SPECIAL DAYS: March 28, Fifth Sunday in Lent

Lesson: Matthew 14.1-11.

SERMON TITLE: Off with His Head

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INTRODUCTION:

  1. At the wedding of Christine Miller and Roy Anding I told a humorous story about a groom.

During the wedding rehearsal, the groom approached the pastor with an unusual offer. "Look, I'll give you $100 if you'll change the wedding vows.

When you get to me and the part where I'm to promise to 'love, honor and obey' and 'forsaking all others, be faithful to her forever'. I'd appreciate it if you'd just leave that part out." He passed the minister a $100 bill and walked away satisfied.

It is now the day of the wedding, and the bride and groom have moved to that part of the ceremony where the vows are exchanged.

When it comes time for the groom's vows, the pastor looks the young man in the eye and says: "Will you promise to prostrate yourself before her, obey her every command and wish, serve her breakfast in bed every morning of your life and swear eternally before God and your lovely wife that you will not ever even look at another woman, as long as you both shall live?"

The groom gulped and looked around, and said in a tiny voice, "Yes."

The groom leaned toward the pastor and hissed, "I thought we had a deal."

The pastor put the $100 bill into his hand and whispered back, "She made me a much better offer.

  1. There was once a game show that was called: LET'S MAKE A DEAL (1)

  1. From their web site I retrieved the follo9wing description.

Decisions, Decisions, Decisions!

Do you want what's in the Box or what's behind the Curtain?

One of the most popular television game shows of the 1960's and 70's, Let's Make A Deal is the show where contestants buy, sell, or trade anything and everything from Aardvarks to Zithers.

Lawyers, doctors, plumbers, and even Beverly Hills housewives dressed as kumquats and turnips hoping to trade a hard boiled egg for a Cadillac. What would be behind the Curtain?…… A Car or a Zonk (a worthless, ridiculous prize)?

Just before taping, thirty-five or so contestants were selected for each show from the studio audience to become the day's possible Traders.

Of those people seated on the Trading Floor, about eight people were chosen by Monty Hall to participate in three or four deals plus the Big Deal which involved major cash and/or merchandise.

To start the dealing, would-be Traders brought unusual odds and ends from home which they may have retrieved from their attic or garage or even made themselves.

Wearing costumes was the audience's idea. To attract Monty's attention, the contestants got creative to out-do each other. Someone brought a sign, someone wore a crazy hat, then one day someone dressed as the Jolly Green Giant and the show was never the same again.

Sometimes when a Trader had decided to "take the Curtain," Monty offered to buy it back again……$1,000……$2,000……$3,000 not to take the Curtain! Traders never knew how high he would go.

Prizes were disguised so that Traders were never sure whether a garbage can, for instance, contained a mink coat or just garbage, or which of three envelopes contained $1,000.

The decision-making was exciting and suspenseful. Would it be a Car or a Camel? A First-Class Trip to Hawaii or a Live Cow dressed in sunglasses and feather boa? Would Carol Merrill point out the features of a new Refrigerator or would Jay Stewart be dressed as an old granny in a Giant Rocking Chair?

Near the end of the show, Monty asked those who had already played if they wanted to keep what they had, or trade it for a chance at the Big Deal of the Day. The first two Traders who decided to risk their cash and/or merchandise for a chance at a grand prize got to choose between Door #1, Door #2, or Door #3. There were no Zonks in the Big Deal, but it was possible to trade down.

Whether their dreams came true or they got Zonked, the Traders had a good time…… And so did the viewers.

    1. There are a number of people who are wheeling and dealing

    2. Let's make a deal; that's life.

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MAIN BODY:

  1. If life is a lot like a game show who are some of the players?

    1. What about the players in our lesson for today?

    2. Ask Herod about his game playing and the results.

      1. He heard about Jesus and thought he was John the Baptist risen from the dead.

      2. For all the importance that he gave to this publicity, it might as well have been John.

      3. He was a person with a guilty conscience.

      4. He was essentially a coward.

        1. He feared the people.

        2. He feared his rivals.

        3. He feared his wife.

      5. He wanted to be king, but could only rise to being a tetrarch.

        1. Ruler of a fourth part of the Kingdom of his father.

        2. "King" was an honorary title of courtesy.

      6. He loved to throw parties.

      7. At this one he was taken completely by surprise and that cost him more than he was willing to pay.

      8. He paid.

    3. Ask Herodias about her game playing and the results.

      1. This infamous woman was the daughter of Aristobulus and Bernice, and grand-daughter of Herod the Great.

      2. Her first marriage was with Herod Philip, her uncle, by whom she had Salome.

      3. Some time after, she left her husband, and lived publicly with Herod Antipas, her brother-in-law, who had been before married to the daughter of Aretas, king of Arabia Petraea.

