Sermon Tone Analysis

Introduction

As I was studying this week, something dawned on me that I had never really thought about before.

As a Bi-Vocational Pastor, there is never any down time.

I work basically 7 days a week, roughly 48 weeks a year, and when you add in the kids activities, I am constantly on the go.

And I’m going to be honest, after 8 years with hardly no down time whatsoever, you get to the point to where you just want to give up.

There are days when I just don’t know if I can go another week.

Weekends where I just want to take a break like everyone else gets to do.

You see, people don’t understand the life of a Pastor and especially the life of a Bi-Vocational Pastor who works a 40+ hour work week like everyone else.

You work your regular job, you care for the needs of the Church, you study to teach and preach multiple times a week and then you give what little time you have left after all of that, to your family.

It’s exhausting to say the least.

And if I’m being honest, I’ve been at the end of my rope for a while now but this week as I was reading through this chapter and pondering upon the life of Christ, I seen myself in His shoes.

Now, I’m not trying to compare myself to Christ by no means but what I mean is the hustle and the bustle of a life without downtime.

A life where you’re always on the go and everywhere you go there is someone or something that needs your attention.

And in that moment, when my eyes were open to the fact that the life I’m currently living is no different from the life my Lord lived, especially for the last 3 1/2 years of His life, I found some peace, some comfort and some encouragement.

Living for God is in no way easy.

Especially if you’re trying to go all in for Him!

But I know in the end, as the great Christian Missionary Paul said, it shall turn to my salvation and will be worth it all.

Today, we’re going to be looking at Matthew Chapter 14.

And I wanted to try and maybe split this chapter up but the more I read it, the more I just felt in my heart we need to look at the whole thing in one sitting in order that we might take in the chapter as a whole because I believe that’s how it took place.

One obstacle after another, as one job is finished another begins, the never ending, always on the go, life of Christ before our very eyes!

So, if you have your Bibles turned to Matthew 14 with me, would you say, Amen.

The Monsters — (Vs.

1-13)

Vs. 1-2

Chuck Swindoll says — These are the words of a man driven to mad superstition by a wounded conscience.

And when you understand the story in front of you, I think he’s right on the money.

You see, the Bible actually tells us in...

A part of Herod knew what was right and was drawn to the truth but as the soil we studied among the thorns, the ways of the world and the allure of pomp and position were choking the gospel seed that had been planted.

Deep down, Herod knew right from wrong.

He knew what he should and should not do.

He knew the ways of God and the ways of the world and yet he chose the world.

And we can definitely see the love of the Father was not in Herod by the actions that take place next.

It’s almost at this very moment, Matthew decides to hit the pause button and fill us in on a few details that we’ve missed along the way.

Does anyone remember the last time we seen John the Baptizer in Scripture?

It was back in Chapter 11 when John sent some of his disciples to ask Jesus if He truly was the prophesied Messiah, remember?

And then, that was it until now.

But something has happened that we’ve missed along the way and Matthew decides to fill us in here on the situation.

Now, look on down with me at Verses 3-11.

Vs. 3-11

When Herod had taken Herodias as his wife, John was appalled at the blatant sin and called him out on it.

It would seem that although it angered Herod Antipas, it angered his newfound love more, for she harbored anger and resentment in her heart toward John until she ultimately got what she wanted!

Now, don’t get me wrong, it angered Herod and we see in the scripture here that he “wanted” to put John to death for calling him out on his sin but it almost seems as if he’s content with just keeping him in jail for fear of a riot from the people if he were to follow through with his plan to kill him.

So, Herod’s birthday comes around and the who’s who of Galilee and Peraea have come to the shindig.

Undoubtedly there were military leaders and statesmen and other rulers from the surrounding area who had come to Herod’s party.

And it’s in this setting that we see Herod’s wife, Herodias, make her move to fulfill her plan to get rid of her arch nemesis John the Baptist.

I don’t know if this was a custom for parties during this era or something that just happened but the Bible tells us that Herodias daughter, whose name was Salome, danced before the crowd and it pleased Herod.

Now, don’t get the idea that this was some little dance like one of these little one’s might perform.

No this was a dance to entice.

