Lecture 1 — Death of John the Baptist

^14:1^ At that time, Herod the tetrarch heard of the fame of Jesus. [n. 1216]

^14:2^ And he said to his servants: this is John the Baptist; he is risen from the dead, and therefore mighty works are performed in him. [n. 1219]

^14:3^ For Herod had apprehended John, and bound him, and put him into prison, because of Herodias, his brother’s wife. [n. 1221]

^14:4^ For John said to him: it is not lawful for you to have her. [n. 1223]

^14:5^ And he wanted to put him to death, but he feared the people: because they esteemed him as a prophet. [n. 1224]

^14:6^ But on Herod’s birthday, the daughter of Herodias danced before them, and pleased Herod. [n. 1225]

^14:7^ Upon which, he promised with an oath to give her whatever she would ask of him. [n. 1227]

^14:8^ But she, being instructed before by her mother, said: give me here, in a dish, the head of John the Baptist. [n. 1228]

^14:9^ And the king was struck sad, but because of his oath, and because of those who sat with him at table, he commanded it to be given. [n. 1229]

^14:10^ And he sent, and beheaded John in the prison. [n. 1231]

^14:11^ And his head was brought in a dish, and it was given to the girl, and she brought it to her mother. [n. 1233]

^14:12^ And his disciples came and took the body, and buried it, and came and told Jesus. [n. 1234]

^14:13^ When Jesus had heard, he retired from there by boat, into a desert place which was set apart. And the multitudes, having heard of it, followed him on foot out of the cities. [n. 1235]

^14:14^ And, coming out, he saw a great multitude, and had compassion on them, and healed their sick. [n. 1238]

1215. Above, the Lord showed the power of the evangelical teaching under certain parables; here he shows it by deeds. And he does three things:

first, he shows to what effects it extends itself, through the likeness of deeds;

second, he shows the sufficiency of the evangelical teaching;

third, how it should be preserved in purity.

The second is in chapter fifteen; the third, in chapter sixteen.

Concerning the first,

first, a false opinion is set down;

second, the occasion;

third, the opinion is disproven.

The second is at for Herod had apprehended John; the third, at when Jesus had heard, he retired from there.

1216. It says then, at that time, Herod the tetrarch heard the fame of Jesus. And it should not be referred to that very day, but to that general time, because Mark and Luke do not tell it in the same order, since these both tell it after the sending out of the disciples (Mark 6:14; Luke 9:7). Hence it is uncertain who preserves the order of history. Nonetheless, it says, at that time, to point out Herod’s negligence, because it was after the miracles that he first heard the fame of Jesus; for this laziness is common among the rich, that they have no care of little things. Charge the rich of this world not to be highminded, nor to trust in the uncertainty of riches (1 Tim 6:17).

1217. Herod the tetrarch, to distinguish him from Herod the king, under whom Christ was born, as is said above (Matt 2). Hence, when that man died, Christ returned from Egypt. This Herod was his son, and was a tetrarch. His father was made a king by the Romans, and had six sons, two of whom he killed during his life; another, the firstborn, he killed at his own death, since he would have made himself be exalted to the kingship while his father was still living. With this one dead, Archelaus took the kingship for himself, and following his father’s malice, he could not be tolerated by the Jews. Then they approached the Romans, and the kingdom was divided into four parts: two parts were handed over to Archelaus, another to Herod, and another part to Philip. Hence this man was the tetrarch and prince over a fourth part of the kingdom.

1218. Herod the tetrarch heard the fame of Jesus. And for this he was worthy of blame, because Jesus had lived such a long time, and had done miracles, and yet now he first heard; hence Job is fulfilled, destruction and death have said: with our ears we have heard the fame of it (Job 28:22).

1219. And he said to his servants: this is John the Baptist. Some have said that this man held the doctrine of the transfusion of souls, for Plato and Pythagoras claimed that the soul, leaving one body, entered into another body. Herod, holding this opinion, as they say, believed that John’s soul had passed over into Christ’s soul. But this cannot be, because he had killed him only a little before, while Jesus was thirty years old; hence he did not believe this. Likewise, he had already worked miracles before the beheading and before the imprisonment (John 3). Yet Herod should be praised, because he believed in the resurrection, about which Job says, will man that is dead, do you think, live again? (Job 14:14). Likewise, he had another good condition, namely that he believed that there would be a resurrection to a better state; for this reason, he believed that miracles were worked then which John had not done before his resurrection; so he says, and therefore mighty works are performed in him because he has come to a higher state. Hence men will rise in a better state. Hence the Apostle: it is sown in dishonor, it will rise in glory (1 Cor 15:43).

