HEROD AND THE GREAT PHYSICIAN

HEROD

Matt 14:1, 3-12; Mark 6:14-29; Luke 13:31-33; Luke 23:8-12

            It is impossible to approach the account of Herod, and to have to consider our Lord's dealings with him without a sense of dread, and almost appalling soberness. One is almost tempted to wish that the account could be omitted, but to do so in such a series would be singularly to fail, for it emphasizes certain truths of the most solemn nature. Throughout the series we have been constantly in the presence of the amazing love and patience of Jesus; but it is impossible to forget that there is such a thing as the wrath of the Lamb, and it is an illustration of that to which we come in this account.

            The account is startling in that it has no parallel in the records of the life and ministry of our Lord. We may say immediately that the account of the dealing of Jesus with Herod can be told in three brief sentences; He avoided him; He sent him a message of stinging satire; and He refused to speak to him. When we compare the facts revealed in these statements with all the accounts we have been considering, the difference is arresting. How far He traveled to reach men, rather than sought to avoid them. How tender were the words He spoke to them constantly, rather than words of rebuke and satire. How ready He was to talk to men, to answer their questions, even when they were hostile to Him, rather than refusing to speak at all.

            Now it will be admitted immediately that such an unusual attitude on the part of our Lord demands careful consideration and explanation. As we seek that explanation, we inevitably do so, remembering the usual habit of the Master, and this makes this account all the more arresting and solemn, and shows that it must yield some message of vital importance. We come to it in that spirit. We shall seek the explanation by endeavoring to see Herod as he is revealed to us on the pages of the New Testament, and from such contemplation we shall endeavor to deduce the warning which the account conveys.

            When we turn to consider Herod we find how seldom he appears. Indeed, there are but three references to him in detail, one in Matthew 14:1, 3-12; and two in Luke 13:31-32; Luke 23:8-9. To these we will return.

            We may, however, go outside the revelation of him in the New Testament, for he is placed in other history quite definitely, and, indeed, much has been recorded concerning him. The outstanding facts are that he was the son of Herod commonly called the Great, and of Malthake, who was a Samaritan woman. That is to say, he was not a Jew, but half Edomite and half Samaritan. He came to be known as the King of the Jews. That was a title that he personally coveted, and which was granted to him by Rome.

            His contemporaries have described him by words which I will quote directly from them. They said he was: "Cruel, scheming, vacillating, and utterly evil."

            It is important that we keep in mind these words are not those of the New Testament writers concerning him. They came from his pagan contemporaries who knew him well. This fact makes even more arresting the description of him as "utterly evil."

            We know, too, that he was sensual in the most daring and flagrant way. At the time when he crossed the pathway of Jesus indirectly, he was living in incestuous adultery.

            Then we know also from our records that he murdered the greatest of the prophets in response to the request of a dancing wanton, when he was drunk. It is by no means an attractive picture of a man. The picture is dark, it is sinister, it is repulsive; but all this does not account for the attitude of Jesus towards him. Not a thing we have said about him would have prevented Jesus loving him, delivering him, saving him. As a matter of fact, all these things were the incidental revelations of something else, which created the attitude of our Lord towards him.

            We turn, then, to look very carefully at Herod as he is revealed in his attitude toward John the Baptist. The account of the murder of John is told parenthetically both by Matthew and Mark. In each account the writer had been declaring the attitude of Herod when he heard about Jesus, that he was alarmed, and said: "This is John the Baptist; he is risen from the dead."

            Then to account for that saying of Herod they told the account of the murder. They went back in the history to the point when this happened. In that connection Mark gives us some details which Matthew omits, which are very revealing. He tells us that Herod had been evidently deeply impressed by John. These were the days when all Judea was going out to the ministry of John, and there can be no doubt that Herod was one among the number who went to hear him. This does not necessarily mean, of course, that Herod traveled with the crowds; but he sought him, and went to hear him. This contact with John convinced Herod that the prophet was righteous, and was holy. Moreover it aroused serious questionings within him, for we are told he was strangely perplexed, and Mark says, "he heard him gladly." which is a most significant statement.

            As, then, we look at Herod at that time we see a man arrested by the voice of John the prophet, having heard of it from others, and learned what a tremendous influence it had exerted through all the countryside, himself seeking John, and passing in a remarkable way under the influence of his preaching. To repeat, he was convinced that John was right, was convinced that John was holy, was perplexed, that is, disturbed in his mind, and was evidently ploughed to the very depths by the preaching of John, and yet further, was attracted thereby, for "he heard him gladly."

