When Herod heard about Jesus, 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” (Matthew 14.2).
Matthew provides a flashback of events that led to John’s death at the hands of Herod.
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” (Matthew 14.3-4).
Herod was widely condemned for taking his brother’s wife as his own. John was just one of many who accused him of that wrongdoing.
A war with the Nabatean king of Petra, Herod’s former father-in-law, took place based on his choice to take Herodias as his wife.
The story of John’s death involved a lavish dinner party at Herod’s home. Herodias’ young daughter danced and pleased the Herod. The king offered her, likely in a drunken stupor, to give her anything she requested.
She asked her mother, and her mother wanted John the Baptist’s head brought to the dinner party on a platter, which is exactly what happened (Matthew 14.5-11).
Another Dinner Party
We transition from Herod’s extravagant, drunken dinner feast to a modest one hosted by Jesus in the wilderness.
Initially, Jesus arrived in the wilderness to mourn the death of his cousin. Overwhelmed with compassion for those in need of his ministry, he chose to serve them rather than himself.
When he went ashore, he saw a great crowd, and he had compassion for them and cured their sick (Matthew 14.14).
When Jesus told his disciples that they needed to be able to deny themselves in order to be his followers, He meant it.
I’m sure his disciples were tired and wanted to go home from a long day of travel and grief over John the Baptist’s death.
Instead, Jesus talked to them about serving a large number of people a dinner that they had no idea how they would provide food for. This is how the conversation took place.
Disciples: “This is a deserted place, and the hour is now late; send the crowds away so that they may go into the villages and buy food for themselves.”
Jesus: “They need not go away; you give them something to eat.”
Disciples: “We have nothing here but five loaves and two fish.”
Jesus: “Bring them here to me.”
King Herod was the guest of honor at his dinner party. He could have anything he wanted, including the head of the greatest prophet on a platter.
On the other hand, Jesus, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, set aside his grief to serve people who were tired and hungry.
Then he ordered the crowds to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven and blessed and broke the loaves and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds.
And all ate and were filled, and they took up what was left over of the broken pieces, twelve baskets full.
And those who ate were about five thousand men, besides women and children (Matthew 14.19-21).
There are a couple of fine points worth noting in Jesus’s command to the people.
First, the phrase “to sit down” refers to reclining at a banquet just as Herod’s guests reclined on pillows at his banquet.
The banquet Jesus provided was not as lavish as Herod’s, nor was it in a fancy banquet hall. However, in the wilderness, 5,000+ people had the privilege of eating food provided by the Messiah.
Second, the terminology that Jesus used to bless the food was exactly what was used with the Lord’s Supper.
When we think about our lives, it is worthwhile to remember that we are guests of our Host, the Lord Himself. Everything that we have is a gift from our Savior and received with profound gratitude.
YouTube Discussion
Rudy Ross and I discussed this passage on YouTube today. It is on the Bob Spradling channel.
Real Voices 