He feared the people

Lev 25,1.8-17: Ps 66; Mt 14,1-12
3 AUGUST

The law of the levirate was given so that no family in Israel would come to extinction. The brother took the wife of his brother, but the descent was of the deceased brother and this way the family always remained standing. It did not extinguish itself.

“When brothers live together and one of them dies without a son, the widow of the deceased shall not marry anyone outside the family; but her husband’s brother shall go to her and perform the duty of a brother-in-law by marrying her. The first-born son she bears shall continue the line of the deceased brother, that his name may not be blotted out from Israel. If, however, a man does not care to marry his brother’s wife, she shall go up to the elders at the gate and declare, ‘My brother-in-law does not intend to perform his duty toward me and refuses to perpetuate his brother’s name in Israel.’ Thereupon the elders of his city shall summon him and admonish him. If he persists in saying, ‘I am not willing to marry her,’ his sister-in-law, in the presence of the elders, shall go up to him and strip his sandal from his foot and spit in his face, saying publicly, ‘This is how one should be treated who will not build up his brother’s family!’ And his lineage shall be spoken of in Israel as ‘the family of the man stripped of his sandal’ (Dt 25,5-10).

We know that this law is also in the genealogy of Jesus. Booz marries Ruth according to the law of the levirate. It is a law that dates back to the dawn of time.

Boaz then said to the elders and to all the people, “You are witnesses today that I have acquired from Naomi all the holdings of Elimelech, Chilion and Mahlon. I also take Ruth the Moabite, the widow of Mahlon, as my wife, in order to raise up a family for her late husband on his estate, so that the name of the departed may not perish among his kinsmen and fellow citizens. Do you witness this today?” All those at the gate, including the elders, said, “We do so. May the Lord make this wife come into your house like Rachel and Leah, who between them built up the house of Israel. May you do well in Ephrathah and win fame in Bethlehem. With the offspring the Lord will give you from this girl, may your house become like the house of Perez, whom Tamar bore to Judah” (Rut 4,9-12).

John the Baptist tells Herod that it is not lawful for him to keep his brother’s wife in marriage. The brother is not dead. Plus he had a lineage. This is why Herod wanted to make him die. But he was afraid of the crowd. It considered him a prophet. But the fear of man holds up to a certain point. A fear of men even stronger comes to be felt and it is the death of John. Every man must be formed not on the fear of men, or of crowds, but on the fear of the Lord. It is the fear of God that guards us from every sin. If a greater fear is added to the fear of men, one is capable of any crime. Never did the fear of men prevent one sin. Indeed it adds more.

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.” Now Herod had arrested John, bound (him), and put him in prison on account of Herodias, the wife of his brother Philip, for John had said to him, “It is not lawful for you to have her.” Although he wanted to kill him, he feared the people, for they regarded him as a prophet. But at a birthday celebration for Herod, the daughter of Herodias performed a dance before the guests and delighted Herod so much that he swore to give her whatever she might ask for. Prompted by her mother, she said, “Give me here on a platter the head of John the Baptist.” 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.

Scripture teaches that the fear of men poses in a trap. Herod was trapped in the fear of the diners and notables of his kingdom and was forced to behead the prophet of God. What happened with Herod can happen with every other man. For a lesser fear one thing can be avoided. A thing is done for a greater fear. Instead, when one walks with the fear of God, there is no greater fear and sin is never committed. Today the fear of God has disappeared.

Mother of God, Angels and Saints, fill the hearts of Christians of the holy fear of the Lord.