            In this connection it is more than interesting to notice that the words used to describe the way in which Herod heard John, namely "gladly," is found again in the Gospel according to Mark 12:37, when the writer declares that "the common people heard Him gladly." Thus the very effect produced upon the crowds that were thronging upon Jesus is here declared to have been produced upon Herod himself.

            Thus we see the man of whom his contemporaries said, he was "cruel, scheming, vacillating, utterly evil," listening to the voice of the prophet, attending to it, being convinced that he was right and that he was holy, being stirred to the depths in his own personality, and attracted moreover, for he heard him gladly. There had come to him moral illumination, and moral arrest, leading to moral reconsideration, and he had at least consented to the issues. "He heard him gladly."

            At the same period while thus impressed, his vacillating nature is revealed in the fact that fighting against the conviction that had come to him; he had committed open and flagrant sin by taking his brother's wife, and making her so far as he could his wife by marrying her. Quite evidently he was still seeking opportunities of listening to John, for John, learning this fact, sternly rebuked him. The prophet who had impressed him, whom he had heard gladly, whom he knew to be holy and righteous, in the presence of his sin denounced it, declared to him its unlawfulness. In all this account, between the lines it is quite evident that a strange intimacy had sprung up between the prophet and Herod. John had access to the king, and so definitely denounced the sinfulness of his action.

            But he continued in his sin. He stifled the voice that had sounded so clearly within his own soul. He refused to conform to those moral principles that had been so definitely enunciated to him by the prophet. We see him here still having respect for John, but persistently continuing in his sin.

            This is revealed in the fact that when, because he had been sternly rebuked, and his marriage with Herodias declared illegal, the hatred of Herodias was stirred against John, and she was determined to bring about his death. It is here that the action of Herod is significant and revealing. He imprisoned John, not with any intention of sacrificing him to Herodias' hatred, but rather to keep him safe from the wrath of this infuriated woman.

            Having done this, Herod yielded himself to his passion, answered the calls of the animal side of his nature. In doing so he disregarded the pure voice that had been speaking clearly to him. This respect for John caused him to put him in prison for safe keeping; but he persisted in his course of evil. So righteous impressions were sacrificed to the clamant cry of animalism.

            Then came the occasion of the final catastrophe in a night of carousel. We are not told in the records in so many words that he was drunk, but only a man whose senses for the moment were corrupted by drink could have done the things he did that night. The daughter of Herodias danced before him, and this passion-mastered man, his passion inflamed by drink, told her that he would give her anything that she demanded. He repeated the offer with emphasis, in the words: "Whatsoever thou shalt ask of me, I will give it thee, unto the half of my kingdom."

            Thus the voice that had warned him was silenced for the moment, and he uttered this rash word. If it should be said that a man is not responsible for what he says under such influences, it should immediately be answered he is responsible for being in such circumstances and consequently, is responsible for whatever takes place.

            Thus the voice of conscience was silenced, and he made the unutterably foolish and wicked offer. When after consultation with her mother, the dancing maiden said: "Give me in a charger the head of John the Baptist," it is evident his conscience awoke, and "he was exceeding sorry."

            Nevertheless, even then, he persisted in the course of evil, and for its oath's sake was guilty of the murder of John.

            In this connection we may suitably remind ourselves of words written by Paul in his letter to the Romans. "Know ye not that to whom ye present yourselves as servants unto obedience, his servants ye are whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness."  (Rom. 6:16)

            Herod had yielded himself a servant to sin, to lust, to animalism. He had allowed the transient, triviality of a sensual excitement to silence the voice of God in his soul. A careful consideration of the whole account will help us to understand the attitude of Jesus.

            In considering this we notice that Herod had heard about Jesus. The context reveals that Jesus had sent out His twelve apostles, and as they had gone about upon their mission, marvelous things had transpired. The work of Jesus was multiplied by these men, and Herod heard the account of it, and knew that everything resulted from the teaching and the work of Jesus Himself. He heard of the wonders, and was filled with perplexity and with terror, and he desired to see Jesus.

            This desire was based upon that perplexity and that terror. Here we must remind ourselves that Herod was a Sadducee. He belonged to the party which, among other things, did not believe in resurrection. But in the presence of this crisis, and when conscience was speaking, he declared, "John the Baptist is risen from the dead." He was terrified. He had brought about the death of John, and as we hear this cry we find far more in it than a superstitious fear of a ghost. It revealed the fact that he had memories of what John had meant to him, and of how he had hardened his conscience against him. His terror was that of an errant coward, and out of it there was created a desire to see Jesus.

