February 17, 2010
BE BOLD!
Matthew 14:1-12
Haley Thomas
Central Truth
As we are armed with God's wisdom, we are to be bold in love and humility.
Key Verse | Matthew 14:3–4
For when Herod had John arrested, he bound him and put him in prison because of Herodias, the wife of his brother Philip. For John had been saying to him, "It is not lawful for you to have her." (Matthew 14:3-4)
Matthew 14:1-12
The Death of John the Baptist
1 At that time Herod the tetrarch heard about the fame of Jesus, 2 and he said to his servants, “This is John the Baptist. He has been raised from the dead; that is why these miraculous powers are at work in him.” 3 For Herod had seized John and bound him and put him in prison for the sake of Herodias, his brother Philip's wife, 1 14:3 Some manuscripts his brother's wife 4 because John had been saying to him, “It is not lawful for you to have her.” 5 And though he wanted to put him to death, he feared the people, because they held him to be a prophet. 6 But when Herod's birthday came, the daughter of Herodias danced before the company and pleased Herod, 7 so that he promised with an oath to give her whatever she might ask. 8 Prompted by her mother, she said, “Give me the head of John the Baptist here on a platter.” 9 And the king was sorry, but because of his oaths and his guests he commanded it to be given. 10 He sent and had John beheaded in the prison, 11 and his head was brought on a platter and given to the girl, and she brought it to her mother. 12 And his disciples came and took the body and buried it, and they went and told Jesus.
Dive Deeper | Matthew 14:1-12
I wouldn’t necessarily call myself “bold,” but rather a slowly recovering people pleaser. This is an area of my life that the Lord is working on continuously. I grew up thinking conflict and confrontation were bad. There have been times in my life when I followed the crowd or stayed silent when I should have spoken truth. Neither have I been proud of my actions nor have I been able to see the reward of God working through me in those situations. Galatians 1:10 reminds me of the person I want to be. I want to focus on pleasing God rather than pleasing man so that my life can glorify Him alone.
We are called to live a life of authenticity, speaking the truth in love, so that we can mature in Christ. (Ephesians 4:15, 25) As I grow in relationships and in Christ, I am put in situations in which I have to love others well by holding them accountable. I usually fear what that person will think of me or that I will cause a break in the relationship. But God wants me to trust Him in this, to speak in humility with His love, and to allow Him to work in my life, as well as the lives of others. He wants to be glorified, and He will be if I am bold while armed with His wisdom.
In this passage Herod did not take a stand for what was right and killed an innocent man. He knew that John was righteous (Mark 6:20), but Herod did not have the courage to acknowledge his sin or to stand firm against a young girl’s request and the witnesses at the dinner. Unfortunately for Herod, getting rid of the guy who confronted him did not relieve the weight of sin in his own life.
On the other hand, John spoke the truth regardless of possible consequences, even death. John represents an image of strength, humility, and submission to Christ. May we also be bold with both our actions and words as we fix our eyes on Jesus. (Hebrews 12:1-3)
Discussion Questions
1. Why does God want us to hold each other accountable? (Ephesians 4:15, 25; Hebrews 4:10; Micah 6:8)
2. What is your greatest fear in speaking truth into another person’s life? (Joshua 1:9)
3. When was the last time you were bold enough to share your faith with someone? (John 17:18; Matthew 5:14)
FAMILY DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1. What does it mean to be a people pleaser?
2. Was Herod a God pleaser or a people pleaser?
3. How do you love others and be a God pleaser?