John the Baptist Beheaded - Matthew 14
John the Baptist Beheaded
14 At that time Herod the tetrarch heard the reports about Jesus, 2 and he said to his attendants, “This is John the Baptist; he has risen from the dead! That is why miraculous powers are at work in him.”3 Now Herod had arrested John and bound him and put him in prison because of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife, 4 for John had been saying to him: “It is not lawful for you to have her.” 5 Herod wanted to kill John, but he was afraid of the people, because they considered John a prophet. 6 On Herod’s birthday the daughter of Herodias danced for the guests and pleased Herod so much 7 that he promised with an oath to give her whatever she asked. 8 Prompted by her mother, she said, “Give me here on a platter the head of John the Baptist.” 9 The king was distressed, but because of his oaths and his dinner guests, he ordered that her request be granted 10 and had John beheaded in the prison. 11 His head was brought in on a platter and given to the girl, who carried it to her mother. 12 John’s disciples came and took his body and buried it. Then they went and told Jesus.
Reflection: When Herod heard the reports about what Jesus was doing he was still racked by guilt over what he did to John the Baptist. John, a true prophet, had confronted Herod in his adulterous behavior, and lust for power at all costs. Normally the Jewish prophets were honored, but in this case Herod's lust for power and his insecurity politically caused him to honor his wife's request to behead John the Baptist. Apparently this was the quickest way for someone to die, but nonetheless it is a ruthless action. John's disciples take their own lives into jeopardy when they go and find John's body and give him a decent burial per Jewish tradition and law. Then, the only place they had to go was Jesus. John's motto when he preached was, "I must decrease so He can increase!" His life led people to Jesus and so did his death.
So what can this mean for us today? Note first the courage John has in confronting the political powers that their moral lives needed to be in line with their role as a public official. Being a public official or governor in the state gives one power to make decisions. Some might say as long as I do my job it doesn't matter what I do in my private life. But we see that ultimately our private lives catch up with us no matter where we work. History tells us that the wife Herod divorced to marry his brother's wife was the daughter of Nabatean King. He married her for political purposes, and now in his lust for his brothers wife he burned a bridge that would later come back to haunt him and the people he led.
Sometimes I/we might be tempted to not engage the people in our society who govern and rule. We think Christians don't need to get involved in politics. And while we need to make sure preaching and teaching the Gospel is our primary goal and purpose, we are also called to have a prophetic voice in the world. Sometimes Christians are afraid to confront the moral/political issues of our times because we either don't want to be offensive, or we want to remain politically correct. The story of John the Baptist and the teachings of Jesus remind us that we will not always be loved by the world, and in fact we are called to be a leavening influence in the world. We are called to speak out about issues of injustice, and uplift those who don't have a voice e.g. the poor, widows, orphans and the unborn.
Though John did probably not wish to have his life end as it did, in the end it led more people to Jesus. Jesus publicly uplifts John as one of the greatest prophets the world has ever seen. Where is God calling you to
decrease so that Jesus might increase? Where is God calling you to stand up for what is right and protect those who are vulnerable?
Jesus give us the courage of John the Baptist to speak out for the things you would deem important. Help us to be leaven in a world filled with many modern day Herod's. May we like John and lead more people to you Jesus. Amen.
14 At that time Herod the tetrarch heard the reports about Jesus, 2 and he said to his attendants, “This is John the Baptist; he has risen from the dead! That is why miraculous powers are at work in him.”3 Now Herod had arrested John and bound him and put him in prison because of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife, 4 for John had been saying to him: “It is not lawful for you to have her.” 5 Herod wanted to kill John, but he was afraid of the people, because they considered John a prophet. 6 On Herod’s birthday the daughter of Herodias danced for the guests and pleased Herod so much 7 that he promised with an oath to give her whatever she asked. 8 Prompted by her mother, she said, “Give me here on a platter the head of John the Baptist.” 9 The king was distressed, but because of his oaths and his dinner guests, he ordered that her request be granted 10 and had John beheaded in the prison. 11 His head was brought in on a platter and given to the girl, who carried it to her mother. 12 John’s disciples came and took his body and buried it. Then they went and told Jesus.
Reflection: When Herod heard the reports about what Jesus was doing he was still racked by guilt over what he did to John the Baptist. John, a true prophet, had confronted Herod in his adulterous behavior, and lust for power at all costs. Normally the Jewish prophets were honored, but in this case Herod's lust for power and his insecurity politically caused him to honor his wife's request to behead John the Baptist. Apparently this was the quickest way for someone to die, but nonetheless it is a ruthless action. John's disciples take their own lives into jeopardy when they go and find John's body and give him a decent burial per Jewish tradition and law. Then, the only place they had to go was Jesus. John's motto when he preached was, "I must decrease so He can increase!" His life led people to Jesus and so did his death.
So what can this mean for us today? Note first the courage John has in confronting the political powers that their moral lives needed to be in line with their role as a public official. Being a public official or governor in the state gives one power to make decisions. Some might say as long as I do my job it doesn't matter what I do in my private life. But we see that ultimately our private lives catch up with us no matter where we work. History tells us that the wife Herod divorced to marry his brother's wife was the daughter of Nabatean King. He married her for political purposes, and now in his lust for his brothers wife he burned a bridge that would later come back to haunt him and the people he led.
Sometimes I/we might be tempted to not engage the people in our society who govern and rule. We think Christians don't need to get involved in politics. And while we need to make sure preaching and teaching the Gospel is our primary goal and purpose, we are also called to have a prophetic voice in the world. Sometimes Christians are afraid to confront the moral/political issues of our times because we either don't want to be offensive, or we want to remain politically correct. The story of John the Baptist and the teachings of Jesus remind us that we will not always be loved by the world, and in fact we are called to be a leavening influence in the world. We are called to speak out about issues of injustice, and uplift those who don't have a voice e.g. the poor, widows, orphans and the unborn.
Though John did probably not wish to have his life end as it did, in the end it led more people to Jesus. Jesus publicly uplifts John as one of the greatest prophets the world has ever seen. Where is God calling you to
decrease so that Jesus might increase? Where is God calling you to stand up for what is right and protect those who are vulnerable?
Jesus give us the courage of John the Baptist to speak out for the things you would deem important. Help us to be leaven in a world filled with many modern day Herod's. May we like John and lead more people to you Jesus. Amen.
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