The Searing of a Conscience

In Luke 23:1-12, we find Jesus, having emerged at dawn from his religious trial before the Sanhedrin, condemned to death by a body whose right to inflict capital punishment had been stripped from them by the occupying Romans. Thus, a political trial under secular Roman authority was necessary. And the most infamous trial in history would soon commence. But not before wily Pontius Pilate would try to pass the buck to King Herod. He had found Jesus to be innocent of all three charges brought against him: subverting the nation and its rulers, opposing taxation by Caesar, and claiming to be an earthly king with an earthly kingdom. But when the religious leaders refused to be swayed and Pilate learned that Jesus was a Galilean, he referred the case to Herod, whose jurisdiction included Galilee and who also just so happened to be in Jerusalem for the Passover.

Herod Antipas and his wife Herodias had come under fire from John the Baptist after he had seduced his sister-in-law and then persuaded her to leave her husband, Herod Philip [Antipas' half-brother], and marry him. This was completely forbidden under Jewish law [Lev. 18: 6, 16]. In Mark 6:18 John told Herod that "it is not lawful for you to have your brother's wife" and so, for very personal reasons, "Herodias nursed a grudge against John and wanted to kill him" [v. 19]. But she was not able to because Herod feared John and protected him [despite the fact that he had thrown him into a dungeon prison] because he considered "him to be a righteous and holy man." When Herod would hear John, he would become "greatly puzzled" and yet he still "liked to listen to him." One has to wonder WHY? John must have been a breath of fresh air amidst the debauchery of Herod's court. Perhaps Herod's spirit would feel inexplicably elevated in John's presence. Perhaps there were even some failed attempts at self-reformation. Nonetheless, Herod's discomforting fear of John was evidence that his conscience was at least stirred by John's words.

Herodias, on the other hand, hated John and wanted him dead. "Finally, the opportune time came" during Herod's birthday banquet [v. 21]. Her teenage daughter, Salome, sensuously and seductively danced before Herod and his court and was a smash. This was unheard of among women of stature, being typically relegated to the hetarai, the professional court dancers and prostitutes. Drunk and very pleased, Herod promised to give her anything she wanted up to half his kingdom [v. 23]. And with that, the trap was perfectly set. Salome conferred with her mother and then returned to Herod and his guests demanding "the head of John the Baptist on a platter" [v. 25]. The room went silent and Herod became suddenly sober and "greatly distressed" [v. 26]. The only other time in entirety of the New Testament that this Greek word was used was to describe Jesus' anguish in the Garden of Gethsemane. For a moment at least, Herod was having a crisis of conscience! His moral shudder was, at last, a sign of life. For an instant everything was possible, including his repentance.

But what would his friends think? News of this would inevitably make it all the way back to Rome and he would be the laughing stock of the entire Imperial Court. That he could not suffer. "So he immediately sent an executioner with orders to bring John's head" ... and shortly afterwards he returned with John's head on a platter, which he presented to Salome who, in turn, "gave it to her mother" [vv. 27, 28]. What a heartbreaking turn of events! Herod's conscience had begun to speak one last time, but he silenced it because he feared what others would think; he feared loss of reputation; he feared his "honor" would be besmirched. And now only a deep and gaping darkness awaited Herod.

When Pilate transferred Jesus' case to Herod, he was thrilled ... but for all the wrong reasons. He had no spiritual interest in seeing Jesus as he had John in the past. Now it was about SHOWTIME! He wanted to see a miracle! [23:8] He no longer had any spiritual fear or trepidation. His murder of John had produced an incapacity to see anything in Jesus. And Jesus gave Herod no response whatsoever, despite a very lengthy interrogation. [v. 9] In contrast, Jesus was willing to reason with the scandalous high priest Caiaphas and even to prophesy to him [22: 69, 70]. He conversed with Pilate and gave him very substantive answers to ponder [23:3, John 18:33-38]. He grieved over Judas in the Upper Room as he reached out for his very soul. But before Herod, he maintained a dreadful silence. Herod's days of grace were long since over. His conscience had long since been seared and could no longer respond! But beyond even lacking enough life in his soul to respond to the grace of almighty God standing before him, he went even further and openly mocked Christ effectively holding the God of the universe in contempt!

The silence of Jesus before Herod is a shocking and dramatic example not to trifle with holy things and not to suppress the nudgings of the Holy Spirit in our souls. We never know, on this side of eternity, when will be the last time our spirits will hear His call. "Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts..." [Ps. 95:7, 8]. May we always have ears to hear!