The Kingdom Movement

A Literary & Pastoral Study Guide to the Gospel of Matthew

The Inspiration of Matthew,

by Caravaggio

 

On the King's Errand

Devotional Reflections on Matthew's Gospel

 

Anticipating More Resistance:  Mt.14:1 – 12

 

14:1 At that time Herod the tetrarch heard the news about Jesus, 2 and said to his servants, ‘This is John the Baptist; he has risen from the dead, and that is why miraculous powers are at work in him.’ 3 For when Herod had John arrested, he bound him and put him in prison because of Herodias, the wife of his brother Philip. 4 For John had been saying to him, ‘It is not lawful for you to have her.’ 5 Although Herod wanted to put him to death, he feared the crowd, because they regarded John as a prophet. 6 But when Herod’s birthday came, the daughter of Herodias danced before them and pleased Herod, 7 so much that he promised with an oath to give her whatever she asked. 8 Having been prompted by her mother, she said, ‘Give me here on a platter the head of John the Baptist.’ 9 Although he was grieved, the king commanded it to be given because of his oaths, and because of his dinner guests. 10 He sent and had John beheaded in the prison. 11 And his head was brought on a platter and given to the girl, and she brought it to her mother. 12 his disciples came and took away the body and buried it; and they went and reported to Jesus.

 

          ‘My dad is really pissed at me for moving into this poor neighborhood.  He’s also mad at you for introducing me to it.  He wants to meet you.’  I looked at Richard* and shrugged.  How could I avoid it?  But the meeting was coming sooner than I expected.  ‘He’s driving up this weekend,’ Richard said.  He wants to have dinner with the two of us.’

Richard had moved in with me in East Palo Alto, CA, into a rather run-down apartment complex living among Mexican immigrant families.  We were learning from, serving, and loving this community.  It was a bit dangerous, too.  Richard had just graduated from a prestigious university.  But instead of going straight to grad school or getting a high paying job, Richard had moved in with me.  He worked at a computer center in the neighborhood, investing especially in the area’s youth.  His dad wasn’t happy about this choice.

After the three of us sat down to dinner, Richard’s dad turned to me and asked, in front of Richard, ‘So what do you think about this sh** my son is doing?’  Despite the fact that I had never met him, Richard’s dad cut Richard’s head off in front of me.  In a manner of speaking, of course. 

What was coming next?

Maybe Jesus wondered that same question when he heard about Herod’s murder of his cousin, John the Baptist.  Though I suspect he knew.  In the last reflection, I said that one reason Matthew places this story here is to provide us with a negative illustration:  Herod rejects the word of God; he is definitely not ‘good soil.’  Another reason Matthew places this story here is to provide literary symmetry.  Herod the Great tried to kill the infant Jesus out of fear.  His son Herod Antipas kills John the Baptist and fears that Jesus is John the Baptist version 2.0.  There is continuity in terms of the political threat to Jesus, and Jesus’ threat to political power.  Matthew’s story winds up looking like this:

 

  1. Word of God believed:  Some Jews (Joseph and Mary) receive the word the angel speaks (Mt.1:18 – 25)

2.  Resistance:  King Herod the Great tries to kill Jesus (Mt.2:1 – 23)

3.  Jesus proclaims the kingdom, divides Israel (Mt.3:1 – 12:45)

 

  1. Word of God believed:  Some Jews (the disciples) receive the word Jesus speaks (Mt.12:46 – 13:58)

2.  Resistance:  Herod Antipas the tetrarch kills John the Baptist, seeks to kill Jesus (Mt.14:1 – 11)

3.  Jesus proclaims the kingdom, divides Israel and the Gentiles (Mt.14:12 – 27:54)
 

What is this story hinting at?  What’s going to happen to Jesus?  Jesus is going to challenge someone in high political power, maybe Herod Antipas personally, maybe someone else.  Herod or someone is eventually going to arrest Jesus and kill him.  But Herod Antipas believes in resurrection of some sort.  So this story contains a hint of Jesus’ resurrection, too (Mt.28). 

          Sometimes, hostility to your faith will come from someone in authority:  your parents, your coach, your professors or teachers or TA’s, etc.  If that happens, know that you stand in an honorable line of people who have gone before you and experienced the same thing, including John the Baptist, Jesus, and my friend Richard.  But perhaps one day their own resistance will become so ugly to them that they will change their hearts and come to Jesus.