they are pursuing money, a career, and their jam-packed calendar at the expense of the community and the common good. In a country where a majority of Americans, roughly 55%, spend up to four hours a day watching their favorite programs, and another 22% of the country spends more than four hours doing the same thing, it’s no wonder everyone feels overwhelmed.

So, for this podcast, when I speak of “commitment to anything of value,” I refer to the Gospel as the only thing of value. Any listener, for example, a soldier who has fully committed themselves to their cause does not require further explanation. 

Herod falls into the first camp. With much pomp and fanfare, he is fully committed to what works best for Herod. He knows what his occupiers want. He knows what his family wants. He knows what the Temple wants. More important than all of this, he knows exactly what is written in the Law of Moses, which means he knows that he is accountable to the words of John the Baptist. 

But for “all the wicked things which Herod had done, he added this to them all: he locked John up in prison.”

Richard and  Fr. Marc discuss Luke 3:19-20 (Episode 475)