      4. Herodias reminds me of the Red Queen in the story of Alice in Wonderland.

      5. It is in "CHAPTER VIII: The Queen's Croquet-Ground"

Last of all this grand procession, came the King and Queen of Hearts.

Alice was rather doubtful whether she ought not to lie down on her face like the three gardeners, but she could not remember ever having heard of such a rule at processions; 'and besides, what would be the use of a procession,' thought she, 'if people had all to lie down upon their faces, so that they couldn't see it?' So she stood still where she was, and waited.

When the procession came opposite to Alice, they all stopped and looked at her, and the Queen said severely 'Who is this?' She said it to the Knave of Hearts, who only bowed and smiled in reply.

'Idiot!' said the Queen, tossing her head impatiently; and, turning to Alice, she went on, 'What's your name, child?'

'My name is Alice, so please your Majesty,' said Alice very politely; but she added, to herself, 'Why, they're only a pack of cards, after all. I needn't be afraid of them!'

'And who are these?' said the Queen, pointing to the three gardeners who were lying round the rose tree; for, you see, as they were lying on their faces, and the pattern on their backs was the same as the rest of the pack, she could not tell whether they were gardeners, or soldiers, or courtiers, or three of her own children.

'How should I know?' said Alice, surprised at her own courage. 'It's no business of mine.'

The Queen turned crimson with fury, and, after glaring at her for a moment like a wild beast, screamed 'Off with her head! Off--'"OFF WITH HER HEAD!"

      1. Herodias hated John the Baptist.

      2. He had justly embarrassed her.

        1. John had rightly exposed the unlawful marriage of Herod and Herodias.

        2. She was in an incestuous marriage with Herod.

        3. He did this with all the fervor and faith at his command.

      3. When she got the opportunity she called for John's head on a platter.

      4. Oh, she did not directly make the request, her daughter did, but Herodias put Salome up to it.

      5. She paid.

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    1. Ask Salome about her game playing and the results.

      1. This "birthday party," was for men only.

      2. She did a dance that no respecting Jewish princess would do.

      3. She danced erotically before her step-father and the courtesans who had gathered to celebrate with him his birthday.

      4. All eye were on her.

      5. Herod was intoxicated.

      6. His passions were inflamed.

      7. At the end of her dance Herod was so captivated that the offered her anything up to half of his kingdom.

      8. She went to her mother.

      9. What should I ask for?

      10. Ask for the head of John on a platter.

      11. And you want it when? Immediately!

      12. She paid.

    2. Talk about your game playing.

      1. Games were played

      2. There were no rules.

      3. The end result was tragedy for all the players, including John.

  1. We also play games.

Ancestry (2)

The following was overheard at a recent high society party...

"My ancestry goes all the way back to Alexander the Great," said one lady.

She then turned to a second woman and asked, "How far does your family go back?"

"I don't know," was the reply. "All of our records were lost in the flood."

    1. We have a lot more choices that the people on Let's Make A Deal.

    2. We live with a corridor with a lot of doors.

      1. Behind them are a lot of good things.

      2. Behind a few of them are a lot of bad things.

    3. We are also wheeling and dealing.

      1. It is important to have the information that we need to make the right choices.

      2. Sometimes you open the door, and sometimes the door is opened for you by someone else.

    4. It is important to stop and look before entering.

      1. This can save you and me a lot of grief.

      2. In time we can learn to quickly recognize what awaits behind the door.

  1. Fortunately for us, God is not Monty Hall and life is not "Let's Make a Deal".

    1. God offers us the prize that is behind the door.

    2. The door is always open.

      1. We know what it is.

      2. There is no reason to guess.

    3. There are no booby prizes.

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CONCLUSION

  1. If you choose not to accept what is behind the door, you are asked to leave the door open a crack.

    1. This is so that you can return to it and, then, if you choose, enter it.

    2. If life is a lot like a game show it helps to play to your strengths instead of your weaknesses.

  2. God desires us to become strong with the gracious wisdom and power that would be shared with us.

    1. We do not look for luck but good fortune.

    2. It is better than losing your head.

    3. Even if you lose your head, it is for the right reasons.

1. Retrieved from: http://www.letsmakeadeal.com/showinfo.htm © 1999-2004 Let's Make A Deal (A Joint Venture) All rights reserved. "Let's Make A Deal" is a registered trademark.

2. Pastor Tim [posts@cybersaltlists.org]

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