Daily Blast - The Book of Matthew: Chapter 14
Scripture
“Prompted by her mother, she said, “Give me here on a platter the head of John the Baptist.”
Reflection
The first passage of Chapter 14 highlights the horrors that Jesus and His followers were up against. Upon reading this passage a sudden glimpse into the continuous terrors that Jesus and his followers dawned on me. I knew that times were turbulent, that the journey was not smooth but somehow reading this passage really put it all into perspective for me.
For those of you who are unfamiliar with the start of Chapter 14, here’s a quick replay. Herod, a despised man who always sought the destruction of Jesus and His followers, was having an affair with his brother’s wife, Herodias. John the Baptist became aware of this ungodly act and started preaching the news to those who would listen. Herod, in an attempt to silence John, imprisoned him but due to a fear of causing an uprising, Herod did nothing. However, one evening, through the manipulation of Herodias, her daughter requested that John the Baptist’s head be brought to her on a platter. As Herod had granted her one wish, he was obliged to fulfil it to his own advantage.
For me, this passage draws attention to how real and dangerous the ancient kingdom was. Yet, despite the horrors and the constant threat of danger, Jesus still went around carrying out good deeds, performing miracles and teaching people of the word of God. In fact, the following two passages are attributes of this: Jesus feeds the five thousand and Jesus walks on water.
Challenge
This is a particularly prominent passage for today. As many of you may already be aware, across America, the UK and other parts of the world there are campaigns for the importance of Black Lives which rose up due to a recent incident of hate crime. Most of us are fortunate enough to not be the subjects of hate and live our lives in peace. However, this is not the case for everyone and due to the horrific acts of some, people from across the world get entangled in its snare.
I urge you during these times to never give up your hope and trust in the Lord and I pray that amongst turbulent times you are acting out the force of good within it.