I love to watch the old Honeymooners reruns. The main character, Ralph Kramden, used to tell his wife, Alice, that he was the king of his castle. After reading about King Herod in the Bible, I am not sure it is good to be a king.
King Herod had put John the Baptist in prison because John had told the king it was against God’s law to marry Herod’s brother’s wife. Herod was perplexed by John and put him in jail so he could learn more about him. Maybe his Spirit was moved by John. Maybe Herod was thinking about coming over to John’s way of thinking. Herod’s wife had other ideas. She held a grudge against John and eventually would receive his head on a platter.
Herod also had the opportunity to meet Jesus. He had heard that Jesus was performing miracles. Maybe Herod thought Jesus would perform some tricks for him. Jesus was not going to perform any miracles for Herod. Jesus came to save, not to entertain.
Jesus told His disciples it easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than a rich man to enter the Kingdom of God. Jesus was saying there isn’t anything wrong with money unless it is ahead of God on your priority list. Jesus would say you can’t have it both ways. It is impossible to love both God and money. You will either love one or hate the other or hate one and love the other.
If John and Jesus could not show Herod the way, chances are no one else could. Maybe Herod was afraid the cost was too high. Maybe he thought it would cost him his castle.
We have the Bible to tell us how the story ends. That is more than Herod had at the time. The moral of the story is for Ralph Kramden, or anyone else, to know that it is okay to be the king of the castle as long as we remember the one who truly owns it.