He told his servants, “This is John the Baptist, who has been raised from the dead; and that is why miraculous powers are at work in him.”

 

At that time Herod the governor heard about Jesus. 2 He told his servants, “This is John the Baptist, who has been raised from the dead; and that is why miraculous powers are at work in him.” 3 In fact, Herod had John arrested, bound, and put in prison because of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife. 4 For John had said to Herod, “It is not lawful for you to have her as your wife.” 5 Herod wanted to kill John, but he was afraid of the people, because they regarded him as a prophet. 6 On Herod’s birthday, Herodias’ daughter danced before the crowd, and she pleased Herod so much that he promised with an oath to give her whatever she asked. 8 Prompted by her mother, she said, “Give me here on a platter the head of John the Baptist.” 9 The king was sad, but because of the oath he had sworn before the guests, he ordered her to be granted. 10 And he ordered that John's head be cut off in the prison. 11 Then his head was brought on a platter and given to the girl, who took it to her mother. 12 John's disciples went and got the body and buried it. Then they went and told Jesus everything.

—Word of Salvation. Reflection In the introduction to the text above, Matthew highlights two things that certainly shook Herod's world: John the Baptist, who was beheaded by him, and the possible revival, that is, the return to life of the prophet. In Mark 6:14 there is an addition to the way in which this introduction is presented: "John the Baptist has been raised from the dead, and therefore the powers work through him. But others said, "He is Elijah." And still others, "He is a prophet like the other prophets." When Herod heard these things, he said, “It is John, whom I beheaded, who has been raised to life.” In Luke 9:7, Herod shows a strong interest in getting to know this “resurrected” prophet. Alongside these topics, we clearly find the belief in the resurrection, something typical of Pharisaic thought. With this, Matthew, Mark and Luke are affirming, in advance, the future resurrection of Jesus Christ, which has its prelude here. John the Baptist was not loved by Herod. He was imprisoned and chained (in the prison of Machaerus) because he was a danger to the king, since he was not afraid to denounce him for adultery, since Herod was having an affair with Herodias, his brother’s wife. Herod, the text says, wanted to kill him. Although he enjoyed listening to the prophet, he also shows a great interest in destroying him, but does not do so out of fear. In Mark, it is not Herod who wants to kill the prophet, but Herodias. In Matthew, there seems to be a contradiction between verse 5 and 9, because while it says in Mt 14:5 that Herod wants to kill John, in Mt 14:9 it says that the king was saddened by the request of Herodias' daughter. One might also think that Herod really wanted to kill John the Baptist, but had not yet come up with a plan to free him from the crowd that followed the prophet. So, when he declared to his niece that he would give her up to half of the kingdom, and already knowing the intentions of his lover, the wife of his brother Philip, who was a murderer, he disguised his "zeal" for the prophet with a show of sadness, but deep down, that was what he wanted to be done. The fact that he arrested and chained the innocent man already indicates his displeasure with him. Keeping him imprisoned was a way of distancing him from the crowd thirsty for truth and justice, things that were far from Herod's heart. John was not the "nice" and "pleasant" prophet for Herod, but his enemy. The testimony of his life was like a double-edged sword against the king and his government. John’s presence was like a huge stumbling block in the path of Herod and all those who approached him, as well as all those who continued to keep the people under heavy burdens and enslaved by a corrupt form of government. The prophet’s inner freedom affected the leaders of Israel to their core. Only by eliminating the righteous could they continue more peacefully, because they believed that his presence could bring tragic consequences, perhaps even a revolution against Rome. The death of John the Baptist is a prefiguration of the future of Jesus. John is the precursor of the Teacher of Nazareth even in his death. His whole being was focused on the Lord of Israel and on living the truth and justice. Possessing tremendous inner freedom, he became a sign for all those who place themselves at the service of the Father’s will, fearlessly following Jesus Christ, the only Truth.