A. T. Robertson describes the scene: “It was a shameful exhibition of lewd dancing prearranged by Herodias to compass her purpose for John’s death.

Salome had stooped to the level of an almeh, or common dancer.”

The Bible tells us next that her dance pleased Herod, so much so, that he offers to give her whatever her heart desired even unto half of the kingdom as you’ll find over in Marks gospel!

Now, the problem was, Herod made this oath in front of the entire crowd and now that the oath has been put forth, it cannot be retracted.

What kind of leader would that be?

So, Salome goes and asks her mother what she should ask for and Herodias tells her “John the Baptist’s head on a platter!”

When the request is made, you can almost hear the internal gasp of Herod for he knew he’d made a grave mistake but the deed had been done, the oath had been given and now he must follow through or be looked upon by all his peers as a liar!

Caught in his own web of deceit, Herod gives the order and before the night was through John the Baptizer was in paradise while his head was passed around the party on a platter like some prized trophy!

Some would say poor John but listen, there was no poor John!

John was much better off now!

He had been freed from that prison cell…that dark, cold, dungeon they had been keeping him in!

He’s now walking and talking with angels waiting on Jesus to get back!

This was no surprise to John.

He knew this time would come.

In…

John knew this day would come and he was ready for it!

Would he have rather it been under different circumstances?

I’m sure.

Who wouldn’t.

But John understood this was all part of the Master’s plan.

And the point we need to understand this morning is that Jesus said persecution would come to those who followed Him.

John spoke truth and because it went against their wants and their desires, he was beheaded for it.

And I’m just here to tell you this morning, if you stand up for God; if you speak enough truth; if you call right, right and wrong, wrong; at some point, you’re sure to suffer persecution as well!

Story of Pastor who was let go because the church wasn’t growing even though he was preaching truth!

Vs. 12-13

So, John has now passed on.

Herod and Herodias and Salome are monsters.

John’s disciples come and get his body and give their beloved prophet a proper funeral and then they go and tell Jesus the evil that had befallen His beloved forerunner.

When Jesus hears of the wickedness that had happened to John, the Bible tells us that Jesus gets into a ship and departs into a desert place.

Now, I personally believe that after hearing the news Jesus needed to just get away to Himself and mourn for the passing of His dear friend who had gone on before.

When you lose someone near and dear to you, there comes a point and time when you have to grieve for the passing of that loved one.

If not, if you harbor it up inside and try to move on and bypass the grieving the process, the only thing you’re going to do it prolong the grief.

There has to be a time to remember.

There has to be a time to release.

There will be a time of sorrow and the only way to overcome that sorrow is to let it out!

And here Jesus was and I truly believe He wanted to get away to grieve but as we see so very often, there’s not even time for that.

As He’s trying to get away, the Bible tells us that people hear of His leaving and they followed Him out of the cities.

And it’s almost as if wherever Jesus was headed the people beat Him there!

Look on down with me at The Miracle in Verses 14-21.

The Miracle — (Vs.

14-21)

Before Jesus could even get to the remote place He was headed, the crowds had beat Him there!

Now at this point, a majority of people might get upset…here you are just trying to get away to mourn....to get off into your secret place but you can’t do that because no matter where you go people are there waiting on you with needs of their own!

Can you imagine?

But instead of getting angry, instead of saying… “Hey captain, I’m gonna need you to all steam ahead to the next stop”…the Bible tells us that as Jesus steps out of the boat, He sees the huge crowd that had assembled and He has compassion on them.

This phrase, “He was moved with compassion” has a very intense meaning.

You see, the word “compassion” — (splagchnizomai) — it literally means to have the bowels yearn.

To be moved on the inside!

Figuratively speaking, it means to feel sympathy or to pity.

One writer said — The verb splagchnízomai is frequently associated with action; that is, it is not a passive emotion that “feels but does nothing.”

Because we can feel the pain of others as if it were deep within our own bodies and since we always do what we can about our own pain, the verb includes the complex idea of sympathetic action.

That same writer goes on to say — The word “sick,” used here for the first time, is arrṓstous and it means without natural strength, having some form of chronic illness.

The sick here suffered from various chronic sicknesses that disabled them one way or another.

The Lord was moved by both the sicknesses and the handicaps they produced.