Matthew 14
BolesMatthew 14:1-12
- JOHN THE BAPTIST
1, 2 At that season Herod the tetrarch heard the report.— “At that season” does not fix definitely the order of the events. Parallel records of this are found in Mark 6:14-16; Luke 4:7-9. Some place this at the time that the apostles were away on their limited commission. “Herod the tetrarch” is Herod Antipas. There are three men of this name, and four of the family mentioned in the New Testament. Herod had died (Matthew 2:19), while Joseph and Mary, with the child Jesus, were in Egypt at his death Herod left his kingdom to be divided between his three sons. Archelaus received Judea, Idumea, and Samaria; Herod Philip received Batanea, Trachonitis, and Gallonitis; and Herod Antipas, the tetrarch, notorious for the murder of John the Baptist, received Galilee and Perea.
He first married a daughter of Aretas, whom he dismissed for love of Herodias. He was banished by Caligula to Gaul, and the province given to Herod Agrippa. “Tetrarch” is a Greek word signifying a ruler of the fourth part of the kingdom. Under the order of the emperor of Rome, the kingdom of Herod the Great, father of Herod Antipas, was, upon his death, divided into three tetrarchies, and given to Herod’s sons. It is not clear why the kingdom was divided into three parts, but a ruler over one part called “tetrarch.”
Herod Antipas and Herod Philip were brothers, both being sons of Herod the Great; Herodias, Philip’s wife, was their niece, being a daughter of Aristobulus. Herod Philip was living in retirement in Rome when his brother Herod Antipas became his guest. While enjoying his hospitality there, the transfer of Philip’s wife Herodias to his brother, Herod Antipas, took place, and in a way which fastened crime upon both parties, and probably not least upon Herodias. Her greater guilt may account for her sharper resentment and more desperate revenge. There was no excuse for the crime, as Herod Antipas’ wife was still living, and Herodias’ husband still alive. The forsaken wife of Antipas was a daughter of Aretas, king of Arabia, who resented the insult to his family and throne, and marched upon Herod Antipas shortly after this murder of John the Baptist, and routed him with great slaughter.
When Herod “heard the report concerning Jesus,” he “said unto his servants, This is John the Baptist.” John had been beheaded before this and Herod thought that Jesus was John the Baptist “risen from the dead.” This is the reason assigned by Herod for the mighty works which Jesus was
dead; and therefore do these powers work in him. 3 For Herod had laid hold on John, and bound him, and put him in prison for the sake of Hero doing. We learn from Luke 8:3 that among those who administered to Jesus of their substance was Joanna, the wife of Chuzas, Herod’s steward. Again in Acts 13:1 we have “Manaen the foster-brother of Herod the tetrarch” mentioned among other distinguished converts. So at a later period there were saints in Caesar’s household as there were believers in the household of Herod. We are not told why Herod thought that Jesus was John the Baptist rather than some other prophet; but the inference is clear that Herod was disturbed by his own guilty conscience, as he had slain John to please a lewd woman against his own convictions. From Mark 6:15 we learn that this fear had taken fast hold of Herod, and he would not believe those who offered other explanations of the miracles of Jesus; he could only see the consequence of his own crime hanging over him. Herod had heard of the great fame of Jesus and his haunted conscience made him yet more active in seeking an explanation for the miracles of Jesus; he saw John the Baptist whom he had murdered risen from the dead, and therefore clothed with power for such miracles.
3-5 For Herod had laid hold on John.—At this point Matthew goes back in time to the occasion and scenes of this murder and relates the details of it. We have no way to determine how long it has been since the crime was committed. Herod had put John in prison where he remained probably a year. John was imprisoned soon after Jesus began his public ministry; John’s ministry and Jesus’ ministry overlapped about six months. The cause of John’s imprisonment as recorded is that John had rebuked Herod and Herodias for their sinful life; he had said, “It is not lawful for thee to have her.” Herod claimed to be a believer in the law of Moses, and this law forbade such relations as Herod and Herodias had formed. (Leviticus 18:14-16; Leviticus 20:21.) Herod had heard John in his early ministry and may have committed himself to John’s preaching. Herodias seems to have been more revengeful than Herod; her husband was living at the time, as was Herod’s wife; so they were living in adultery, and as she was the wife of his half brother, it was also incest.
It appears from Luke 3:19-20 that John had reproved Herod for other crimes. John was the true antitype of Elijah; as Elijah reproved Ahab and Jezebel, so John reproved Herod and Herodias. Herodias’ grudge against John was because of his condemnation of her marriage with Herod. (Mark 6:18-19.) Herod would have put John to death earlier, but “he feared the multitude, because they counted him as a prophet.” Herod was teased and urged by Herodias to put John to death, and would have yielded before he did had he not been afraid of the people, for they considered John a prophet.