1220. But there is a question here, because Luke says that he heard and doubted (Luke 9:7); hence he says, John I have beheaded; but who is this of whom I hear such things? (Luke 9:9). But here he speaks without doubt when he says, this is John.

Augustine solves it, saying that he did not know of Christ on his own, but heard from others. Hence when he first heard, he doubted; but as Christ’s fame grew, he agreed. Hence Luke recounts the first, but Matthew the second. Or in another way, it can be said that Matthew also touches upon Herod’s doubt, so that it would be read interrogatively: is this John?

1221. For Herod had apprehended John. These things were done before; hence the order is not followed, but from the incident of Herod’s hearing about Christ he describes John’s death.

But there is a question as to why the Evangelists tell about John from an incident. Chrysostom asks this, and solves it, saying that the Evangelists aimed primarily at the deeds of Christ, and at others only according as they were referred to Christ.

So consequently he describes John’s death here. And

first, he describes the imprisonment;

second, the death, at but on Herod’s birthday.

Concerning the first, he does three things:

first, he sets out the imprisonment;

second, the cause;

third, the beheading.

1222. For Herod had apprehended John, and bound him, and put him into prison. He touches upon the order, since first he arrested him, bound him, and imprisoned him; moreover, so it happened with Christ.

1223. He touches upon the cause when he says, because of Herodias, his brother’s wife. Herod and Philip were brothers. Philip had the daughter of Areta, the king of the Arabs. He had enmity with this king of the Arabs, and with his brother Herod also, so that the king of the Arabs, in hatred of Philip, took his daughter and granted her to Herod.

About this John, you should understand that he was a man of great virtue; hence it is said of him, and he will go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah (Luke 1:17). Likewise, you should notice that he is also called a martyr, because he died for the defense of the faith; for he died for the truth, and Christ is Truth.

For he was saying to Herod, it is not lawful for you to have her. One should know that Antipater, the father of Herod the king, was a foreigner, but a proselyte; hence his children were Jews. But it had been commanded in the law that, while the brother was living, another may not have his brother’s wife. For this reason John, as one jealous for the law, was saying, it is not lawful for you to have her.

1224. And he wanted to put him to death, but he feared the people. Sometimes it happens that when someone does not want to avoid a sin, he falls into a greater sin. Cursing, and lying, and killing, and theft, and adultery have overflowed, and blood has touched blood (Hos 4:2). Hence when he did not want to avoid adultery, he fell into murder. And when he wanted to murder him, he feared the people. The agitation of the people is greatly to be feared; of three things my heart has been afraid . . . the accusation of a city, and the gathering together of the people, and a false calumny (Sir 26:5–7). Likewise, the fear of the Lord takes away an evil desire; but the fear of man does not, although it makes one put it off. So since he could not do it, due to fear of the people, he put it off.

1225. But on Herod’s birthday. Here he does three things concerning the killing, since he could not do it due to fear of the people:

first, the things that came before are set down;

second, the killing;

third, what followed.

Concerning the first, three things which came before are set down: the dance; the promise; the request.

1226. He says then, but on Herod’s birthday. It was the custom among the ancients that they would celebrate their birthdays, contrary to, a good name is better than precious ointments: and the day of death than the day of one’s birth (Eccl 7:2). It is not written that anyone celebrated a birthday except this man and Pharaoh the king of Egypt.

Hence, but on Herod’s birthday, the daughter of Herodias, for so she was called, danced before them, i.e., in the dining room, and in this she is rendered culpable, because in wantonness she forgot the royal hall, in which these things should not take place, and pleased Herod, contrary to Sirach, do not use much the company of her who is a dancer (Sir 9:4).

1227. And there follows, upon which, he promised with an oath. Behold, an incautious promise, and a reckless oath. Do not let your mouth be accustomed to swearing: for in it there are many falls (Sir 23:9).

1228. But she, being instructed before by her mother, said: give me here, in a dish, the head of John the Baptist. Here the woman’s request is set down. Women are sometimes pious, and they have easily moved affections; hence when they are pious, they are the most pious of all, but when they are cruel, they are the most cruel of all. There is no head worse than the head of a serpent: and there is no anger above the anger of a woman (Sir 25:22–23). And it says in the same place, all malice is short to the malice of a woman (Sir 25:26). For a man would scarcely think of what a corrupted woman thinks. So the mother asked to satisfy her own anger. Likewise, she feared, lest sometime Herod should be converted by John’s words, and send her away.

1229. And the king was struck sad, but because of his oath. Here is described how he is killed. Chrysostom: here an example is given that honesty is honored even by the impious, as is said in Wisdom (Wis 5:1).

Jerome notes that he is saddened now, who before wished to kill him, but feared the people. So why does it say that he was saddened? He solves it. It is customary for men to recount what appears true to men; just as they said that Christ was the son of Joseph, because so they thought (Luke 3). Hence he says he was struck sad, because so it seemed to men.

