"Herod wanted to kill John, but he was afraid of the people, because they considered him a prophet" (matthew 14:5)was there ever anyone more miserable or pitiable than herod? he was constantly doing things he didn't want to do or not doing things he wanted to do because he was so slavishly driven by a pathological need for other people's approval. there are three examples in our passage today:
verse 3: "herod had arrested john and bound him and put him in prison" NOT because he wanted to, "but because of Herodias, his brother's wife".
verse 5 "herod wanted to kill john, but he was afraid of the people, because they considered john a prophet".
verses 9-10 "herod was distressed (when herodias's daughter asks for the head of john the baptist on a platter) but because of his oaths and his dinner guests, he ordered that her request be granted and had john beheaded".
poor herod knew that john was a righteous man and spoke the very words of God, but in living a miserable, illicit, dishonest, and exceedingly worldly and sinful life, he could not bring himself to do the right thing. enslaved by a psychological compulsion to please others, flatter himself, preserve his power, squash his guilt, and maintain his sinful lifestyle, he silenced the only righteous and godly influence in his life that could have saved him. i wonder if we recognize shadows of ourselves in this most wretched of role models. we may feel more affinity with herod than we'd like to admit.
and herod is guilt-ridden, haunted by john, even after his death. everywhere he hears his voice, sees his face, remembers his words of warning. reports of Jesus even convince herod that john the baptist has risen from the dead. i can't help wondering if herod's guilt and terror after the murder of a righteous man didn't cause "the weeping and gnashing of teeth"--that Jesus predicts for unbelievers in eternity--to start for herod right there on earth.
2 comments:
i always had disgust for Herod... but now i see that i "recognize shadows of ourselves in this most wretched of role models!"
...doing things i do not want to do or not doing things i know i ought to do!
thanks smn for clearly explaining ancient words that we can find application for today
I totally agree with you in what you say about Herod. I never realized how much of a people pleaser Herod was nor did I think he would live the rest of his life looking over his shoulders.
I wondered if when we openly and knowingly sin against God and refuse to repent, then do we look the same way as Herod did and live in fear and guilt as he did.
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