Breaking the Word

At that time Herod the tetrarch heard of the reputation of Jesus and said to his servants, "This man is John the Baptist. He has been raised from the dead; that is why mighty powers are at work in him." …

 The king was distressed, but because of his oaths and the guests who were present, he ordered that it be given, and he had John beheaded in the prison. His head was brought in on a platter and given to the girl, who took it to her mother. His disciples came and took away the corpse and buried him; and they went and told Jesus. (Mt 14:1-12)

 Herod lived in fear. He was afraid of anyone who spoke the truth and anyone who was on the side of God. Because, he had beheaded John the Baptist. John the Baptist had spoken the truth about his life. Herod did not want the truth to be spoken so he silenced the speaker. But anyone and everyone who spoke the truth becomes the person whom he feared.

 He was distressed because he had taken an oath to please the girl who danced in front of the guests. So he feared them as well. If he did not keep his promise then he would lose his image and name. So he feared them as well.

 He feared himself because of what he had done. A man totally lived in fear because of his mistake in trying to keep the truth away from him. He feared his own people (guests and his family people) he feared the persons who spoke the truth and he feared himself because the truth was not with/in him. IT IS TRUTH THAT MAKES ONE FREE. 

  He came to his native place and taught the people in their synagogue. They were astonished and said, "Where did this man get such wisdom and mighty deeds?  Is he not the carpenter's son? Is not his mother named Mary and his brothers James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas? Are not his sisters all with us? Where did this man get all this?" And they took offense at him. But Jesus said to them, "A prophet is not without honor except in his native place and in his own house." And he did not work many mighty deeds there because of their lack of faith. (Mt 13:54-58)

Jesus comes back to his native place and teaches the people. Native place and teaching do not seem to go together. People of the native place see him as one of them. They see him through his relations and relatives. They see him as one of them. They see him, probably, as they see themselves. They have no esteem for themselves or their native place.

He taught them. He taught them with wisdom (where did this man get this wisdom?) and authority. His teaching did not show any relation to his native soil. His teaching was different. His teaching belonged to somewhere which they could not decode. They could wonder about it or they could doubt. Many people wondered about him but his own people doubted about his teaching.

Jesus knew where he was from and what he was teaching. He was from God and he was teaching about the kingdom. People needed faith to accept this and understand this. Only a man of faith will see things in divine perspective. Native perspective will reveal only certain things about an individual but a divine perspective will reveal everything.