6-12 But when Herod’s birthday came.—The ancients, both Jews and Gentiles, kept their birthdays with great rejoicings. (Genesis 40:20.) Frequently there would be a number of festivities on such occasions. According to Mark, Herod’s birthday festivities were done with great magnificence, as he “made a supper to his lords, and the high captains, and the chief men of Galilee.” (Mark 6:21.) The nobility of Galilee must have come some distance for this occasion. At this time “the daughter of Herodias danced in the midst, and pleased Herod.” Female dancers in the east are still a customary part of great entertainments; on this occasion the dancer was of high birth, being no other than the princess Salome, daughter of Herodias. She was the daughter of Philip, Herod’s brother, and by his marriage to her mother, she was his step-daughter. Herodias, herself, was Herod’s niece. If this girl’s dancing partook of all the lascivious motions of the Greek dancers, she was a fit daughter of such parents.
History reveals the corruption that was exhibited in eastern courts; dancers exhibited themselves in immodest attire and aped all of the emotions of sensual carnality. “And pleased Herod.” This shows the corruption of the court as such delighted Herod and his associates. He was so pleased that he made a rash promise.
He may have been drunken as was the custom at such festivities. He “promised with an oath to give her whatsoever she should ask.” This was an extravagant and unguarded promise; it ill befitted a ruler of any people. He not only made the promise, but made it “with an oath.” This was a foolish and wicked oath for a ruler to make; the rashness and madness of it could be exceeded only by the horrible purpose to which it was perverted. It is unwise in parents to promise children “anything they want”; again, any one is very foolish to give that which is harmful because one has promised it. Herod promised this dancing girl all she could ask, which meant all that she would be expected to ask in return for such a feat of dancing. He should have refused her bloody request.
The girl was encouraged by her mother to ask for the head of John the Baptist on a platter. Herod was grieved when she made this request, “but for the sake of his oaths, and of them that sat at meat with him, he commanded it to be given.” “A platter” is a large deep plate or basin, and is frequently used on such occasions the Greek word signifies “a flat board,” used for any purpose, as for a “writing table or tablet”; it may mean a large dish in which meat or other food is carved or served. It seems that there was no delay and that the plot was doubtless previously laid by Herodias, and that she was just waiting for this occasion. It was customary for kings to grant any petition presented on a festal occasion of this sort. In the east as soon as any one is condemned to death, an officer is called and immediately takes the warrant of death to the person who is to die, lets him read it, puts him to death with the bowstring, cuts off his head, and brings it back to the monarch as a proof that he has done his will. Herodias could not be satisfied until she had seen the ghastly head of her enemy; hence, Salome requested that John the Baptist’s head be brought in on a platter as evidence that the execution had taken place.
And he sent and beheaded John in the prison.—He had been urged to do this by Herodias previous to this. He made a rash promise, sealed it with oaths in the presence of his company; and now for the sake of his oath, goaded by the friends who sat with him at the feast, and persistently urged by Herodias, John was beheaded. Herod knew that John had done nothing worthy of death; he knew that John was a righteous man, yet through the conspiracy of circumstances he is forced to have him put to death. Herod was afraid to stand by his convictions; afraid to do that which is right marks a man a coward, especially when man knows what is right. It is worthy to note how calmly Matthew relates this event, without one word of anger or resentment; he narrates the story just as it hapepned. His narration gives us confidence in the truthfulness of the historian, who manifests such a regard for truth.
The head was brought “on a platter, and given to the damsel,” and “she brought it to her mother.” John died as a martyr for the truth and exchanged his dungeon for a world where the wicked cease from troubling and the weary are at rest—a world in whose light his rejoicing soul could discover the ways of God. He had finished his work; the speedy end of his ministry served to give glory to God and opportunity for Jesus to finish his work.
There was no further work for John to do; he had been in prison for about a year and was sacrificed, it seems, by wicked men. The wrath of man is made to work out the design of God as well as his glory. It is related of Salome that she met a tragic death by her head being severed from her body. We rejoice that John’s disciples “came, and took up the corpse, and buried him.” It is probable that John’s body was cast over the walls of the prison. The Jews paid great respect to the bodies of their deceased friends, and so did the early Christians. (John 19:38-42; Acts 8:2.) The disciples of John were taught by him to look unto Jesus as his superior, and now in their bereavement and sorrow they naturally report to Jesus what had been done to John and would receive sympathy and counsel. Doubtless Jesus knew the whole story before they came to tell him.
