It is certainly an unpleasant feeling when we have done something wrong and we live in constant fear that what we had done would somehow come back to haunt us. Those who may have committed some serious sin would constantly be on the look out, be paranoid and worry that the truth may be revealed. But as the Malay saying goes: "Sepandai-pandai tupai melompat, akhirnya jatuh ke tanah juga." Roughly translated into English, that would be: "No matter how clever the squirrel is able to hop or jump, it would eventually fall to the ground." In other words, we can run but we cannot hide for long, since the truth could come back and hit us in some way.
In today's Gospel, King Herod
had respected and feared John the Baptist as a great prophet and servant
of God. However, out of impulse and a desire to please his family
and friends, King Herod had John beheaded. Now his conscience is pricked when
he hears that some think that the Baptist has risen. As a result, King Herod wanted
to see Jesus more out of curiosity, anxiety and fear than out of a sincere desire
to know Jesus.
Are we living in constant fear? God's
grace frees us from the tyranny of fear and sin, and enables us to reject
what is wrong and to choose to do what is good. May we be willing to walk in God's ways, and remain free from any fear and anxiety while depending on His love and providence.
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