《聖經中的母親》Day 04
希羅底 ── 一個讓女兒殺了施洗約翰的母親
17 先是希律為他兄弟腓力的妻子希羅底的緣故，差人去拿住約翰，鎖在監裏，因為希律已經娶了那婦人。18 約翰曾對希律說：「你娶你兄弟的妻子是不合理的。」19 於是希羅底懷恨他，想要殺他，只是不能；20 因為希律知道約翰是義人，是聖人，所以敬畏他，保護他，聽他講論，就多照著行，並且樂意聽他。21 有一天，恰巧是希律的生日，希律擺設筵席，請了大臣和千夫長，並加利利作首領的。22 希羅底的女兒進來跳舞，使希律和同席的人都歡喜。王就對女子說：「你隨意向我求甚麼，我必給你。」23 又對她起誓說：「隨你向我求甚麼，就是我國的一半，我也必給你。」24 她就出去對她母親說：「我可以求甚麼呢？」她母親說：「施洗約翰的頭。」25 她就急忙進去見王，求他說：「我願王立時把施洗約翰的頭放在盤子裏給我。」26 王就甚憂愁；但因他所起的誓，又因同席的人，就不肯推辭，27 隨即差一個護衛兵，吩咐拿約翰的頭來。護衛兵就去，在監裏斬了約翰，28 把頭放在盤子裏，拿來給女子，女子就給她母親。(馬可福音六17-28)
17 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. 18 For John had been saying to Herod, “It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife.” 19 So Herodias nursed a grudge against John and wanted to kill him. But she was not able to, 20 because Herod feared John and protected him, knowing him to be a righteous and holy man. When Herod heard John, he was greatly puzzled; yet he liked to listen to him. 21 Finally the opportune time came. On his birthday Herod gave a banquet for his high officials and military commanders and the leading men of Galilee. 22 When the daughter of Herodias came in and danced, she pleased Herod and his dinner guests. The king said to the girl, “Ask me for anything you want, and I’ll give it to you.” 23 And he promised her with an oath, “Whatever you ask I will give you, up to half my kingdom.” 24 She went out and said to her mother, “What shall I ask for?” “The head of John the Baptist,” she answered. 25 At once the girl hurried in to the king with the request: “I want you to give me right now the head of John the Baptist on a platter.”26 The king was greatly distressed, but because of his oaths and his dinner guests, he did not want to refuse her. 27 So he immediately sent an executioner with orders to bring John’s head. The man went, beheaded John in the prison, 28 and brought back his head on a platter. He presented it to the girl, and she gave it to her mother. (Mark 6:17-28)
分享：一連看了好幾位美好的母親見證，今天就讓我們來看一位惡名昭彰的母親 ── 希羅底，那位讓女兒殺了施洗約翰的母親。
希羅底是希律大帝的孫女，她先是嫁給了她的叔叔腓力，後來又改嫁了丈夫的兄弟希律安提帕 (即經文中所說的那位希律)。面對這些亂倫不義的婚姻，施洗約翰直斥其非，後更因此被希律收監。但即使如此，希羅底仍然不能容忍冒犯她的人留在世上，她總是想找機會將約翰殺死。後來，因女兒殿前獻舞而獲得希律許諾「隨你向我求甚麼」，希羅底便教唆女兒要施洗約翰的頭。最後，希羅底的願望實現！(參馬可福音六17-28)
先不論希律整個家族的不義和邪惡，作為母親，希羅底竟然因著個人的仇恨，讓年少的女兒沾染義人的鮮血，這為兒女帶來怎樣的影響呢？那個女兒為了討好繼父和母親，可以全然無視母親指示的血腥和殘暴，恭順地將盛著施洗約翰頭顱的盤子交給母親，這種對惡的麻木、讓罪一代一代的延續才真正值得我們引以為鑑！
今天，我們當然可以揚言不會像希羅底那樣殘殺神的先知，但我們又有沒有像希羅底一樣憑己意教導孩子？我們有沒有不自覺的透過兒女滿足自己的期望？星期日教會崇拜過後，我們在家中又向孩子灌輸怎樣的價值觀和家庭教育？沒有兒女的，我們又是否敏感罪對自身的影響？
就讓我們來到主前，承認自己的軟弱，靠著主的恩典，「不要效法這個世界，只要心意更新而變化」(羅馬書十二2)，也好以此教導我們的下一代。
反思：作父母的，我對兒女最大的期望是甚麼？這個期望是屬神的？屬血氣的？沒有兒女的，我們行事總是遵從己意，還是謙卑求問神的帶領？
禱告：親愛的天父，感謝祢透過母親希羅底的故事，讓我意識到罪惡延續的可怕。求祢原諒我的軟弱，讓我謙卑的順服祢的管教，活出更新的生命；也求祢的靈引導我，讓我更懂得以祢的真理教導下一代。奉主名求，阿們。
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