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Explanation for:
Matthew
14
:
12
And his disciples came and took the body, and buried it, and came and told Jesus.
11
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{"arr":[{"author-name":"Jerome of Stridon","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c88dcd3432c6dd41375498_Jerome%20of%20Stridon.png","category":"Holy Fathers and Teachers","century":4,"exegesis-text":"Josephus Flavius recounts that John was executed by beheading in a particular city in Arabia. The subsequent statement, \\"And his disciples came and carried away his body,\\" can be ascribed to both the followers of John and the disciples of the Savior."},{"author-name":"Hilarius of Poitiers","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c88cb92f12b3278598f946_Hilarius%20of%20Poitiers.png","category":"Holy Fathers and Teachers","century":4,"exegesis-text":"In the midst of indulgence, the head of John the Baptist is served on a platter, illustrating how the pursuits of the flesh and worldly excess culminate in the girl delivering the prophet's head to her mother. This scene reflects the disgrace of Israel, which trades the splendor of the law for the carnal pleasures and unfaithfulness of a Herodian lineage that was formerly pagan. As the era of the law concludes with John's burial, his followers inform the Lord of the tragic events; they abandon the law and embrace the gospel."},{"author-name":"Theophylact of Bulgaria","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c8989296bafed9104677d7_Theophylact%20of%20Bulgaria.png","category":"Holy Fathers and Teachers","century":11,"exegesis-text":"The body of the Baptist was interred in Sebastia Caesarea, while his head was initially placed in Emesa. What message was conveyed to Jesus? It was not news of John’s death, as information about him had circulated widely, but rather that Herod regarded him as John."},{"author-name":"Euthymios Zigabenos","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c96d263b8c22d9c467bdab_no-pic-theosis.png","category":"Christian Authors","century":11,"exegesis-text":"His followers approached and laid his body to rest. According to Mark, they referred to it as the corpse, using the term to indicate the body that had fallen after the beheading. They then returned to inform Jesus, demonstrating their loyalty to Him. This suffering deeply humbled them."},{"author-name":"Dimitri of Rostov","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c88b083687b06aec81fcf3_Dimitri%20of%20Rostov.png","category":"Holy Fathers and Teachers","century":17,"exegesis-text":"The followers of St. John the Baptist discreetly retrieved his body and interred it during the night in Sebastia, a city located in Samaria (Mark 6:29). Herodias buried the head of the revered Baptist in a hidden and dishonorable place within her palace. The only person who knew of its location was Joanna, the wife of Herod's steward Huza, who is mentioned by the holy Evangelist Luke (Luke 8:3). Deeply grieved by the murder of the great prophet John and the dishonor brought upon his sacred head, she took the head at night, placed it in a simple container, and buried it on the Mount of Olives, which was part of one of Herod's estates. Meanwhile, word about Jesus Christ had reached Herod, and he along with Herodias began to speculate whether John had risen from the dead. They searched for John's head and were bewildered when they were unable to locate it. Herod even remarked to his household about Jesus, saying, “This is John, whom I commanded to be beheaded. He has risen from the dead, and that is why these miraculous works are happening through him” (Matthew 14:2; Luke 6:16)."},{"author-name":"Abbot Panteleimon about the Trinity","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c96d263b8c22d9c467bdab_no-pic-theosis.png","category":"Christian Authors","century":19,"exegesis-text":"His severed body, akin to that of a condemned man, was cast beyond the fortress walls into the wilderness, yet it was not left without a proper burial. His disciples came, retrieved the body, and honored it with a burial in Samaria, placing it near that town alongside the prophets Elisha and Abijah. The disciples of John, filled with profound grief, sought solace from the Divine Friend of John. They approached JESUS to recount all that had transpired, while also cautioning Him about the peril posed by Herod, who believed Him to be the resurrected John."},{"author-name":"Michail (Lusin)","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c89550c567e172d15b3055_Michail%20(Lusin).png","category":"Christian Authors","century":19,"exegesis-text":"The head of John the Baptist remained with Herodias, but his body was laid to rest with honor by his followers. They then went and informed Jesus, possibly for several reasons: firstly, the demise of the Forerunner was closely tied to the mission of Jesus, making it essential to relay this news to Him. Secondly, they may have sought solace in their sorrow from Christ and wished to draw nearer to His circle of disciples. It is significant to note that the followers of John have now turned to Jesus, as they have informed Him of recent events and, having forsaken all, are now becoming His disciples. Furthermore, given that John was executed by the same ruthless ruler governing the region where Jesus ministered, his disciples likely feared for Jesus’ safety and felt compelled to keep Him informed. Indeed, upon hearing the news, the Lord withdrew to a solitary place (Matthew 14:13)."},{"author-name":"Gladkow B.I.","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c88bf0ceef8c96e09a6521_Gladkow%20B.I..png","category":"Christian Authors","century":19,"exegesis-text":"John’s followers took his severed body and placed it in a tomb, as the Evangelists Matthew and Mark report (Mark 6:29). The Evangelists do not specify the exact location of John's burial; however, tradition has preserved some details. Concerned about Herodias seeking retribution even against John's lifeless body, the disciples transported it away from Perea to a region beyond the reach of Herod Antipas, specifically to Sebasta, which fell under Pilate's authority. Sebasta, or Sebastia, was established by Herod the Great, Antipas’ father, on the ruins of the earlier city of Samaria. According to tradition, John's body was interred in a cave alongside the resting places of the prophets Abijah and Elisha. The Orthodox Church commemorates the sorrowful occasion of John the Forerunner's beheading annually on August 29."