The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my heart and mind in Matthew 14:5,
"Herod wanted to kill John, but he was afraid of the people, because they considered John a prophet."
Herod wanted to kill John the Baptist because John had been telling him that it was not lawful for him to have Herodias, his brother's wife. However, fear of the people prevented him from doing it until he backed himself in a corner, forcing himself in spite of the political consequences.
Adultery, of course, is sin. Killing a recognized spiritual leader due to their condemnation of sin is likewise sinful. Herod's spiritual condition is clearly indicated in this account. A further expression of sin in Herod's life is the pride he manifested which trumped his decision. Also illustrated in the account is Herod's political instincts. He realized killing John would bring him a political liability in that the people would hold him in contempt for doing so.
Clearly a confluence of two things that people often do not realize go together: religion and politics.
I take the confluence of religion and politics even further. It is my position that a person's politics flow from their spirituality.
Although it was politically inexpedient for Herod to kill John, as much as he wanted to, he nevertheless did it when his pride got the best of him in front of his guests. Perhaps his pride resulted in a change of his political calculus?
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just respond and let me know.
"Herod wanted to kill John, but he was afraid of the people, because they considered John a prophet."
Herod wanted to kill John the Baptist because John had been telling him that it was not lawful for him to have Herodias, his brother's wife. However, fear of the people prevented him from doing it until he backed himself in a corner, forcing himself in spite of the political consequences.
Adultery, of course, is sin. Killing a recognized spiritual leader due to their condemnation of sin is likewise sinful. Herod's spiritual condition is clearly indicated in this account. A further expression of sin in Herod's life is the pride he manifested which trumped his decision. Also illustrated in the account is Herod's political instincts. He realized killing John would bring him a political liability in that the people would hold him in contempt for doing so.
Clearly a confluence of two things that people often do not realize go together: religion and politics.
I take the confluence of religion and politics even further. It is my position that a person's politics flow from their spirituality.
Although it was politically inexpedient for Herod to kill John, as much as he wanted to, he nevertheless did it when his pride got the best of him in front of his guests. Perhaps his pride resulted in a change of his political calculus?
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just respond and let me know.
No comments:
Post a Comment