Into The Wild Blue Yonder 2: Conspiracy Theory

I can’t say that I’ve ever particularly wished to exercise authority over others: when it has been necessary, it has not brought me much satisfaction. In fact, I’m surprised that so many seek high office, since it brings with it a whole host of burdens. As Shakespeare says: “Uneasy lies the head that wears a crown.” (Henry IV, Part II.) As we went through Mark 6, verses 14-29, in the Zoom bible study a few weeks ago, I couldn’t help but feel a twinge of sympathy for Herod as we considered his conduct in this passage and elsewhere. How unhappily everything turned out for him in the end!

Here, his uneasy conscience accuses him: when our Lord’s miraculous ministry is reported to him, we read: “But when Herod heard of it, he said, ‘John, whom I beheaded, has been raised.’” (Mark 6.16) Afterwards, his career is a catalogue of trouble and strife, ending with the loss of his high office and ignominious exile. And in death…

After spending too long away in the wild blue yonder during the previous week’s bible study, I was determined to do better this time. I left my laptop off, and opened up my bible, and had the NIV Archaeological Study Bible to hand. (It was a gift from a former friend for services rendered - babysitting a particularly big baby. One or two readers will understand. I’m not keen on its theological standpoint, but it’s useful for background information.)

Glancing at the text in the NIV, I was quite taken with its rendering of the latter part of verse 20: “When Herod heard John, he was greatly puzzled; yet he liked to listen to him.” That, or if you prefer, “When he heard him, he was greatly perplexed, and yet he heard him gladly” (ESV), was the part of the passage that interested me most. So near, yet so far away! And then later, in Luke’s gospel, we read: “When Herod saw Jesus, he was very glad, for he had long desired to see him, because he had heard about him, and he was hoping to see some sign done by him.” (Luke 23.8) So very near, yet so very far away!

Of course, you can’t expect to cover everything in this type of bible study; but when this verse came and went, I was left wanting more. I couldn’t help myself: in a moment my laptop was on, Bible Hub was offering me a choice of commentaries, and then I was scrolling through Matthew Henry’s five points on the passage and nodding in agreement, and then - point four stopped me in my tracks.

What was this? I read it once, and then read it again. It was an interpretation of the passage that I’d never come across before. Proof - if proof were needed - that there is nothing new under the sun: it was a conspiracy theory! Here it is, for your consideration.

4. The plot laid to take off John’s head.

I am apt to think that Herod was himself in the plot, notwithstanding his pretences to be displeased and surprised, and that the thing was concerted between him and Herodias; for it is said to be when a convenient day was come (v. 21), fit for such a purpose.

(1.) There must be a ball at court, upon the king’s birth-day, and a supper prepared for his lords, high captains, and chief estates of Galilee.

(2.) To grace the solemnity, the daughter of Herodias must dance publicly, and Herod must take on him to be wonderfully charmed with her dancing; and if he be, they that sit with him cannot but, in compliment to him, be so too.

(3.) The king hereupon must make her an extravagant promise, to give her whatever she would ask, even to the half of the kingdom; and yet, that, if rightly understood, would not have reached the end designed, for John Baptist’s head was worth more than his whole kingdom. This promise is bound with an oath, that no room might be left to fly off from it; He sware unto her, Whatsoever thou shalt ask, I will give. I can scarcely think he would have made such an unlimited promise, but that he knew what she would ask.

(4.) She, being instructed by Herodias her mother, asked the head of John Baptist; and she must have it brought her in a charger, as a pretty thing for her to play with (v. 24, 25); and there must be no delay, no time lost, she must have it by and by.

(5.) Herod granted it, and the execution was done immediately while the company were together, which we can scarcely think the king would have done, if he had not determined the matter before. But he takes on him, [1.] To be very backward to it, and that he would not for all the world have done it, if he had not been surprised into such a promise; The king was exceeding sorry, that is, he seemed to be so, he said he was so, he looked as if he had been so; but it was all sham and grimace, he was really pleased that he had found a pretence to get John out of the way. Qui nescit dissimulare, nescit regnare—The man who cannot dissemble, knows not how to reign. And yet he was not without sorrow for it; he could not do it but with great regret and reluctancy; natural conscience will not suffer men to sin easily; the very commission of it is vexatious; what then will the reflection upon it be? [2.] He takes on him to be very sensible of the obligation of his oath; whereas if the damsel had asked but a fourth part of his kingdom, I doubt not but he would have found out a way to evade his oath. The promise was rashly made, and could not bind him to do an unrighteous thing. Sinful oaths must be repented of, and therefore not performed; for repentance is the undoing of what we have done amiss, as far as is in our power. When Theodosius the emperor was urged by a suitor with a promise, he answered, I said it, but did not promise it if it be unjust.

Well, what do you think? A little too far-fetched? And yet, how does our Lord describe Herod in Luke 13.32? He calls him “that fox”. R. C. Sproul comments: “The Jews used the metaphor of a ‘fox’ to mean worthless and sly.”

Was Herod was as sly as Matthew Henry suggests, or simply too cowardly to go back on an oath given under the influence of intoxication and/or inflamed desire (Mark 6.26)? Whatever your conclusion, it is quite clear that Herod’s was never the ultimate authority: all earthly rulers act, in the final analysis, according to the will of almighty God: “The king's heart is a stream of water in the hand of the LORD; he turns it wherever he will.” (Proverbs 21.1)

That was so in the case of Herod and John the Baptist, and also in the case of Herod and our Lord Himself. Consider the context of that characterisation of Herod as a fox: “Go and tell that fox, ‘Behold, I cast out demons and perform cures today and tomorrow, and the third day I finish my course.’” (Luke 13.32) His progress towards the cross and beyond would proceed according to the divinely preordained plan of salvation.

Paul writes “To the saints who are in Ephesus, and are faithful in Christ Jesus”. (Ephesians 1.1)

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth. (Ephesians 1.3-10)

On reading the above, Christians should be counting their blessings; and those who have not yet come to Christ as Saviour and Lord should be mindful of how Herod ended his life here on earth, as far as we are aware: so near, and yet so far, so desperately far away.

This is what we read in Isaiah: “Come now, let us reason together, says the LORD: though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool.” (Isaiah 1.18)

Jesus invites us to come: “Come to me, all who labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11.28)

And to those who come, He gives this promise: “All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out.” (John 6.37)