Matthew 14:13-33
- FEEDING THE FIVE
AND WALKING ON THE WATER
13, 14 Now when Jesus heard it.—The death of John occurred while the twelve were absent on their mission as described in chapter ten. Their return and the news of the death of John caused Jesus to withdraw “from thence in a boat, to a desert place apart.” Jesus gave his disciples the reason for this; he said, “Come ye yourselves apart into a desert place, and rest a while.” (Mark 6:31.) In relation to his disciples this was a true and tender reason, but with respect to himself and his mission there was a far higher reason. When Jesus, at his early home in Nazareth, heard that John was baptizing in the Jordan, he realized that he was summoned to enter upon the preparation for his ministry. After his baptism, for a while, Jesus stood in the background while John was preparing the way for him. Soon after Jesus began his public ministry and some of his disciples were complaining about the work of Jesus, John said in reply to them of Jesus that “he must increase, but I must decrease.” (John 3:30.) The forerunner and subordinate must gradually retire before the Superior and Messiah. When John was imprisoned (Matthew 4:12), a period arrived in which our Lord commenced his public ministration.
John ceased his labors and has been put to death; now Jesus enters fully into his work. The twelve had been sent out; they had returned; his fame had gone abroad and even filled the halls of Herod Antipas. It is now both a crisis of great danger and time of his broadest enlargement. To avoid the ruling powers, whose eyes are now in search of him, he departs for northern Galilee, where he spends the remainder of the time during his “Galilean ministry.
It seems that he could get no rest, and that his disciples could have no quietness with him in order to make their report and to receive further instruction from him. “When the multitudes heard thereof, they followed him on foot from the cities.” This remarkable passage in the life of Jesus is recorded by the other three writers of the gospel. (Mark 5:32-43; Luke 9:10-17; John 6:1-14.) Mark tells us that at the same time John’s disciples came to find Jesus his apostles returned from their mission, and that he went aside to avoid the people who were thronging him constantly. Some think that there was a design on the part of the multitudes to force him to lead them in an insurrection against Herod. This is another instance where the people showed themselves willing to take part with him against his enemies hence, to prevent this and any collision with Herod, he went across the sea to the other side of Galilee. However, he did not escape the attention of the multitude, for when they saw him on the way they followed him to the “desert place” where “he had compassion on them, and healed their sick.” They were left to the misguiding instructors of the Pharisees, and were ruled by such men as Herod. They were as “sheep not having a shepherd.” (Mark 6:34.) The people in such condition touched the heart of Jesus and he had compassion on them.
15-21 And when even was come, the disciples came to him. —The miracle of feeding the five thousand is recorded by the four writers of the gospel. (Mark 6:34-44 Luke 9:12-15; John 6:1-13.) Luke records fewer details, and Mark records more; John records the point that the first suggestion as to feeding the multitudes came from Jesus. The miracle came into view in the breaking and distribution of the food; no material agencies whatever were apparent, neither, under the circumstances, possible; it was simply to keep on breaking and distributing.
John records that Jesus asked Philip, “Whence are we to buy bread, that these may eat?” (John 6:5.) It seems that Jesus asked this question to try his faith or to see if one of his disciples would suggest another alternative. It was plain that they could not do it. Philip answered him that they did not have sufficient means to buy enough for each one to “take a little,” to say nothing of each one eating sufficient to satisfy hunger. He even said that “two hundred shillings’ worth of bread” was not sufficient to feed such a multitude. “Shilling” here denotes a coin worth about fifteen or seventeen cents in our money; this would amount to about thirty or thirty-four dollars. This was a sum far beyond their means; here we see a strong proof of the poverty of the disciples when so small a sum exceeded their common treasury. Andrew had discovered that there was a lad in the crowd “who bath five barley loaves, and two fishes”; in reporting this he added, “but what are these among so many?” (John 6:9.) “Barley loaves” was a common cheap food among the Jews; their leaven bread was usually about a half an inch thick; the unleavened bread thinner, and was broken by the hands, and not cut with a knife, as we cut a loaf.
Their loaves were like large, thin biscuits. The “two fishes” were very small, and perhaps the “five barley loaves, and two fishes” were enough for one meal or lunch. The multitude was arranged “to sit down on the grass” in an orderly manner. This was done that the disciples might easily serve them, and that the multitude might see the miraculous power manifested on this occasion.
