Luke 23:8

Luk_23:8-12

When Herod saw Jesus, he was exceeding glad

Divine reserve; or, Christianity in relation to our mental moods

I.

THAT ALL SUBJECTS REVEAL THEMSELVES ACCORDING TO THE MENTAL MOOD IN WHICH THEY ARE EXAMINED. That which is looked for, is found or thought to be found. The same person or principle examined through the respective media of sympathy and antipathy, will reveal aspects the most different. It is of vital importance to remember this fact in all our investigations of creeds, or balancings of contradictory evidence, so that we may escape both the traductions of prejudice and the blindings of partiality. The non-recognition of this truth has induced the grossest misrepresentations of social life, of individual belief, and of denominational doctrine.

II. THAT THE DIVINE BEING DISCRIMINATES OUR MENTAL MOODS. Apparently, Herod was in a pleasing state of mind. Superficial observers would have been delighted with his animated and cordial bearing. What could be more gratifying to Christ than that Herod was exceeding glad to see Him? There was no royal hauteur, no cold rebuff, no vengeful triumph. Why, then, that awful silence? Could Herod have done more to conciliate the favour of his renowned prisoner? Was it not an act of incomparable condescension for Herod to wear a smile in the presence of a reputed blasphemer and seditionist? For Christs significant reserve there must be some peculiar but satisfactory reason. It was not fear of the judge, for He was the judges Creator and Sovereign; it was not contempt, for He entertains a just regard for all the creatures of His hand; it was not constitutional sullenness, for none could be more open and engaging than He; it was not consciousness of guilt, for His most rancorous foes failed in their attempts at crimination. Why, then, did Christ thus treat a man who was exceeding glad to see Him? The only satisfactory answer which we can suggest is that Herods gladness did not arise from a proper cause; or, in other words, was no true index to his mental mood. Christ looked deeper than the smile which lighted Herods countenance, or the mere blandishment of his manner; He discriminated the mood of mind, and acted accordingly.

III. THAT CERTAIN MENTAL MOODS DEPRIVE MEN OF THE RICHEST BLESSINGS OF CHRISTIANITY. Why that solemn silence on the part of Christ? Because of Herods mental mood. The judge wished his curiosity gratified, he had heard of the great wonder-worker, and longed to behold His feats of skill, or His displays of power. Christ knew the treatment proper for the oblique-minded judge, and acted accordingly: He would not work miracles to gratify a king; He would smile on a child, or dry the tear of misery, but He would not court the applause or solicit the patronage of royalty. To whom, then, will the Lord Jesus deign to reveal Himself in tender speech or loving vision? Is there any intellect on whose conflicts with scepticism He will bestow His attention? Is there any heart on whose strugglings with sin He will lift up the light of His countenance? Since He was silent before Herod, will He be communicative to any of His creatures? He shall answer for Himself, To this man will I look. Suppose the Divine speaker had paused here, what inquisitiveness and suspense would have been occasioned! To this man; to which man, blessed Lord, wilt Thou look? to the man who has slain kings, and wandered to the throne of power through the blood of the warrior and the tears of the widow? to the man who has enrolled his name among the proudest of conquerors? to the man who boasts attachment to the cold exactitudes of a heartless theology? to the man arrayed in purple, and enshrined in the splendour of a palace? is this the man to whom Thou wilt look? Nay! Tis a grander spectacle which attracts the Divine eye--to the man that is poor, and of a contrite spirit, and that trembleth at My word (Isa_66:2).Here, then, we have two conditions of Divine communion, viz., contrition and reverence: apart from these there can be no spiritual fellowship. In Herod these conditions were not found; hence Christ was dumb i So with us: if we would truly worship God we must fulfil the conditions herein demanded. To be more distinct on this part of the subject, I may enumerate a few classes of hearers, whose mental moods deprive them of spiritual enjoyment:

1. Men of violent personal antipathies. Such persons confound the minister with his message; so that if any whim has been assaulted, or any favourite dogma contravened, they forthwith resort to misinterpretation, they turn every appeal into a personality, and that which was intended as a blessing they pervert into a curse! God will not commune with them: they fulfil not the conditions of fellowship--they are neither contrite nor reverent--and Christ answers them nothing!

