The Pulpit Commentary — Matthew — Volume 2 — Section 66

him," be said, when the centurion sent for him. Ho would not go to Herod. For what were Herod's motives? Partly mere curiosity; partly that awful power of conscience which seems sometimes to draw the criminal to the scene of bis crime or the murdered body of his victim; partly, perhaps, malice and fear; be would have slain the Lord ae he had slain the prophet. The Lord Christ doth not manifest himself to those who seek him from motives such as these. Herod saw him at last. The sight did him no good; it increased his condemnation. He set Obrist at nought, and shared with Pilate the guilt of bis death. II. THE IllPRIBONMENT OF JoBN. 1. TM sin of Herod. He had married Herodiae. That wicked woman had ensnared. him with her deceitful beauty. She was not con- t.ented with the quiet life of her husband Philip; she sought rank, wealth, magnificence. Antipas was the greatest prince of the family. She lured him to his ruin. She heeded not sin and shame and scandal, so that she might compass her wicked purpose. Now e!ie was the tetrarch's queen, but her soul was stained with the double guilt of incest and adultery. What is beauty of person when it hides a black and loathsome sonl? Herod was wea.k and self-indulgent. He fell into the snares of Herodias. He took her from her husband. The stronger will of that wicked woman led him on from sin to sin; she became a second Jezebel to a second Ahab. 2. The rebuke of John. John had had considerable influence with Herod. "Herod feared John," St. Mark tells us, "knowing that he was a just man and a holy, and observed him [or rather, • kept him in safety']; and when he heard him, he did many things (or rather,• he was much per- plexed '], and heard him gla<lly." Herod had paid some attention to John; partly, per- haps, from political reasons, for John had been for some time a great power in the land; partly from curiosity and some sort of languid interest in John's mission and character. He was struck, too, with the intense earnestness of his preaching ; he felt the power of his comme.nding personality. Worldly men sometimes take a sort of interest in religious matters. Statesmen are forced to do so from the widespread influence of religious motives. Men a.re attracted by a strong character or great spiritual eloquence. .But this external interest in religion may coexist with irreligious habits and a -hatred of religious re6traints. John the Baptist knew this. He did not care to retain Herod's favour at the cost of condoning his sin. He wanted Herod's soul; his spiritual good, not his patronage. So he rebuked him boldly for his sin: "It is not lawful for thee to have her." John possessed in a high degree that holy courage which is so often necessary in dealing with souls. It is easy to speak to the humble and the timid of their faults; but when the sinner is great and powerful, stem, perhaps, and masterful, it needs a brave man then to set his sin before him, and to urge him to repentance. John did so plainly. The guilty pair m11Bt be separated. Nothing else could avail Herod ; no affectation of religion, no costly gifts, no patronage of J obn's cause. He could not be saved in his sin-that was impossible; he most at any cost tear himself from it. 3. Heroa'a answer. He cast John into prison. Wicked men will do the like now as far as lies in their power; they will do all they can to injure the faithful Christian who reproves them for their souls' good. So it was with Herod. John might reprove the Pharisees and Sadducees, the publicans and soldiers; but when he came to reprove Herod himself, then he shut up John in prison. It was a hard lot for one like John, accustoI!led to the free open life of the desert, to be permed up in some wretched dungeon. Herod would have put him to death at once; his own anger prompted him, Herodias urged him in her unfeminine malice. But he feared the people; and, as St. Mark tells us, be feared and respected John himself. Herod feared John, he feared the people; he did not fear God. John feared God, and that holy fear raised him above all other fears; he feared nothing else, bnt only God. Oh for that brave and holy faith to keep the fear of God in our hearts, and in that fear always to obey him I Worldly men are restrained from crime by some lower motive; it was selfish fear that kept Herod for a time from the awful guilt of murder. III. THE BIBTBDA Y FEAST. 1. TM dance of Salome. There were high festivities at Macb.mrus to celebrate Herod's birthday or perhaps his accession to the crown. He had gathered a great company round him-his lords, high captains, and chief estates of Galilee. We may be sure that his guests were entertained with all the costly luxury of the time. Even the Roman Persius had heard of the sumptuousness of these Herodian banquet.e (v, 180). But there was one show which could not have been OB, uv, 1-38.] THE GOSPEL AOCORDING '1'0 ST. MATTHEW. 89