At that time Herod the tetrarch heard of the reputation of Jesus and said to his servants, "This man is John the Baptist. He has been raised from the dead; that is why mighty powers are at work in him." Now Herod had arrested John, bound (him), and put him in prison on account of Herodias, the wife of his brother Philip, for John had said to him, "It is not lawful for you to have her." Although he wanted to kill him, he feared the people, for they regarded him as a prophet. But at a birthday celebration for Herod, the daughter of Herodias performed a dance before the guests and delighted Herod so much that he swore to give her whatever she might ask for. Prompted by her mother, she said, "Give me here on a platter the head of John the Baptist." The king was distressed, but because of his oaths and the guests who were present, he ordered that it be given, and he had John beheaded in the prison. His head was brought in on a platter and given to the girl, who took it to her mother. His disciples came and took away the corpse and buried him; and they went and told Jesus. (Mt 14:1-12)
Conscience pricks the king. The wrong he has done in the past never left him. It was not any wrong as we might say. Wrong done to a person and that too taking away the life of a person. God only has right over the life of people. Life is a gift of God, a free gift of God and only he could take it away. Man has no right over it. Here Herod had played the role of God. This is the sin that pricks him.
Otherwise he seems to be good man. He is good at least in certain things. He wants uphold his promise. He had made a promise, though foolish, yet he could not or he did not want to step away from it. Keeping the promise one makes is a good thing. The daughter of Herodias also wants to obey her mother.
Keeping the promise; obeying the parents are good things in themselves. They are wrong here in this context because they affect the other person. Whatever good one may do or the right and just thing one may do if it destroys the other then it is of no value. For the person is the only value and one can give up even the right thing like the Sabbath rules for the sake of the man.