2. Men of large speculative curiosity. Herod belonged to this class. They wish to pry into the secrets of the Infinite: not content with the ample disclosures which the Divine Being has graciously granted, they would penetrate into the deepest recesses of His nature, and scale the loftiest altitudes of His universe. They conceive a philosophic dislike for the common-place truths of Christianity; and regard with patronising pity the minister who lingers on the melancholy hill of Calvary. Such men would understand all mystery: they would break the silence of the stars, or detain the whirlwind in converse: they would summon angels from their high abode and extort the secrets of heaven, they would even dare to cross-examine the Deity Himself on the propriety of His moral government! God will answer them nothing.

3. Men who accept rationalism as their highest guide. They reject all that reason cannot comprehend. Their own intellect must see through every subject, otherwise they consider it as worthy only of repudiation. They read the New Testament as they would read a work on mathematics, or a treatise on physical science, expecting demonstration of every point. Such men leave the Bible with dissatisfaction. Christ treats them with silence: their flippant questions elicit no response: their feeble reason plunges in hopeless confusion--Infinitude refuses to be grasped in a human span, and Eternity disdains to crowd into one little intellect its stupendous and magnificent treasures.

4. Men who delight in moral darkness. Such men have no objection to theological discussion; they may even delight in an exhibition of their controversial powers, and, at the same time, hate the moral nature and spiritual requirements of the gospel. So long as attention is confined to an analysis of abstract doctrines they listen with interest, but the moment the gospel tears away the veil from their moral condition--reveals their depravity--upbraids their ingratitude--smites their pride--and shakes their soul with the assurance of judgment and eternity, they sink back into sullenness, they take refuge in infidelity, or they curse and blaspheme! Your Herods care not for moral betterance; they wish their fancies gratified--they desire their questions answered, but they persist in following thedevices of their imagination, and imprisoning themselves in the bond-house of bestial passion. The text suggests--

IV. THAT MEN SO DEPRIVED RESORT TO OPPOSITION. And Herod with his men of war set Him at naught, and mocked Him, and arrayed Him in a gorgeous robe, and sent Him again to Pilate. This is a striking illustration of the manner in which the truth has been treated in all ages. Men have approached the Bible with foregone conclusions, and because those conclusions have not been verified they have revolted, and assumed an antagonistic attitude. Ample illustration of the proposition might be adduced from the history of infidelity, bigotry, and persecution: but instead of lingering on this department of the subject we hasten to indicate the practical bearing of the thesis on the matter more immediately in hand. As an assembly of men responsible in some degree for the dissemination of Christian truth, it is important to understand how we can best fulfil our mission. In prosecuting this inquiry let me remind you of three things:

1. That the Bible is Gods appointed representative. What Christ was to Herod, the Scriptures are to us, viz., the embodiment of Divine truth and love. The very fact of our having the Bible, involves a tremendous responsibility.

2. That the Bible must be approached in a sympathetic spirit.

3. That we are responsible for our manner of reproducing the Bible. (J. Parker, D. D.)

Imitating the silence of Christ

There lived in a village near Burnley a girl who was persecuted in her own home because she was a Christian. She struggled on bravely, seeking strength from God, and rejoicing that she was a partaker of Christs sufferings. The struggle was too much for her, but He willed it so; and at length her sufferings were ended. When they came to take off the clothes from her poor dead body, they found a piece of paper sewn inside her dress, and on it was written, He opened not His mouth. (W. Baxendale.)

Remarkable reticence

Moltke, the great strategist, is a man of lowly habits and few words. He has been described as a man who can hold his tongue in seven languages! (H. O. Mackay.)

Herod Antipas: religious curiosity

Most of us will admit that this is an age of much curiosity about religion. The phrase would seem to include three things. First, curiosity about religion as an interesting phase of human thought. Then, curiosity about religion as exhibited in the picturesque and commanding personages who have founded new faiths. But yet again there may be curiosity about religion as a possible manifestation of the extra-natural or supernatural. Revivalism and spiritualism make the flesh creep not altogether unpleasingly. August and ancient ceremonials haunt the imagination with their weird magnificence. The verses which I have read bring before us the very type of irreligious or non-religious curiosity about religion, and of the punishment which awaits it.

I. In the passage itself let us note, in the first place, THE DEALINGS OF HEROD ANTIPAS WITH JESUS.

1. Herod did not take any active part in the greatest tragedy of time.

2. It will be necessary for our purpose to consider, secondly, Herods position in the religious world of his day. That he was a Sadducee would seem to be certain from profane history, and from a comparison of St. Matthew with St. Mark.