When the multitude was arranged in order, Jesus looked “up to heaven” and “blessed, and brake and gave the loaves to the disciples, and the disciples to the multitudes.” Mark tells us that the people sat “down in ranks, by hundreds, and by fifties.” (Mark 6:40.) This left room for the disciples to walk and the number could be easily counted. Jesus “blessed” or gave thanks (John 6:11); he gave thanks unto God as the author and giver of every good thing. In this he t an example for his disciples at that time and for all time. is giving thanks to God showed his connection with God as well as his gratitude for the goodness and mercy of God. This was no ordinary meal;the meaning of the miracle was to be seen in Jesus’ teaching; it was an acted parable; it typified the spiritual food that Jesus was able to give.
And they all ate, and were filled.—No one had lack of anything; the hunger of all was satisfied. The same power which created the worlds, which increased the widow’s cruse of oil (1 Kings 17:16), at the word of a prophet, is here shown in increasing the substance of bread and fish far beyond all natural powers. That which was before held in the hand, after satisfying an immense crowd, cannot now be restored to its original compass. Jesus further taught the lesson of economy by commanding that they “gather up the broken pieces which remain over, that nothing be lost.” (John 6:12.) Nothing is said about the size of the baskets; twelve in number were gathered full, a basket for each apostle. The multitude numbered five thousand men “besides women and children.” The people were astonished at such proof of power and future success; they plotted to make him king (John 6:15) which caused him again to retire from them.
22-33 And straightway he constrained his disciples to enter into the boat.—It was late in the day, “when even was come,” that Jesus fed the multitude of five thousand; this was on the northeastern shore of the Sea of Galilee. After dismissing the multitude he “constrained the disciples to enter into the boat, and to go before him unto the other side, till he should send the multitudes away.” His disciples were to go back across the Sea of Galilee to the western coast, while the multitude was to return to their cities around the northern coast of the sea. After sending his disciples away and dismissing the multitude, Jesus “went up into the mountain apart to pray.” We now see three companies: the disciples are in the boat struggling for the western shore of the sea, the multitude wending their way homeward and dispersing into small groups and families, and Jesus “alone” up in the mountain praying. Jesus had “constrained the disciples” to leave him; the Greek word for “constrained” is very strong, and this implies that his disciples were reluctant to part from him. It seems that Jesus had a twofold motive in this, namely, to secure for himself a season of retirement and to give his disciples some experience alone on the Sea of Galilee in a storm. It is significant that Jesus wanted to he alone in prayer with his Father when he saw that the people so grossly misunderstood the nature of his kingdom, and would make him a king over a material kingdom. (John 6:15.) In this retirement Jesus escapes the attention of the multitude and the confusion which had been continued since the disciples of John came to him; he could meditate on the death of John and upon his own death which would, before long, follow; he would have opportunity to pray for the weak disciples and the multitude, that they might hunger more for the spiritual food and understand better the nature of his kingdom.
But the boat was now in the midst of the sea, distressed by the waves.—The storms on the Sea of Galilee often were sudden and frightful. They had sailed “about five and twenty or thirty furlongs”; that is, they had sailed three or four miles, as a furlong was an eighth of a mile or about two hundred yards. They had rowed far enough to be just in the center of the sea, where the current of the Jordan caused the greatest commotion in a storm. The sea, where they were crossing, was about six miles wide. His disciples were in great danger as they were tossed about with the waves. While in this situation “and in the fourth watch of the night he came unto them, walking upon the sea.” “The fourth watch of the night” shows that they had been nearly all night on the sea struggling to get to the shore.
A “watch” is a period of the night spent by soldiers, in keeping awake, to guard against enemies, or to prevent the escape of prisoners; it means any division of the night. The Jews had, just before Matthew recorded this, changed their own ancient custom of “three watches of the night” to that of the Roman custom of “four watches.” The first watch (Lamentations 2:19) was the first division with the Jews, the second (Judges 7:19) was the middle watch; and the last division was the third division.
These watches began, according to Roman usage, to which the Jews had now changed, at six, nine, twelve, and three. (Mark 15:25.) It was after three in the morning that Jesus came to his disciples , through the early dawn they saw him walking on the sea. When his disciples saw “him walking on the sea, they were troubled” and said “it is a ghost.” They were frightened as “they cried out for fear.” The Jews believed in spiritual apparitions. (1 Samuel 28:15.) They supposed the spirit of a dead man in form like a person was manifested. Their belief was similar to the supersitition of some today who believe in “ghosts.” To see one was an omen of evil; no wonder the disciples “cried out with fear.” They were already in great danger of being destroyed by the storm and had been battling against the waves nearly all night, and now to see some one walking on the water was enough to frighten them. They had been brought to the end of human protection and were ready to despair. At this time Jesus spoke to them.
Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid.—The disciples had asked among themselves what it was that they had seen; they had asked in terror, and Jesus now speaking to them banished their fear; he bade them “be of good cheer” and assured them of his identity. Peter was the spokesman of the group; to assure himself and others that it was truly Jesus he said, “Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee upon the waters.” Peter was impetuous and ever ready to venture forward even at the risk of failure. He was a man of undoubted physical courage; this was shown now and when he attacked the mob in Gethsemane. He was now beginning to see that there was a mystery about his Master, which he had not at first seen, that he was “the Son of the living God.” Jesus said to him “come.” He did not say, “come to me,” but “come”; and Peter did “come,” but not quite to Jesus, Jesus came to him. Peter “walked upon the waters to come to Jesus.” He had asked if it be Jesus that he come to him upon the waters, and Jesus had bidden him to come. Peter performed a miracle in walking upon the water.
While he was walking on the waters to come to Jesus “he saw the wind, he was afraid”; he began to sink, and “cried out, saying, Lord save me.” Oftentimes Peter has been called rash, headlong, cowardly, and suchlike; but there is no mark of such a character in him; if he were cowardly, we have no record of it in the gospels; he was impetuous. At this time he had too much confidence in himself and not enough faith in our Lord.
Later he is to be a partaker “of the divine nature.” (1 Peter 5:6-7; 2 Peter 1:4.) At this time Peter manifests the characteristics of impulsiveness, promptness, and eagerness to do something. Why could he not walk on the water too? He could, if his Lord would only say, “come”! Jesus had said this and down the ship’s side and out upon the billows, off he goes; all is well till his eye drops from the Master to the rising of the temptest and to the more fearful surging of the billows. Then, beginning to go under, he cried, “Lord, save me.”
And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and took hold of him.—Jesus was ready to help him; “man’s extremity is God’s opportunity.” Peter had exhausted himself; he is no longer the hero of the group; he is the humble petitioner for help; he is wholly dependent now on Jesus. It is often good for one to be reduced to such circumstances. Why did Peter begin “to sink”? We have the answer in Jesus’ statement to him after he was brought up and placed safely in the boat. “0 thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?” Peter was sustained on the water by the strength or power that came through faith in Jesus; for some reason Peter doubted. He had taken hold of the power by faith which Jesus used in walking on the water, and, as doubt is the opposite of faith, he had lost his hold on the power that sustained him, and immediately began to sink. So soon as Peter was safely back in the boat “the wind ceased,” and “they that were in the boat worshipped him, saying, Of a truth thou art the Son of God.” We have here the narration of a collection of wonders, and may well ponder them to ask why they were done and what lessons do they teach?
There were none others in the ship but his apostles. They reverently bowed in worship before him and confessed that he was “the Son of God.” This is the confession made soon after in Matthew 16:16. This scene strengthened the faith that the disciples had, taught them to rely upon Jesus, and assured them that Jesus was willing and able to save to the uttermost all who took him at his word. At the time that Peter was rebuked for the lack of faith, he and the other apostles gathered new faith and strength which was expressed in their confession to Jesus that he was “the Son of God.”
Matthew 14:34-36
- JESUS IN
34 And when they had crossed over. . . . .unto Gennesaret. —“Gennesaret” was the region on the west side of the Sea of Galilee, of which Capernaum was the chief town, and from which the lake is sometimes named. The name signifies “garden of the prince.” The Sea of Galilee had three other names. It was called the “sea of Tiberias,” from the celebrated city of that name. (John 6:1.) It was called in the Old Testament “the sea of Chinnereth” or “Chinneroth” (Numbers 34:11; Joshua 12:3), from a town of that name which stood on or near its shore (Joshua 19:35). At the northwestern angle of the lake was a beautiful and fertile plain called “Gennesaret” and from that the sea derived the name of “lake of Gennesaret” (Luke 5:1). It is probable that the disciples left the eastern coast of the sea to go to Capernaum om the western coast, hut the storm had driven them out of their course and they landed south of Capernaum.
35, 36 And when the men of that place knew him.— Jesus and his disciples had often walked over the beautiful plain of Gennesaret and he had uttered many of his discourses to the people there and drew some of his illustrations from the varied scenes of earth, sea, and sky. So when he arrived at this time, and it was known, “they sent into all that region round about, and brought unto him all that were sick.” Messengers were sent abroad over all the country to gather in the poor subjects of distress and infirmities, that they might see this wonder-working man, and be healed by him. The greatest impression that they bad received of him was that he was able to heal their diseases; they were looking for temporal blessings and prized them higher than any spiritual blessing that Jesus had to bestow. They were so eager to be cured that “they besought him that they might only touch the border of his garment.” All who touched him “were made whole.” There was no exception; his mercy and power were not exhausted and their faith is manifested in their eagerness to touch the border of his garment.