King Herod the Coward

Today's reading is the familiar story of John the Baptist taken from Matthew's Gospel. When Herod gets news of Jesus' activities, he has a flashback to his encounter with John the Baptist. Matthew writes:

At that time Herod the ruler heard reports about Jesus; and he said to his servants, ‘This is John the Baptist; he has been raised from the dead, and for this reason these powers are at work in him.’ For Herod had arrested John, bound him, and put him in prison on account of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife, because John had been telling him, ‘It is not lawful for you to have her.’ Though Herod wanted to put him to death, he feared the crowd, because they regarded him as a prophet. But when Herod’s birthday came, the daughter of Herodias danced before the company, and she pleased Herod so much that he promised on oath to grant her whatever she might ask. Prompted by her mother, she said, ‘Give me the head of John the Baptist here on a platter.’ The king was grieved, yet out of regard for his oaths and for the guests, he commanded it to be given; he sent and had John beheaded in the prison. The head was brought on a platter and given to the girl, who brought it to her mother. His disciples came and took the body and buried it; then they went and told Jesus. (Matthew 14:1-12)

John the Baptist had the courage to tell King Herod that what he was doing was wrong. John the Baptist had the conviction to put himself on the line for standing up for what was right. He paid for it with his life, but in union with God.

Herod is a classic coward who has no integrity; he is a person who lives in fear. He does not have the courage to tell Herodias and her daughter that he will not give them John's head on a platter. When he gets word of Jesus' activities, he is reminded of what he did to John the Baptist. To be sure, he is ashamed of his activities. What could be an opportunity for repentance and reconciliation by inviting Jesus into his life, is thrown away out of fear. When we are tempted to live in fear, let's remember Herod.