            When Jesus heard it He went into Galilee. Jesus did not see him. He avoided him. It is to be noted that when He did so, He departed into the district over which Herod ruled. It is evident that Herod's fear was of a personal nature, and had no element in it of repentance. As a matter of fact he continued in coming days in courses of evil more flagrant than those of the past. Jesus knew all these facts concerning him, and, therefore, did not grant his desire to see him, but departed into Galilee.

            Later on there came a day when the Pharisees came to Jesus for some reason, and said, "Herod would fain kill Thee." There can be no question that the report they thus brought was a true one, or He would not have acted as He then did. Their advice really was that He should escape from Herod. There can be no doubt whatever that Herod, frightened by the memories of the rest was determined to do with Jesus what he had caused to be done with John.

            It is in this connection that we read the sentences which are appalling, and yet the rightness of what Jesus said, and the justice of it no one can for a single moment call in question. The authority and dignity of His action are amazing. He sent Herod a message, and this fact makes it evident that He knew that what the Pharisees had reported was true. Seeing that He thus knew, He commenced His reply by saying, "Go and say to that fox." This is the one occasion upon which a biting, contemptuous word passed the lips of Jesus about a human being. Indeed, it is more contemptuous than it appeared, for He used the feminine word, and we may render accurately, "Go and say to that vixen." The message that He sent was: "Behold, I cast out demons and perform cures today and tomorrow, and the third day I am perfected."

            The message was a declaration that all Herod's attempts at hostility would be futile. The Lord was marching along the pathway of purpose, and moreover, that must continue until His appointed work was completed. Then, on the third day, which by all seeming would be the day of His defeat, He would reach the day of His perfecting. Thus He forecast His pathway to the end, and spoke of it in the terms of absolute confidence and victory. That was the message which He sent to Herod.

            At last there came a day when they actually met. It was a day when Pilate sent Jesus to Herod, and it is an appalling account. We read Herod was glad when he saw Him, but the word "glad" used to describe his state of mind is not the word that was used in the past when it is declared that he had heard John gladly. It simply means that he became cheerful. The sight of Jesus cheered him. We stand appalled, and wonder what such effect meant. We are not left to speculation, for we are told: "He hoped to see some miracle done by Him." Therre are many within the church in flagrant sin wishing to hear of some new “miracle” supposedly performed and it would be for their entertainment. Jesus has nothing to say to them and the reason is stated below.

            This man, utterly corrupt, hoped for some new thrill as he watched Jesus work some wonder. He saw no wonder wrought. Then it is recorded that he asked Jesus many questions, and that Christ gave him no answer. He had nothing to say to him.

            What a revelation all this is of the inevitable hopelessness of the case of Herod. Who was this Who stood silent before him? It was the Law-giver. Who was this Who was silent? It was the King. Who was this Who was silent? It was the Savior. There was no question among those which Herod asked that day, any sincere question concerning the law. There was no question among those put to Jesus by him that had anything of sincerity in it with regard to authority. Certainly there was no question which was the equivalent of, what must I do to be saved? Had there been he would have been answered. In the appalling silence of Jesus we have a revelation of Divine retribution, necessary but not capricious. Our Lord could do none other with this man. Herod had silenced John's voice not only literally and physically, but within his own soul. He never heard the voice of Jesus.

            It is impossible to read this account without recalling the words which our Lord uttered upon another occasion, but certainly had their application and illustration here: "Give not that which is holy unto the does, neither cast your pearls before the swine." (Matt. 7:6)

            Herod had returned to his vomit, and his wallowing in the mire, and Christ had nothing to say to him.

            The whole account startles and appalls. We are so familiar with the readiness, and even eagerness of Christ to answer the call of the sinner. Herod never called. He became curious and desired to see Jesus. When he could not do that, he tried to kill Him. When at last he did see Him, he was cheered, because he expected a thrill, a sensation; but the moral sense was dead. There are conditions to which Christ has no message, remorse without repentance, blasphemous curiosity in the presence of His power. Then His silence is his sentence. It is just, it is inevitable, it is irrevocable. Light disobeyed willfully, becomes darkness.

            In the presence of that solemn consideration we conclude by quoting from the Roman letter, a continuation of the quotation already given. "Thanks be to God, that, whereas ye were servants of sin, ye became obedient from the heart to that form of teaching whereunto ye were delivered; and being made free from sin, ye became servants of righteousness." (Rom. 6:18)

            That quotation reveals the alternative, and shows how it is possible to be delivered from the power of sin, and become servants of righteousness.