Matthew 14

Matthew 14:1-12

John Buprist had said concerning Christ, He must increase, but I must decrease, John iii. 30. The morning-floor is here disappearing, and the sun of righteousness rising to his meridian before. Here is, 1. The martyrdom of John, his imprisonment for his faithfulness to Herod, ver. 1—5. And the beheading of him to plosch Herodias, ver. 1—12. 2. The miracles of Christ. (1.) His feeding five thousand men, that came to him to be taught, with five leavers and two fliers, ver. 13—24. (2.) Christ’s walking as the water to his disciples in a firm, ver. 24—33. (3.) His hoisting the sick with the touch of the horn of his garment, ver. 34—36.

1. A T that time Herod the tetrarch heard of the same of Jesus. 2. And said unto his servants, This is John the baptist, he is risen from the dead, and therefore mighty works do shew forth themselves in him. 3. ¶ For Herod had laid hold on folos, and bound him, and put him in prison for Herodias’s sake, his brother Philip’s wife. 4. For John said unto him, ‘It is not lawful for thee to have her. 5. And when he would have put him to death, he feared the multitude, because they counted him as a prophet. 6. But when Herod’s birth-day was kept, the daughter of Herodias danced before them, and pleaded Herod. 7. Whereupon he promised with an oath to give her whatsoever the would ask. 8. And she, being before instructed of her mother, said, Give me here John baptist’s head in a charger. 9. And the king was sorry: nevertheless for the oath’s sake, and them which sat with him at meat, he commanded it to be given her. 10. And he sent and beheaded John in the prison. 11. And his head was brought in a charger, and given to the damsel: and she brought it to her mother. 12. And his disciples came, and took up the body and buried it, and went and told Jesus.

John, the harbinger of Jesus, had lately finished his glorious race, and went the course of martyrdom. We have in these verses an account of that bloody scene; and the

occasions of its being here introduced in infirmated, v. 2. The land of India and his mightless began to be noiled; and no founts did they reach Herod’s ears, than his guilty confidence bereaved his friend, and instantly faggelled, that this was John submiss the hush-bots-aged, humours sailed from the dead, and endowed with mere extraordinary power to vindicate his injured chandling, and perhaps avenge himself on his periscutters. Note, (1.) On this side hell, the greatest torment is a guilty confidence: (2.) Periscutters will find they in vain fork to be rid of their troubles: though one be slain or removed, God will walk up their witnesses on the truth. (3.) Many under the horrors of confidence, like the devils, tremble, yet continue impenitence. Consictions are not conversion.

In the Navy of John’s fefferings we are said,

a. The occasion of them: and this was, his fidelity and zeal in reproving Herod for his flagitious enotmities, and especially for his adultery and incest with Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife, whom he had inveighed away from her own husband; and though he was alive, and had children by her, yet had Herod publicly married her, and continued to cohabit with her. This atrocious crime John plainly and faithfully charged upon his confessions, as utterly untimed, and sure to bring down the wrath of God upon him. Though a king, John feared not to discharge his commission. As the greatest moments have no prerogative to break God’s laws, his ministers must boldly vindicate his honour, and, without respect of persons, declare his wrath against the mightiest transgressors.

2. For this John was imprisoned. Infligated by Herodias, who medicated revenge, as well as to greatly his own resentments, Herod had seized, bound, and cast him into prison. They who will be zealous against sin, must prepare to suffer. Faithful rebukes, however kindly meant, will be often referred as affronts, and expose us to the vengeance of an enraged periscuter; but when we have a good cause, and a good conscience, we need not fear bonds or imprisonment.

3. Herod would have dispatched him out of hand, and rid himself of this troubler; but his fears prevailed over his resentment, and for a while restrained him from the bloody dead. John’s character as a prophet had procured him such general veneration, that to murder him outright might provoke some popular information, and endanger his own prison and government. Note, (1.) None are greater slaves to fear, than they who affect to tyrannize with defiance foray. (2.) The fear of man often restrains those who have cast off all fear of God.

4. At last the barbarous deed is contrived and executed; and, after a tedious confinement, the faithful martyr is by death releated, and goes where the wicked craft from troubling. It appears probable, that the whole plot was concerted by Herodias, whose unrelenting malice could not rest whilst John was yet alive; and that Herod was privy to the design; the circumstance being contrived merely to blind the populace. However, whether he knew it, or rashly involved himself by his oath, Herod is without excuse. The time chores for the execution of the design was Herod’s birth-day, and the instrument was Salome, the daughter of Herodias. To grace the festival, she condescended to appear before the august assembly, and danced so exquisitely, that Herod in a transport of delight favors to gratify her in whatever request she should make. At her mother’s instigation she demands the head of John the Baptist, who thought hereby at once to get rid of his reproofs, and glut her revenge. Brouck with this bloody request, at last appearing to be so, Herod expressed great sorrow and reluctance to comply with it. The injustice, cruelty, and infamy of such an action cried aloud. Nevertheless, pretending confidence, as if a rich oath could oblige him to commit so wicked a deed, and out of respect to those around him, who being winceled to the oath approved the performance of it, and probably were glad to get rid of so troublations a reprover, he gives orders for John’s execution in the prison, and instantly, without form or process, sends one of his savage instruments to bring the head of the holy Baptist in a charger. The bloody gifts is delivered to Salome, and the presents it to her mother, a feast for her cruel revenge, whilst with malicious delight she beholds that tongue for ever silent, that had so deeply wounded her repuls. Note, (1.) beacons of carnal mirth and jolitay are usually attended with much mischief. Feasting and dancing are pleasing to the flesh; but they are pernicious to the spirit, and often productive of fatal consequences. (2.) Rash oaths involve the confidence in dreadful dilemmas, where guilt is sure to falten on either side; yet, when we have sworn to do evil, that oath is more safely broken than kept. Our obligations to keep God’s time cannot be superseded by any other we abide to lay ourselves under. (3.) The bohem, that should be the foot of tenderness, when heed with lust and revenge, becomes the most barbarous and savage. (4.) The bad examples of parents are fatally pernicious. We quickly learn the evil to which the bias of energy nature leans so strongly. (5.) Many are made sorry by their sins, who never have guilty sorrow for them. Though scourged by their confessions, their love of evil bears down their oppression. (6.) The triumphing of the wicked is short; God will soon require at their hands the innocent blood they have shed.

