CityPoint Discussion Review - Matthew 14:1-12

This past Sunday we discussed the passages about the death of John the Baptist found in Matthew 14:1-12 and Mark 6:14-29. It’s a dark and frustrating story of sin and brokenness unfolding to the unjust death of a prophet. It brings to mind the condemnation from Jesus that the Pharisees and their forebears are responsible for the death of prophets and scribes like Zechariah (Matt. 23:31-36) and that we have a Great High Priest who suffered like us in every way, including great loss, and yet was without sin (Heb. 2:14-18). 

But Jesus wasn’t the main focus of this passage, and is only mentioned in the end of the passage in Matthew, mentioning that John’s disciples went to tell Jesus. Herod is the main focus of the passages, highlighting the questionable choices and direction he was taking. It would appear, especially through Mark’s account, that Herod actually liked listening to John and had only imprisoned John to protect him from Herodias. 

“For it was Herod who had sent and seized John and bound him in prison for the sake of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife, because he had married her. 18 For John had been saying to Herod, “It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife.” 19 And Herodias had a grudge against him and wanted to put him to death. But she could not, 20 for Herod feared John, knowing that he was a righteous and holy man, and he kept him safe. When he heard him, he was greatly perplexed, and yet he heard him gladly.” Mk 6:17–20.

As Nick mentioned, this whole scenario begs the question, what is our responsibility to unbelievers? Herod and Herodias are obviously in sin, though Herod seems more passive in the scenario than Herodias. Clearly Herod the tetrarch was not like his father Herod the Great, who was so bloodthirsty and paranoid he would kill anyone who he deemed a threat. He was known to have killed members of his family who he thought would take his throne, and he is guilty of killing all the boys under 2 years old in the region (Matt. 2:16-18) when he heard about Jesus from the Wise Men. 

Herod didn’t view John as a threat but was interested in what he had to say. From that we can assume that John had built up some relational equity with Herod, as well as John just being a bold prophet that wasn’t going to idly watch the local king blatantly and publicly break God’s laws. 

This story is an example that when we speak the truth, even if we’ve relationally earned the right to speak, someone will likely be offended and angry. The frustration or offense of others should not be a deterrent from standing for Biblical morality, because we believe God’s ways are what’s best and ideal in all circumstances, but we shouldn’t be surprised when the world strongly disagrees with that. The lost acting lost shouldn’t catch us off guard, and isn’t a reason to be belligerent towards them. We have to be led by the Spirit while we live in the tension of speaking Biblical truth, which the world often sees as foolish or offensive (1 Cor. 1:23-24; extra reading “Handling the Offense of the Gospel”), while also living quiet lives and being well thought of by outsiders (Titus 3:2; 1 Thes. 4:12; Col. 4:5-6, extra reading “Why It Matters What Outsiders Think”). We are called to strive to walk that line, because erring on the side of boisterous legalism is just as sinful and not Christ-like as erring on the side of passive relativism. 

The Bottom Line from Sunday was “Seek relationship with those on your street, to be in a position in their life to speak into it.” We aren’t just seeking to modify their behavior, because the call of the Gospel is so much more than just being a better person. Speaking truth into the lives of wayward brethren and the darkened minds of the lost is to point them to the truest realest thing, a relationship with their Creator (2 Cor. 5:11-6:13; Ministry of Reconciliation).