Matthew 14:14   One of the most amazing things that we discover about Christ is his feelings of pity for us. He has compassion upon the multitudes. This word ‘compassion’ cannot be taken to mean anything that does not involve feeling. So, though Jesus is God, he, as God, feels for us. This is something we…

Matthew 14:13   One of the most amazing and oft-forgotten things about Jesus was his lack of love for publicity. We easily forget that Jesus did not seek out the limelight. He very carefully selected the times that he made himself public and caused others to take notice. On occasions such as the one we see…

Matthew 14:12   The disciples of John responded to his death in the best way possible. They properly buried their teacher, and they sought after Jesus, the master of their souls. Several considerations brought them to Christ. For one, they had nowhere else to go. Jesus was the only one teaching what John had taught. He…

Matthew 14:11   Vengeance is an evil and disgusting thing. It ruins the very nature of the one who seeks it. It creates more terror in the heart of the one taking it than the one receiving it. A vengeful person lives with a guilty conscience that will drive the sanest of persons absolutely crazy. God…

Matthew 14:10   It is amazing how that the death of a righteous person may be occasioned by the unrighteousness of many others. Though it may not be a great comfort to us at the time, the Lord is quite mindful of any who take part in the death of one of his saints. This deed…

Matthew 14:9   Breaking an oath was not necessarily impossible. However, it would have been very embarrassing. Herod Antipas was not sorry for John’s sake, but because of his own unfortunate predicament. He knew that many of the Jews would hate him for killing John. But, the breaking of this oath would, in his mind, cause…

Matthew 14:8   Likely, this whole thing was planned by Herodias. Her daughter would likely not have danced for Herod had her mother not been involved. Knowing Antipas’ nature, by virtue of their relationship, Herodias knew that he might offer some kind of gift to the girl.   Jewish law would have required a trial. However, by…

Matthew 14:7   This promise on the part of Herod was quite foolish. He did not actually have the authority to carry it out depending upon what the girl asked for. As a vassal of Rome, he had lots of limitations, and was more of a puppet than a king. Thus, he was likely quite drunk…

Matthew 14:6   Herod’s new wife had already had a daughter, presumably by Philip, who came now before Herod and his dinner guests. This was Herod’s birthday, which he was apparently enjoying. It is likely that Herodias’ daughter danced only for the men at this party.Bible Reading: 2 Kings 6:1-8:29Scripture Memory: 1 John 3:11 “For this is…

Matthew 14:5   Evil men live by fear. It is the strongest motive out there. It can trump just about any other reason for human action. And, for those who do not live by faith, it is a powerful and persuasive force. It will lead people to do the exact opposite of what they would otherwise…