},{"author-name":"Lopuchin A.P.","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c891400ee1341634d2276d_Lopuchin%20A.P..png","category":"Christian Authors","century":19,"exegesis-text":"Antipas was taken aback by this unexpected turn of events and felt sorrowful, as he held the prophet in high esteem. However, a false sense of shame before his guests, who had heard his reckless vow, overwhelmed his sense of right and wrong. Consequently, he dispatched an executioner to the fortress of Maher, where John the Baptist languished, instructing him to bring back John's head. Thus, the greatest born of women succumbed to the murderous spite of a woman due to his preaching. The head of the prophet was delivered and became an object of derision for Herodias, while his disciples laid his body to rest."},{"author-name":"Paul Matwejewski","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c8969f5be0d592d5a10576_Paul%20Matwejewski.png","category":"Christian Authors","century":19,"exegesis-text":"Only the devout Joanna, the spouse of Huza, who managed Herod's household, was privy to the secret. She discreetly unearthed the sacred head and concealed it in a clay container, burying it on one of Herod's estates situated on the Mount of Olives. Herodias commanded that the martyr's body be discarded into one of the ravines near Mahera. However, John's disciples buried his lifeless form and subsequently informed Jesus Christ of the tragic event. Fearing retaliation from Herodias even over the severed body of John, they transported it beyond Perea to a location where Herod Antipas's authority did not reach, specifically to Sebasta, which was under Pilate’s jurisdiction. Sebasta, or Sebastia, was established by Herod the Great, Antipas's father, on the ruins of the ancient city of Samaria. There, in the cave where the prophets Abijah and Elisha lay, the body of the last Prophet, the Forerunner, and Baptist, John, was laid to rest. The Orthodox Church commemorates the sorrowful occasion of John the Baptist's beheading annually on 29 August/11 September. Thus, the radiant morning star set after the Sun of Truth, Christ, had shone (Malachi 4:2). The lamp that burned and gave light went out (John 5:35) after the authentic light that enlightens every man (John 1:9) had been revealed to all. Yet, in the divine architecture of salvation, this glorious martyrdom of the Forerunner was, as the Church hymns express, a manifestation of God’s providence; he became the messenger of Christ to “those in hell,” proclaiming the God who became flesh, who also came to rescue all faithful souls from Adam until their departure. \\n\\nJohn’s martyrdom weighed heavily on Herod's conscience. As the name of Jesus Christ gained prominence through the apostolic proclamation and news of His miracles reached the Galilean ruler, Herod became deeply troubled. He heard some affirming, “John has risen from the dead,” while others claimed, “Elijah has appeared,” or asserted that Elijah was the sole prophet of old who had been resurrected. He pondered within himself, “John I have seen; who then is this man about whom I hear such things?” He concluded, “John the Baptist, whom I have encountered, must have risen from the dead, and that explains why powers are attributed to him.” Soon, divine judgment fell upon Herod and his malevolent household for the murder of the Forerunner and for their violation of the Lord on the day of His Passion. Herodias’s ambition drove Herod to pursue royal authority, yet her brother, Herod Agrippa, exposed him to the Roman emperor, accusing him of treason. One wintry day, as Salomia crossed the Sikoris River on ice, the ice gave way beneath her, plunging her into the water up to her neck. The jagged ice floes severed the maiden's head, which lay on the ice resembling a platter. According to tradition, both Herod and Herodias were swallowed alive by the earth, illustrating the fate of those who commit severe evils yet remain unpunished for a time."},{"author-name":"Bogolepow D.P.","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c96d263b8c22d9c467bdab_no-pic-theosis.png","category":"Christian Authors","century":19,"exegesis-text":"To understand the events surrounding the death of John the Baptist, we must consider several key points. Herodias was the daughter of Aristobulus, who was the son of Herod the Great from his second marriage. At her grandfather’s behest, she wed his other son from his third marriage, referred to by Josephus Flavius as Herod (a familial title) and by the Gospel writers as Philip (his given name). This individual lived as a private citizen in Jerusalem following his father's passing. While this initial husband was still alive, and after they had already given birth to a daughter named Salome, Herodias departed to join with Herod Antipas, the son of Herod the Great from his fourth marriage and tetrarch of Galilee and Perea, whom she persuaded to abandon his first legitimate spouse, the daughter of the Arabian king Aretha. In response to this union, John the Baptist publicly condemned Herod for incest, which the law expressly forbids (Lev. 18:16, 20:21). Josephus Flavius notes that Herod subsequently imprisoned John in the fortress of Machaerus, located near the Dead Sea. Nearby, in Perea, was the city of Julia, which served as Herod's favored residence over Tiberias. The account of John's beheading illustrates that Herod was in his Perea residence during the feast at which the martyr's head was brought forth. Given the distressing rumors surrounding Jesus, we may conclude that from John's imprisonment until his execution, Herod likely resided predominantly in Julia. Thus, until he returned to Tiberias after John's death, he may have been unaware of Jesus' activities. However, upon returning to Galilee, he discovered the area was abuzz with news of a new prophet, Jesus, about whom the populace had various interpretations, with some even suggesting that Jesus was a resurrected John. This speculation weighed heavily on Herod’s guilty conscience."}]}
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