1230. There follows the execution. And first, the command is set out; second, the execution.

Because of his oath, and because of those who sat with him at table. In this he was foolish, because one should not fear an oath in a dishonest matter, because by the fact that I swear, I am false; and you will swear, namely with discretion, in truth, and in judgment (Jer 4:2). Likewise, if he had sworn that he would do something himself, he should have been understood to mean ‘among honorable things.’ Hence what he should not do himself, neither should he have commanded others to do; do not love a false oath (Zech 8:17). And because of those who sat with him at table, that he might make them all partakers of murder, for they all were asking on the girl’s behalf. He commanded it to be given.

1231. And he sent, and beheaded John. Here the execution is set down. Here is fulfilled what he had said, he must increase, but I must decrease (John 3:30), because Christ was stretched out on the cross, this man beheaded. Likewise, John’s beheading was a sign that by the authority of the law they should lose both Christ and the law.

1232. Next, those things which followed the beheading are set down. And first, the fulfillment of the promise; second, the burial.

1233. It says then, and his head was brought in a dish. And in this, Herod was reprehensible, because he practiced cruelty among pleasures. Hence it is said that a certain chief magistrate loved a certain harlot, and when she was in his lap she said that she had never seen a man be killed. And since he was at lunch, he had a certain man worthy of death led out, and had him beheaded in front of her. The Romans came to know of it, and he was exiled from Rome. So also this man was sent into exile.

1234. And his disciples came and took the body, and buried it. Here it treats of John’s burial. This is reckoned among the works of mercy; yet it seems that mercy does not pertain to a dead man, because if it pertained to him, it seems that what the Lord said would not be true, **and do not fear those who kill the body **(Matt 10:28).

Why then is it reckoned among the works of mercy? One should say that even if it is no use to him according to an effect which he has now, nevertheless it is a service to him according to affection, which he now has with the dead.

Hence they took the body, and buried it; it is said that they buried it in Sebaste, since he was near there. Afterward, when Julian the apostate saw many people coming to his relics, he had him burned, except for the head.

And came and told Jesus. Hence John’s disciples, who at first were slandering Jesus, returned to Jesus when John was dead, and were intimate with him. In this way, some are converted to Christ in times of affliction; in their affliction they will rise early to me (Hos 6:1).

1235. When Jesus had heard, he retired from there by boat, into a desert place which was set apart. Above, Herod’s opinion about Christ was set down, and with this as the occasion, the story about John was introduced. But now Herod’s opinion about John is shown to be false. He had said two things: that Christ was John whom he killed, and that he worked miracles after rising from the dead.

Therefore it says, when Jesus had heard, he retired from there by boat.

1236. Why did he withdraw? Jerome gives four reasons. First, to spare his enemies, lest they rush on from murder into murder; blood has touched blood (Hos 4:2). Similarly, to delay the passion; hence he himself says, my time is not yet come (John 7:6). Likewise, to give us an example, lest we throw ourselves into sufferings: for it is no virtue to throw oneself into sufferings, but presumption. Hence above, **and when they persecute you in this city, flee into another **(Matt 10:23). Similarly, to show with how great a devotion the crowds heard the word of God, because even in danger they followed him; the Lord your God tries you, that it may appear whether you love him (Deut 13:3).

1237. Likewise, one should notice that he sets down four things which should hold the crowd back from following Christ. The first is that he withdrew in a boat; also that it was in a desert place; and that there were no forests there, since it was a desert; likewise, it was not some place close to the road, to which men gladly turn themselves, but rather he withdrew apart. And he did this so that the crowd’s devotion might be the more commended. Similarly, Chrysostom says that he withdrew that he might commend a man; so he did not want to withdraw except when John’s death was reported.

1238. There follows and the multitudes, having heard of it. Here it treats of miracles. And first, the devotion of the crowds is touched upon; second, the miracles are touched upon.

It says then, and the multitudes, having heard of it, followed him on foot out of the cities; here the devotion of the crowds is touched upon, and of poor men, who follow the Lord out of devotion. In their affliction they will rise early to me (Hos 6:1).

And, coming out, he saw a great multitude. Here it touches upon the miracles which the Lord worked when he came out from the desert: and rightly, because when he was in heaven, the crowds did not seek him; I came forth from the Father, and have come into the world (John 16:28). He saw a great multitude. Hence he is roused to mercy; hence there follows, and had compassion on them. Hence at once he works mercy for them; and you, O Lord, are a God of compassion, and merciful, patient, and of much mercy, and true (Ps 85:15).

There follows the effect of this mercy: and healed their sick, that is, freely and unasked. He sent his word, and healed them (Ps 106:20).