3. The character of Herod Antipas may be thought too black to contain even a warning for any of us. He was but a promising pupil in the school of which Tiberius was a master; a meaner trickster, a punier liar, a feebler murderer. He was the fox, as our Lord called him, not the wolf. Yet in one respect he was not so unlike some of us. A mist of superstition hung over the unclean pool of lust and hatred which he had made his soul. He was alternately repelled and attracted by Christ. That he was not incapable of religious curiosity the text sufficiently witnesses. Some in our day might exclaim that it was perhaps unfortunate that an opportunity was lost of gratifying the curiosity of a person so interesting--as if Christ was Incarnate to amuse dilettanti. But He who knows all men and what is in man knew better. The blood-stained hands are held out half caressingly. The voice which commanded the head of John Baptist to be given to the daughter of Herodias pours forth its flood of superficial questions. He will not waste one miracle or one word. As they of old loved to teach, the silent Jesus, working no sign, is a prophecy and a sign to us. He answered him nothing.

II. The whole incident thus becomes full of lessons to us. A thoughtful, meditative reader stops in awe. If we feel the awfulness of that silence, we shall, I think, recognize the truth of that which I am about to say. There is, no doubt, a sort of curiosity about religion which is the necessary result of quickened intellectual, nay, of quickened spiritual life. But the smiting of the people of Beth-shemesh is net recorded for nothing. Free inquiry is one thing, free-and-easy inquiry is another. If we play with God, it is at our own risk. The question is--what do you believe? We stand fronting eternity, not with the many propositions which we affect to believe or think we believe, but with the few which we do believe. Can we make an act of faith in God? We see Him standing mute before the curiosity of Herod Antipas, and we say, Save us, oh save us, from that silence! (Bishop Win. Alexander.)

I. HEROD BEFORE JESUS.

Our Lord before Herod

1. See idle curiosity at its best.

2. Idle curiosity disappointed.

(1) Our Lord came not into this world to be a performer.

(2) Herod had already silenced the Voice; no wonder he could not now hear the Word.

(3) Herod might have heard Christ hundreds of times before if he had chosen to do so.

(4) Christ had good reason for refusing to speak to Herod this time, because He would not have it supposed that He yielded to the pomp and dignity of men.

3. Idle curiosity curdles into derision.

II. JESUS IN THE PRESENCE OF HEROD. Although no blows are recorded, I greatly question whether our Divine Master suffered anywhere more than He did in the palace of tiered.

1. Fully in earnest for the salvation of souls, and in the midst of His grievers passion, He is looked upon as a mountebank and a mere performer, who is expected to work a miracle for the amusement of an impious court.

2. Then to think of our Lords being questioned by such a fop as Herod!

3. Then the ribaldry of the whole thing!

4. It was no small pain to our Lord to be silent.

5. Think of the contempt that was poured upon Him. (C. H. Spurgeon.)

The silence of Jesus

I. PREJUDICE, WHATEVER BE ITS SOURCE, GETS NOTHING OUT OF THE SCRIPTURES. If you bring a full pitcher to a spring, you can get nothing from that spring.

II. HABITUAL INDULGENCE IN SIN WILL PREVENT US FROM GETTING ANY ANSWER TO OUR INQUIRIES FROM SCRIPTURE. When you want an answer from the telephone, you not only put your ear to the instrument, but you also say to those about you, Hush! I want to hear. If you would hear Christ you must say Hush to the murmuring of sin.

III. THE INFLUENCE OF SCEPTICISM MAKES THE SCRIPTURES SILENT. (W. M. Taylor, D. D.)

The Biblical Illustrator, edited by Joseph S. Exell (c. 1880s–1900s) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

23:8 Herod was delighted: He was curious about Jesus’ power as a miracle worker and religious teacher, just as he had been curious about John the Baptist (9:7, 9; Mark 6:20).

Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Luk 23:8. Ἡρώδης, Herod) The great and powerful usually have less opportunity of meeting with Jesus: and they are wont to he the last in knowing of the things of the Kingdom of God. The first propagation of the faith as it is in Jesus Christ was, therefore, not due to the instrumentality of the potentates of the world.—[σημεῖον ἰδεῖν, to see a sign) Miserable beings are they who seek in Christ nought save food to minister to the gratification of their natural senses. Such ‘gladness’ as Herod’s is not conducive.—V. g.]

