Matthew 14 - He Was There Alone

For the Oath's Sake
King Herod offers a cautionary tale of the dangers of being swayed by the opinions of others. We all want to be accepted and enjoy others' high opinions of us, but left unchecked this desire can impair our judgment and lead to poor decision. For Herod, it seemed that appearances and popular opinion weighed heavily on his choices. Herod wanted to marry his brother's wife, and when John the Baptist told him "It is not lawful for thee to have her" Herod wanted to kill him" (Matthew 14:4). But when Herod "would have put him to death, he feared the multitude, because they counted him as a prophet" (Matthew 14:5). Herod wasn't reluctant because he believed John was a prophet, or that his counsel was sound, he was worried what the people would think (or do) if he killed John. 

The same impulse to conform that held his evil impulse in check before led to his moral demise later. When Herodias' daughter danced for Herod he promised her whatever she wanted, and she asked for John's head in a charger. "And the king was sorry: nevertheless for the oath’s sake, and them which sat with him at meat, he commanded it to be given her" (Matthew 14:9). I take two lessons away from Herod's murder of John the Baptist. 1.) social norms and public morality are important to keep despots and anti-social behavior in check. If the majority vocally opposes things that are not right, those that might otherwise be inclined to behave badly will think twice. 2.) when we let the opinions of others rule our hearts, we may make decisions that we regret and hurt ourselves and others. 

He Was Moved with Compassion Toward ThemWhen Jesus heard of the death of His cousin and dear friend, John the Baptist, He wanted some time alone, presumably to mourn, and "he departed thence by ship into a desert place apart" (Matthew 14:13). But "when the people had heard thereof, they followed him on foot out of the cities" (Matthew 14:13). When I am sad, tired, hungry, anxious, or depressed I usually want to be alone, too. But unlike Jesus, it is easy for me to be short with the people around me when I am emotionally stretched. I am amazed by Jesus' response to the crowd, for He "went forth, and saw a great multitude, and was moved with compassion toward them, and he healed their sick" (Matthew 14:14). 

Even in the best circumstances it can be hard to prioritize serving others, let alone when we are suffering ourselves. In Jesus' moment of grief, he chose to serve and bless the multitude. Not only did he heal the sick, but at the end of a long day when His disciples encouraged Him to send the multitude away, "Jesus said unto them, They need not depart; give ye them to eat" (Matthew 14:16). As we all know the story goes that he "took the five loaves, and the two fishes, and looking up to heaven, he blessed, and brake, and gave the loaves to his disciples, and the disciples to the multitude. And they did all eat, and were filled: and they took up of the fragments that remained twelve baskets full" (Matthew 14:19-20).

This moment reminds me of times, usually as a parent, when I have been asked to give more than I have to give. The struggles I face pale in comparison to the sorrow that Jesus must have felt after John's death, and yet they keep me from serving. I had never even associated the miracle of feeding 5,000 with John's death because Jesus served so readily and naturally. I am inspired by stories of families who have experienced natural disasters and volunteered to help others when their own homes have been destroyed. I wonder what I can do to be less distracted by my own interests, as real as they may be, and instead focus on the needs of others. Fortunately, as the miracle of feeding the 5,000 teacher us, Jesus invites us to bring what we have, and through His grace he transforms our meager offering into enough.

He Was There Alone
The scriptures do not record the contents of Christ's prayer, or His motivation for being alone, but what is clear is that he prioritize recuperative time. Looking at Christ's selfless response to the multitudes during a time of personal mourning, it might be easy to misinterpret the message of this story. We might imagine that reckless self-sacrifice is a higher law and unwisely put the needs of others above our own. In reality, behind every kind deed and public act of service there must be quiet moments of personal preparation, quiet introspection, and recovery in order for service to be sustainable. No one, not even the Savior, can draw from an empty well, and I love this example of Christ practicing self-care.


If we hope to emulate the Savior it is important not only to study the ways in which He gave, but the ways in which He recharged. Not even the creator of heaven and earth, the Son of the Living God, could live his mortal life without recharging and nourishing His body and spirit. Jesus temporarily set aside His needs to address the needs of the people--He healed them and He fed them--but He could not neglect his own emotional and spiritual needs indefinitely. Once they were healed and fed, "straightway Jesus constrained his disciples to get into a ship, and to go before him unto the other side, while he sent the multitudes away. And when he had sent the multitudes away, he went up into a mountain apart to pray: and when the evening was come, he was there alone" (Matthew 14:22-23). 


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