Pride!

2 Samuel 6:1-5, 12b-19   Mark 6:14-29

David again gathered all the chosen men of Israel, thirty thousand. David and all the people with him set out and went from Baale-judah (Bay alia Judah), to bring up from there the ark of God, which is called by the name of the LORD of hosts who is enthroned on the cherubim.

Today we are treated to another glorious story of the young King David.  The Ark of the Covenant has been taken from Israel in battle with the Philistines, but while it is in their possession, the Philistines have endured a terrible plague, which they blame on the Ark.  They are, therefore, more than willing for it to leave their territory and return to Israel.  We pick up the story today as David and all the people with him set out to bring the Ark home.

There is no separation of religion and state in David’s world.  The identity of the Children of Israel is their faith, and the Ark of the Covenant is the Ark of God – containing, according to tradition, the stone tablets given to Moses, and signifying God’s presence in the midst of His people.  For the Children of Israel, to receive the Ark back from their enemies is a cause for rejoicing.

In verse 6, which was omitted from today’s lesson, we learn:  David and all Israel were celebrating with all their might before the Lord, with castanets, harps, lyres, timbrels, sistrums and cymbals.  In other words, the people were overflowing with joy and they threw one very large party to express their happiness.  David makes sacrifices, of an ox and a fatling, and he clothes himself only in an ephod, a skimpy garment, something like an apron, which covered only the front of the body and not a great deal of that.  And David danced before the LORD with all his might. 

In today’s reading David is filled with abandon, he is dancing his heart out with joy, and all Israel rejoices as the Ark of God returns to them.  However, not everyone approves of David’s exuberance.

As the ark of the LORD came into the city of David, Michal [me-hal] daughter of Saul looked out of the window, and saw King David leaping and dancing before the LORD; and she despised him in her heart.

What is interesting here is that Michal loved David very much, so this criticism of him is unexpected.  Wives did not do such things in ancient times, so we are told that God punishes her by making her childless, which was a great sorrow for any married woman of her time.  We are forced to ask, why at this moment did she despise him?

Perhaps, as David entered Jerusalem, she looked out at her husband and saw him “making a fool of himself”.  We can imagine her thoughts as she tells herself that surely her father would never have danced and jumped about half-naked in front of a wooden box, no matter how important that box might be.  Not only that, she is well aware that the women along the route are all getting a good look at her husband in his nearly nude state.  David’s actions probably mortified her, and thus she despised him in her heart.

Here, as the Ark of the Covenant, the most holy of objects returns, there is pride both of the positive and negative kind.  Michal’s pride is offended by what she sees as extreme foolishness on David’s part, and by his public display of his nakedness.  David is proud because he has won the battle to return the Ark – but also, on some level, he must have been aware of the lovely women along the way and of how they admired his body.  As he grew older, it would be his personal pride that would be his downfall, and would overcome his ecstatic attachment to God.

Herod on his birthday gave a banquet for his courtiers and officers and for the leaders of Galilee.

In today’s Gospel we’re invited to a celebration very different from that of David’s and the Israelites, and are entertained by a very different, though equally naked, dancer.

This party is what would today be one of those black tie, invitation only affairs held in an exclusive location, where guests have to pass through metal detectors before entering.  At such modern affairs we know what to expect, and Herod’s guests also knew what to expect at his party.  Herod’s birthday party would have openly involved too much food, too much drink and probably a good deal of illicit sex.  There would be entertainers of all sorts, and the guests would eat and drink and debauch until they passed out.  For them, this was considered a very good time indeed.

Sometime before his birthday, King Herod has married his brother’s wife, Herodias, but she is not a widow, as his brother is still alive.  Because Herodias is not a window, John the Baptist has spoken out against this union and pronounced it adulterous.  Herodias is furious about this, and is just waiting for the opportunity to get back at John and, if possible, to silence him forever.  Herod’s party will present her with her chance.

Herodias has a gorgeous teenage daughter, and knows for a fact that her new husband, King Herod, would like nothing better than to see the young girl, clad in little more than a few pieces of silk, dance a seductive dance.  So the mother, with a plan already in mind, tells the youngster to do just that.  Dance for King Herod, and dance she does.

Up to this point, Herod has done his best to protect John the Baptist, for Herod feared John, knowing that he was a righteous and holy man.  Herod has locked John away to satisfy both his and his wife’s anger at the prophet for condemning their marriage, but Herod would never kill a prophet, not unless he was somehow tricked into doing so.

When the daughter of Herodias came in and danced, she pleased Herod and his dinner guests.

Of course she did, especially the men.  It probably wasn’t that she was such an excellent dancer, but more likely that because she was so scantily clad.  And so, in a passionate moment, without considering the possible consequences, Herod said to the girl, “Ask me for whatever you wish, and I will give it.”

We know what she asked for – what her mother had told her to ask for - the head of John the Baptist, and we know that Herod did not refuse her.  Why did he not let his conscience guide him?  Because he had sworn to her in front of all his guests that he would grant whatever request she made, and he did not want to lose face in front of all those who had heard him make this promise.  As a result, a holy and righteous man dies, so that a lustful king can keep his pride intact.

All the players in our Old Testament and Gospel readings except, perhaps, the daughter of Herodias, who is a pawn in her mother’s scheme, have one problem in common, their pride.  David is proud of his victory over the Philistines, proud to be returning the ark, that pride is acceptable, but he is also proud to show off his manly body to the crowd.  David’s wife, Michal, is the proud daughter of a king, and feels demeaned by her nearly naked, dancing husband.  Herodias is proud to be married to Herod and furious to have some prophet say her marriage is unlawful, while Herod, though respectful of John, is too proud to break a sworn oath that he now realizes will result in John’s death.

In the Church, we are taught that Pride is the greatest sin, and in Proverbs we are told, “Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall”.  Pride is a terrible thing, but it is also very subtle.  Basically, pride is being more interested in self than in God., but it can be difficult to recognize it in ourselves, because, well, it is subtle, and we’re human.

Anger is one example. Anger that's motivated by a sense of injustice or other moral wrong is acceptable, as when Jesus overturned the tables of the money lenders, but when we are annoyed or irritated by someone or some situation, when we want things done our way, when it is all about us and not about love, this is the negative form of pride at work in our heart. 

Then there is confidence.  In The Sound of Music, Maria happily sings,

I have confidence in sunshineI have confidence in rainI have confidence that spring will come againBesides, which you seeI have confidence in me

And that’s wonderful, to have confidence is God’s bounty.  It’s the “confidence in me” that can get tricky.  When we become discouraged because things don’t work out as we’d hoped, then we have been trusting in our own power, rather than in God.  This, again, is pride.

The reason we have confession before we receive Holy Communion is because we all fall into these subtle, seemingly innocent sins. But they are not innocent.  Each one shows we have lost our focus on Jesus, on God, and have instead become centered on ourselves

We are called to be holy people, but it is difficult.  There is always the pain of humiliation as we shed our dangerous pride and learn to be humble.  But it is humility, dependence on Jesus, that gives life true meaning, and makes our lives steadier, more pleasant, much easier, and so much more joyful.

Let us pray:

O Jesus! meek and humble of heart, make our hearts like yours.  From the desire to be esteemed, honoured and praised...Deliver us.  From the fear of being humiliated, or held in contempt. Deliver us.  From the fear of suffering rebukes, of being slandered, of being ignored, insulted, or wronged...Deliver us.   Jesus, grant us the grace to desire only that we might become the holy people you are calling us to be, the courage to surrender to Your will, and the grace to appear with joy before your throne.  All this we ask for Your love and mercy’s sake.  Amen