Bengel's Gnomon of the New Testament — English translation (T&T Clark, Edinburgh, 1860) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Luk_23:8-9. The frivolous tetrarch, in an unkingly manner, on the assumption that he had only either to accept or to reject Him,[263] immediately upon the sight of Jesus begins to rejoice at the satisfaction of his curiosity.

ἦν γὰρ θέλων κ.τ.λ.] for from a long time he had been desirous.

On ἐξ ἱκανοῦ, comp. the Greek neutral expressions: ἘΚ ΠΟΛΛΟῦ, ἘΚ ΠΛΕΊΣΤΟΥ, ἘΞ ὈΛΊΓΟΥ, ἘΞ ἘΚΕΊΝΟΥ, and the like; ἘΦʼ ἹΚΑΝΌΝ, 2Ma_8:25.

ἈΚΟΎΕΙΝ] continually.

ἬΛΠΙΖΕ Κ.Τ.Λ.] ut oculos et animum re nova pasceret more aulae, Grotius.

ΟὐΔῈΝ ἈΠΕΚΡΊΝΑΤΟ] is to be explained from the nature of the questions, and from Jesus seeing through Herods purpose.

ΑὐΤῸς ΔΈ] But He on His part.

[263] Comp. Schleiermacher, L. J. p. 436.

Meyer — Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament — English translation by Peter Christie, edited by Frederick Crombie (T&T Clark, 1880) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Luk 23:8 . ἐχάρη λίαν , was much pleased, “exceeding glad” (A.V [192] and R.V [193] ) is too grave a phrase to express the feeling of this worthless man, who simply expected from the meeting with Jesus a “new amusement” (Schanz), such as might be got from a conjurer who could perform some clever tricks ( τι σημεῖον ).

[192] Authorised Version.

[193] Revised Version.

The Expositor's Greek Testament, edited by W. Robertson Nicoll (1897–1910) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

some miracle--Fine sport thou expectedst, as the Philistines with Samson (Jdg 16:25), O coarse, crafty, cruel tyrant! But thou hast been baulked before (see on Luk 13:31-33), and shalt be again.

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

(8) He was desirous to see him of a long season.—The vague feeling of wonder had begun soon after the death of the Baptist. (See Notes on Mat_14:2; Mar_6:14.) It had its beginning in hearing of wonders; it ended in a desire to see one. It was mingled, possibly, with a feeling of bitter enmity which no miracle could remove. (See Note on Luk_13:31.)

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

8. many things] These words should be omitted (א, B, D, K, L, M).

and he hoped to have seen some miracle done by him] Luk_9:7-9, Herod seems to have deteriorated. He had encouraged the visits of the Baptist on less frivolous grounds than these. It must have been a deep aggravation of Christ’s sufferings to be led bound, amid coarse attendants, through the densely crowded streets.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

And when Herod saw Jesus, he was exceeding glad,.... For though he had been brought up in his country, and had so frequently preached, and wrought miracles there, he had never seen him before; and to have a sight of him, was a great indulgence to his curiosity:

for he was desirous to see him of a long season; perhaps ever since he had heard of his fame, and had entertained a notion that Christ was John the Baptist risen from the dead, whom he had beheaded; and therefore was desirous of seeing him, that he might know whether he was John or not:

because he had heard many things of him; concerning his doctrine, and miracles, and especially the latter; how that he cast out devils, and healed all manner of diseases, and even raised the dead to life:

and he hoped to have seen some miracle done by him; which would have still more gratified his curiosity, and have been the subject of further inquiry and conversation.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

8 And when Herod saw Jesus, he was exceeding glad: for he was desirous to see him of a long season, because he had heard many things of him; and he hoped to have seen some miracle done by him.

