. Hatred, corruption, and death.
We learn how much Herod hated Jesus and John the Baptist in Mt 14:1-12. “Herod the Tetrarch heard of the reputation of Jesus and said to his servants, “This man (Jesus) is John the Baptist. He has been raised from the dead; that is why mighty powers are at work in him.”
Question 1: “Did Herod believe in the ‘mighty powers’ of God?”
Answer: Yes!
~
Question 2: What had Herod done to John The Baptist that made him fear The Judgment of God?
Answer: “Now Herod had arrested John, bound him, and put him in prison on account of Herodias, the wife of his brother Philip, for John had said to him, “It is not lawful for you to have her.”
~
Question 3: “Why didn’t Herod have John the Baptist executed?”
Answer Herod wanted to kill John the Baptist for telling him he was living in sin. “Although Herod wanted to kill him, he feared the people, for they regarded him as a prophet.”
~
Question 4: “How did his big birthday party gave Herod an excuse to kill John the Baptist?”
Answer: “But at a birthday celebration for Herod, the daughter of Herodias performed a dance before the guests and delighted Herod so much that he swore to give her whatever she might ask for.”
~
Question 5: “The daughter didn’t know what to ask for. What did her mother want?”
Answer: Revenge for being criticized by John the Baptist! “Prompted by her mother, she said, “Give me here on a platter the head of John the Baptist.”
~
Question 6: “Did the desire to look strong and impressive among high-ranking people and underlings motivate Herod?”
Answer: “The king was distressed, but because of his oaths and the guests who were present, he ordered that the present be given, and he had John beheaded in the prison. The head of John the Baptist was brought in on a platter and given to the girl, who took it to her mother.”
~
Question 6: What overlooked fact does This Reading tell us about how the world works?”
Answer: This Bible Reading tells us that corrupt officials have associates and underlings who follow evil orders to destroy Faith, Freedom, and Families.
. . . . . . . . . . . .
Simple reasons to be Catholic. catholicfundamentalism.com
A free book of simple reasons. http://catholicfundamentalism.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/New_Road_To_Rome.pdf