“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.’ Although Herod wanted to put him to death, he feared the crowd, because they regarded John as a prophet.” Matthew 14:3-5
My joyful mood after Martha and Mary’s visit was short lived. About ten days after they left, I was in the river washing clothing, when Salome and Mary of Clopas came over. Right away, I knew that something bad had happened. I could read it on their faces.
“Did something happen to Jesus?” I asked them.
“Not to Jesus,” answered Salome. “But John has been arrested.”
My heart sank. I thought of my cousin Elizabeth. In a way, I was glad that she and Zacharias were no longer alive. They could be spared from this awful news.
“What happened?” I asked.
“Herod had John arrested because he thought that John was a threat to him,” said Mary of Clopas. “A caravan that came through town from the Jordan were there when it happened. Apparently, Herod came to the Jordan with Herodias, his sister-in-law, and John told him: ‘It is not lawful for you to have her.’ (1) Herod was very upset and had his guards arrest him.
It was not the first time that John had gotten arrested, but I feared that this time, he had gone too far. John had no filter. It was black or white to him, there were no grey areas. If he thought you were doing something wrong, he was going to let you know, whether you were a shepherd or the ruler of Israel. Herod, though, was known for being a savage, and I was afraid that he would do something awful to John to teach others a lesson.
I was not wrong. A few days later, I learned that John had been beheaded. I was heartbroken. I remembered him as a little boy when he came over that one time with Elizabeth. Jesus and him had gotten along so well, even though they were so different. I could not imagine what Jesus would be feeling right now at the news of his cousin’s death.
It did not take me long to find out. There were pilgrims constantly coming through our town so I had news of Jesus often. This time, I heard that when Jesus learned of John’s death, He went to a secluded place by Himself. But by this time, He had so many followers, that the crowd followed Him. And they told me that He had fed five thousand men plus the women and children, with just five loaves of bread and two fish. They also told me that He had walked over the waters of the Sea of Galilee in the middle of a storm. His miracles were truly amazing. I could not understand how this was not sufficient for people to convert.
Almost everyone loved Him, but there were the Pharisees and the Temple Priests who were not the least happy with what Jesus represented. He was a threat to them, and I was worried that sooner or later, He would follow in John’s footsteps.
Copyright © 2020 Christy Romero. All rights reserved.
References:
- Matthew 14:4
Resources from the following books are being used on this journey:
1. The Mystical City of God: A Popular Abridgement of the Divine History and Live of the Virgin Mother of God by Venerable Mary of
Agreda
2. The World’s First Love: Mary, Mother of God by Fulton J. Sheen
3. Las Palabras Calladas: Diario de Maria de Nazaret by Pedro Miguel Lamet
4. My Soul Magnifies the Lord: A Scriptural Journey with Mary by Jeanne Kun
All Bible references are from the New American Standard Bible (NASB) unless otherwise specified.
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