Ver. 8. He was exceeding glad] As if he had gotten some magician or enchanter, that would show him some pleasant sight.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

8. Herod saw Jesus… glad—Jesus seems to have been ushered into his presence without much announcement, (for he saw him before he was glad,) but it was an agreeable surprise. How little soever Herod might desire Jesus to be preaching in his own dominions, he had little of the hatred toward him which inspired the Jewish authorities. The dread of Jesus, which induced Herod to endeavor by stratagem to drive Jesus from Peraea, (Luk_13:31,) disappeared of course when Herod found him in chains under the hand of Pilate. Jesus no longer seemed to him a divinely-commissioned being, but some sort of a wonder-worker. His was only a trifler’s gladness, inspired by a hope of the same sort of enjoyment which is felt over a juggler’s legerdemain, or a pseudo-spiritualist’s table-turning. Thus the being held as a mere performer, was one of the deepest indignities of the Saviour’s endurance.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

And when Herod saw Jesus, he was exceeding glad: for he was desirous to see him of a long season, because he had heard many things of him; and he hoped to have seen some miracle done by him. This was Herod Antipas, the slayer of John the Baptist. He was at that time living in open incest with that princess Herodias concerning whom the Baptist had administered the public rebuke which had led to his arrest and subsequent execution. Godet graphically sums up the situation: "Jesus was to Herod Antipas what a juggler is to a sated court an object of curiosity. But Jesus did not lend himself to such a part; he had neither words nor miracles for a man so disposed, in whom, besides, he saw with horror the murderer of John the Baptist. Before this personage, a monstrous mixture of bloody levity and sombre superstition, he maintained a silence which even the accusation of the Sanhedrin (ver. 10) could not lead him to break. Herod, wounded and humiliated, took vengeance on this conduct by contempt."

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

He had been long desirous to see him - Out of mere curiosity.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

he was very glad

"Herod was very glad"

he had wanted to see him

"Herod had wanted to see Jesus"

He had heard about him

"Herod had heard about Jesus"

he hoped

"Herod hoped"

to see some miracle done by him

This can be stated in active form. AT: "to see him perform some kind of miracle" (See: Active or Passive)

Herod questioned Jesus in many words

"Herod asked Jesus a lot of questions"

answered him nothing

"did not reply" or "did not give Herod an answer"

the scribes stood

"the scribes were standing there"

violently accusing him

"severely accusing Jesus" or "accusing him of all kinds of crimes"

translationWords

Herod Antipas

miracle

word

chief priests

scribe

accuse

unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.

8. [πολλὰ] after ἀκούειν is omitted in אBDKL.

8. ἐξ ἱκανῶν χρόνων. Meyer from the reading ἱκανοῦ χρόνου in some MSS. thinks that the original reading was only ἐξ ἱκανοῦ, like ἐκ πλείστου, ἐξ ὀλίγου, &c.

τι σημεῖον ἰδεῖν. Luk 9:7-9, Herod seems to have deteriorated. He had encouraged the visits of the Baptist on less frivolous grounds than these. It must have been a deep aggravation of Christ’s sufferings to be led bound, amid coarse attendants, through the densely crowded streets.

Cambridge Greek Testament for Schools and Colleges (Cambridge University Press, 1896; 21 vols, various authors incl. Carr, Maclear, Plummer, Farrar, Lumby, Moule, M. R. James, Simcox) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

8-12. § The Trial before, Herod. It has been noticed by Schleiermacher that its omission by Jn. is no serious objection to its authenticity. “The transaction is too circumstantially detailed to admit a doubt, and our reporter seems to have had an acquaintance in the house of Herod who supplied him with this fact, as John seems to have had in the house of Annas” (S. Luke, p. 304, Eng. tr.). Joana, the wife of Chuza, Herod’s steward (8:3), would be a likely source of information: see on 8:3 and 24:10.

8. ἦν θέλων, τὸ ἀκούειν, ἤλπιζεν. These expressions indicate the continuance of the wishing, hearing, and hoping: comp. 9:9. Such curiosity is not gratified any more than the demand for signs from heaven (11:29). With ἐξ ἱκανῶν χρόνων comp. χρόνῳ ἱκανῷ (8:27; Act 8:11), χρόνους ιὙκανούς (20:9).

TR. follows A R Γ D L in reading ἐξ ἱκανοῦ, to which H M C Π add χρόνου. But א B D L T, Sah. Arm. give the plural.

International Critical Commentary — older volumes (1896–1929), various authors — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Of a long time [εξ ικανου] . See on ch. Luk 7:6.

Hoped [ηλπιζεν] . Imperfect; was hoping - all this long time.

Miracle [σημειον] . See on Mt 11:20; and compare Act 2:22, Rev.

Marvin R. Vincent, Word Studies in the New Testament (1887–1900) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.