Unreasonable reason

At that time Herod the tetrarch heard about the fame of Jesus, and he said to his servants, “This is John the Baptist. He has been raised from the dead; that is why these miraculous powers are at work in him.” For Herod had seized John and bound him and put him in prison for the sake of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife, because John had been saying to him, “It is not lawful for you to have her.” And though he wanted to put him to death, he feared the people, because they held him to be a prophet. But when Herod’s birthday came, the daughter of Herodias danced before the company and pleased Herod, so that he promised with an oath to give her whatever she might ask. Prompted by her mother, she said, “Give me the head of John the Baptist here on a platter.” And the king was sorry, but because of his oaths and his guests he commanded it to be given. He sent and had John beheaded in the prison, and his head was brought on a platter and given to the girl, and she brought it to her mother. And his disciples came and took the body and buried it, and they went and told Jesus. Matthew 14: 1-12

Last summer two friends got together one lunchtime at Rozel Bay Jersey to discuss one matter of concern to both of them. It was this. “Am I a person who makes decisions rationally and logically and correctly? Or is it possible that my rationality is skewed or twisted, without me realising it?” What do you think? Are you thinking correctly – or are your thoughts incorrect or wrong or skewed? Please the incident from Matthew’s biography of Jesus – from around AD 30 – in bold above. What I’d like you especially to notice and decide upon is whether the thinking of King Herod is skewed and whether he knows that to be so or not?
.	‘The light of human reason differs little from darkness.’ (John Calvin, French pastor, 1509-1564)
First, this was a black-tie do. Probably all male – except for the teenage daughter of Herodias who became the wow factor. Was the thinking of Herod skewed? Second, when important folk give big birthday parties they ask only those they want to impress. Guests won’t be impressed if the birthday boy changes his mind in front of them. Was the thinking of Herod skewed? Third, King Herod backed up his promises to the dancing girl with oaths. Oaths carried out confirm the power of the man and the rightness of his decisions. Was Herod’s decision – his rationality - skewed? Perhaps the most important question to think about is this. If Herod’s thinking was indeed skewed, what were the things inside Herod which caused his thinking to be skewed? Sex? Pride? Love of power?
.	‘The supreme achievement of reason is to bring us to see that there is a limit to reason.’ (Blaise Pascal, French mathematician, 1623-1662)
Did you notice that this extract from Matthew’s biography was a flashback? At that time Herod the tetrarch heard about the fame of Jesus, and he said to his servants, “This is John the Baptist. He has been raised from the dead; that is why these miraculous powers are at work in him.” For Herod had seized John ….. Matthew was therefore recording Herod’s latest decision “at that time” – his decision when he heard about the fame of Jesus – what Jesus was doing and teaching. Herod is now fearful – he’s now convinced that Jesus is in fact John the Baptist, beheaded by him but raised from the dead. The man whom he beheaded is alive..... He’s wrong again. But then his thinking always was skewed – as demonstrated by the flashback. This time his rationality doesn’t seem to be skewed by sex, pride or power. What skews it? Is it his guilt? Back to those two friends at Rozel last summer, discussing whether their own rationality was skewed – and therefore unreliable.... They parted friends. They agreed that their thinking was bound to be skewed – by self-interest in all its forms - including by unresolved guilt.

Richard Syvret

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