Matthew 14 Commentary
No chariots of fire like Elijah. John the Baptist departs this earth headless! Herod has just ordered his beheading! Reason? For speaking out against Herod’s immoral marriage with Herodias. Herodias is Philip’s wife and Philip is Herod’s brother.
Very sad reading indeed! No wonder the man Jesus Christ is downcast.
It is worse! A hero of righteousness should die in battle and not at the hands of an immoral woman! Probably that’s the color of the Christian battle. The LORD reserves special seats for martyrs. It isn’t a loss at all in Heaven!
It is foolishness to make an oath like Herod’s. But should you be so foolish as to want to keep this kind of oath? Herod beats them all!
Saints in the previously-thought-free world are in danger of persecution for speaking against immoral elements like LGBTQ+. They call it social change. John won’t be the last saint to suffer this way!
The feeding of the five thousand displays the compassion of the LORD on His creation. People need to eat. People should not be sick. No one should die the way John died. We can see the heart of the Father.
We can also see the force of evil. You would guess the dancing was a ‘wrong’ dance that doesn’t bring glory to God but to man. Herod is so impressed! Foolishness follows. More foolishness follows and the incarcerated John’s head becomes part of an immoral woman’s menu!
Watching a wrong dance! The end result could shock even evil men like Herod!
Unprecedented foolishness! This would be a fitting title for this chapter. Herod’s political opponents would be happy with it! The saint is more concerned with the undertones of Herod’s wickedness, and how it has robbed the king of both authority and common sense.
Sin has a way of asserting its own authority and power over the sinner. The distressed king would otherwise free himself but he has chained himself to the devil and he is not in possession of the key! What the devil does is not up to the king but up to the devil. Even the wicked Herod is shocked and consequently distressed by what happens next!
Miracles are part of the tools the LORD provides in order to meet the needs of the people. They must be expected. Saints can wait upon the LORD for them. They are never meant for cameras or an increased social media following!
Twelve basketfuls of broken pieces could communicate something to a community that knew 12 twelve tribes of Israel or the 12 disciples.
Then the miracle of walking on the water! It would be an interesting sermon! The Master doesn’t have to part the sea in order to pass. He doesn’t need dry ground to navigate the troubled waters. He walks right on top of it. He calls Peter and faith, albeit little, enables Peter to do the same. However, Peter’s faith dwindles because of the winds and probably because of the thought that no man ever walks on water. He begins to sink.
The winds don’t die down until the Master comes in and settles in an individual’s life.
What may be the point of all this? There are times when the LORD eliminates the problem like when He feeds the five thousand. Hunger is eliminated. There are times when the LORD enables the saint to walk through the winds and on the water. Faith makes the material meant to sink you become solid ground and you walk on it in victory.
The town of Gennesaret is different from Jesus’ own town. They receive the prophet gladly and the miracles flow freely, even by simply touching the vestments of the Master.
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