5. The disciples of John bearing the sad catastrophe, came to pay their last kind offices to their mother’s corps, and testify their affections and respect by attending it to the grave; and then went and informed Jesus of the same, on whose ministry probably they had attended since John’s imprisonment: and if they were drawn nearer to him by their former mother’s removal, they were in the issue gained by their loss. Note, (2.) As the dust of his faints is precious to the Lord, so should their very corpses be to us, for the sake of the spirit which devils in them. (2.) We must carry all our griefs to Jesus, and be confident he will alleviate the sorrows we pour into his compassionate bosom. (3.) Whatever human helps, friends, or ministers, we may be deprived of, we may not deposed; our Master in heaven ever lives; and if we are driven nearer to him, he can more than compensate our losers.

6. ¶ When Jesus heard of it, he departed thence by ship into a desert place, apart: and when the people had heard thereof, they followed him on foot out of the cities. 14. And Jesus were forth, and few a great multitude, and was moved with compassion toward them, and he healed their sick. 15. And when it was evening, his disciples came to him, saying, This is a desert place, and the time is now past; send the multitude away, that they may go into the villages, and buy themselves victuals. 16. But Jesus said unto them, They need not depart, give ye them to eat. 17. And they say unto him, We have here but five loaves, and two fishes. 18. He said, Being them higher to me. 19. And he commanded the multitude to lie down on the grass, and took the five loaves, and the two fishes, and looking up to heaven, he blessed, and broke, and gave the loaves to his disciples, and the disciples to the multitude. 20. And they did all eat, and were filled: and they took up of the fragments that remained, twelve lashers full. 21. And they that had eaten were about five thousand men, beside women and children.

Matthew 14:13-21

To shelter himself from the jealously of a cruel tyrant, as well as to give some rest to his disciples, returned from their travels and preaching, our Lord withdrew into a desert place. His hour was not yet come; nor was he called to expose himself to Herod’s beauty; and therefore he took this prudential step, teaching up by his example, though always to be prepared for suffering in the way of duty, not rashly or needlessly to court periscussion. Hereupon we are told,

1. That the multitude, who had heard of his departure, immediately followed him on foot; so eager were they to attend his ministry. Though there might be danger in cleaning to a man in obnoxious, and they must go many a weary step to attend him, nothing discouraged them. They who have a relish for the gospel, will follow it in all its removes, and stick at no pains to enjoy the sincere milk of the word: nor will periscuction share their order, but increase it.

2. The fight of so many poor souls awakened the compassions of Jesus; and though he came shelter for retirement, he gladly chose to forego his own ear to do them good. He would not suffer them to come so far in vain, and therefore must fresh, pitying their sad calls, destitute of food for their bodies, many sick and weak, and, worth of all, their souls perishing for lack of knowledge: and therefore he undertakes the relief of all their necessities; healing their sick; instructing them in the doctrines of his kingdom; and designing, ere they parted, to spread a table for them in the wilderness. With like compassions should we regard the souls and bodies of men, and then shall we readily lay our ourselves, and cheerfully spend and be spent in their service.

3. The disciples, ignorant of the intentions of their Master, and foregoing the inconveniences which must arise from detaining so vast a multitude there, where no refreshment could be procured, defend their Lord to dismiss the congregation, the day beginning to decline. But he, who knew his own intentions, to try their faith, had them communicate their little stock of provisions to the people. The disciples reasonably object the insufficiency of their slander store, amounting to no more than five loaves and two fishes, which, though they were ready to part with, would not be tailed among such a multitude. Yet Jesus had them bring them to him, and trust him power. Note, (1.) In following Christ we may be reduced to the greatest straits; but in the way of duty we can’t trust, and not be afraid. (2.) They who have Christ, have all, and abound; his presence and love can abundantly compensate every loss, and enable us to be content even to be hungry, and in need of daily food. (3.) Christ and his disciples fixed no courts and fancy fare, to teach us abstinence and the mortification of our fanless appetites. (4.) Though we have lost little, we should be ready, when duty calls, to give of that little.

only touch the hem of his garment: and as many as touched were made perfectly whole.

Matthew 14:34-36

The shorn being over, and their ship arrived left to port, they disembarked in the fruitful land of Gedeocere; and thus shall the faints of God at left, when all the trumpets of life are blown over, reach that land, where there is undifferbable repose, and pleasures for evermore.

No sooner is it known that Jesus is there, than we are told, the eagerness with which the people of that country crowded around him, spreading the glad tidings through the neighbourhood, and bringing all their diseased to Jesus, the great and general physician. And such was their faith in his sufficiency to hold all their maladies, that they brought him, if but to read the hem of his garment, persuaded such virtue wished in him, that nothing more was needful to their cure: nor were they disappointed in their confidence or application. He granted their request, and as many as touched him immediately were made perfectly whole. Now, (1.) Christ’s visits are precious; we should improve them with diligence. (2.) If we have found him a flavour unto us, it becomes us to spread the glad tidings, and invite others to come and share our blessings. (3.) There is no disease of our souls, but Jesus hath healing for it. If we perish, it is because we will not come to him that we may have life. (4.) They who in faith and humility approach the Saviour, are sure never to go disappointed away.