THE SORROWS OF THE BEREAVED SPREAD BEFORE JESUS.
matthew xiv. 12.
And his disciples came and took up the body and buried it, and went and told Jesus.
concerning these words I would observe three things.
1. On what occasion that was, that we have an account of in the text. It was on occasion of the death of John the Baptist, who was a person whose business it had been to preach the gospel of the kingdom of God. He was a minister of Jesus Christ, and had been improved to do great service, was an instrument of much good to many in Judea and Jerusalem, in his life-time. He was cruelly murdered by Herod, at the instigation of Herodias, having exposed himself to her malice by faithfully reproving them for their incestuous wickedness.
2. We may observe who the persons were spoken of in the text; they were those that had been the disciples of John the Baptist, that had sat at his feet to hear him preach the gospel, that were his constant followers, that were with him as those that received great benefit by his ministry, and were as it were his children.
3. We may observe their behaviour on this occasion, consisting in two things.
(1.) That whereby they showed their regard to the remains of the deceased, They took up the body and buried it: it had been used in a barbarous manner, by others, that had also been his hearers, and were under special obligations to have treated him with honour. They cruelly murdered him, by severing his head from his body; and his head was carried in a charger to Herodias, that she, instead of paying that respect that was due to the remains of so venerable a person, might have her malice and cruelty gratified by such a spectacle, and that she might thence take occasion to insult the dead. While that part of the dead body was thus used by Herodias, his disciples, out of respect and honour to their master and teacher, decently interred the rest.
(2.) That which they did, consequent on this, for God’s glory and their own good, They went and told Jesus. Him they knew to be one that their master John, while he lived, had testified a great regard to. Jesus was he whose forerunner John was; whom he had preached, and of whom he had said, “Behold the Lamb of God, that taketh away the sin of the world: 1 ” And, “This is he, of whom I said, After me cometh one that is preferred before me; 2 ” and whom he saw, and bare record that this is the Son of God. And probably they knew that Christ was one that had put great honour upon John their teacher in his life-time. For he, though he was the Son of God, and John’s Maker and Saviour, yet came to him to be baptized of him, and had said of him, that “Among those that were born of women, there had not risen a greater than John the Baptist. 3 ”
It was now a sorrowful time with John’s disciples; when they were thus bereaved of him whose teachings they had sat under. And the manner of his death was doubtless very grievous to them. They were like a company of sorrowful, distressed, bereaved children; and what do they do in their sorrows, but go to Jesus with their complaint. The first thing that they do, after paying proper regards to the remains of their dear master, is to go to Christ, to spread their case before him, seeking comfort and help from him. Thus they sought their own benefit.
And probably one end of their immediately going and telling Jesus was, that he, being informed of it, might conduct himself accordingly, as his wisdom should direct, for the interest of his own kingdom. When so great a person as John the Baptist, the forerunner of Christ, was thus martyred, it was a great event, in which the common cause, in which both Christ and he were engaged, was greatly concerned: it was therefore fit that he that was at the head of the whole affair should be informed of it, for his future conduct in the affairs of his kingdom. And accordingly we find that Jesus seems immediately to be influenced in his conduct by these tidings; as you may see in the next verse: “When Jesus heard of it, he departed thence by a ship into a desert place apart. 4 ” Thus John’s disciples sought God’s glory.