Those Who Bring Good News Must Also Rebuke in Love

Those Who Bring Good News

Must Also Rebuke in Love

 

  

 

 

“But when John rebuked Herod the tetrarch because of his marriage to Herodias, his brother’s wife, and all the other evil things he had done, Herod added this to them all: He locked John up in prison.” (Luke 3:18–20)

 

 

As I meditate on these verses, I wish to receive the lesson contained in them.

 

(1)    John the Baptist, who proclaimed “good news” to the people (Luke 3:18), rebuked “Herod the tetrarch” (v.19)—the same Herod Antipas mentioned in verse 1 (Hokmah)—because of “his marriage to Herodias, his brother’s wife, and all the other evil things he had done” (v.19).

 

(a)    The phrase “his brother’s wife Herodias” (v.19) refers to the fact that Herod took his brother Philip’s wife, Herodias (Matt. 14:4; Mark 6:17).  Around A.D. 26, Herod divorced his first wife—the daughter of King Aretas of Arabia—and married Herodias, who was both his niece and the wife of his brother Philip.  This act was utterly unacceptable by Jewish law and tradition (Lev. 18:16; 20:21).  Therefore, John rebuked him, saying, “It is not lawful for you to have her” (Mt. 14:4), “It is wrong for you to have married your brother’s wife” (Mk. 6:18), and thus “rebuked” him (Luke 3:19).

 

(i)                 In essence, John condemned Herod’s violation of the commandments against adultery (Ex. 20:14, “You shall not commit adultery”) and coveting (Ex. 20:17, “You shall not covet your neighbor’s house…or your neighbor’s wife”), as well as the prohibition against marrying one’s brother’s wife (Lev. 20:21: “If a man marries his brother’s wife, it is a defilement. He has dishonored his brother, and they shall be childless”).  John’s rebuke was a prophetic call for Herod to renounce his reckless lifestyle and repent before God (Hokmah).

 

·         In fact, the Herodian family was marked by shameful scandals involving murder and adultery over royal succession. Herodias, the daughter of Aristobulus (one of Herod the Great’s sons), was married to her half-uncle Herod Philip I but later left him to marry his brother and her other half-uncle, Herod Antipas (Hokmah).

 

-          Thus, John the Baptist saw Herod’s sin as a moral failure of leadership and fearlessly denounced it, just as the prophets before him had done—Nathan rebuked King David for adultery (2 Sam. 12:1–15), and Elijah boldly condemned the sins of Israel’s rulers (1 Kgs. 18:1–15; 21:17–29; 2 Kgs. 1:1–16; 2 Chr. 21:12–15) (Hokmah).

 

n  In Mark 6:18, the verb “was saying” appears in the imperfect tense, indicating that John repeatedly confronted Herod about his sin. Truly, John did not shrink from speaking truth to power, for his courage flowed from his divine calling (Hokmah).

 

(b)    As I meditate on this passage, I learn that “the voice of one crying in the wilderness” (Lk. 3:4) was not only proclaiming the good news (v.18) of Jesus Christ but also rebuking, saying, “Produce fruits worthy of repentance” (v.8).

 

(i)                 The Greek word for “rebuke” (ἐλεγχόμενος, elenchomenos) depicts a Spirit-energized act of exposing wrong so that it can be acknowledged and forsaken.  Whether translated as “convict,” “expose,” “reprove,” or “rebuke,” the term always carries the purpose of restoring people according to God’s will rather than merely shaming them.  It is truth spoken with moral authority, intended to move the conscience toward repentance and obedient faith.

·         2 Timothy 4:2: “Preach the word of God at all times, whether the time is right or not. Correct, rebuke, and encourage your people with great patience and careful teaching.”

 

·         1 Timothy 5:20: “Rebuke those who sin in front of everyone so that the rest may be warned.”

 

·         Titus 1:13: “This is true. So rebuke them sharply, so that they may be sound in the faith.”

 

·         Proverbs 27:5–6 (Living Bible): “Open rebuke is better than hidden love. Wounds from a sincere friend are better than many kisses from an enemy.”

 

-          Scripture teaches that open rebuke is better than hidden love.  Though a friend’s rebuke may wound us, such wounds are trustworthy because they are born of love and truth. Enemies, by contrast, may kiss us deceitfully, seeking to harm rather than help.

 

n  Thus, we must recognize that when a friend rebukes us in love, it is for our good.  We, too, should be willing to offer loving correction that may cause temporary pain but brings lasting benefit. Such faithful wounds sharpen and strengthen our friends.

 

n  A wise person humbly receives a loving rebuke and uses it as an opportunity to grow and become more like the Lord. May we all be such wise and humble followers.

 

(2)    As a result of John’s rebuke, Herod did not repent. Instead, he committed an even greater sin by imprisoning John (Lk. 3:20).

 

(a)    Eventually, John the Baptist was thrown into prison by Herod’s oppression and later beheaded at the instigation of Herodias.  This shows the utter moral and ethical corruption of Herod’s regime (Hokmah).

(i)                 Luke records that Herod’s imprisonment of John was the most wicked act among all his sins, because Herod silenced the forerunner of Christ and tried to suppress the preaching of the gospel (Hokmah).

 

·         Yet even if Satan and his powers imprison or kill the messengers of the gospel, the proclamation of Jesus Christ cannot be stopped.

 

-          The spread of the gospel cannot be hindered. No one can stop it.  The gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ will reach to the ends of the earth.  This is the will of the Lord—and He will accomplish His will.  Who are we to stand in His way?

 

n  The Lord has called us and entrusted us with the mission of proclaiming the gospel of Christ.  As witnesses of Jesus, we must faithfully fulfill this calling. We are sent ones, appointed to accomplish the will of Him who sent us.  We must proclaim this message of salvation. We must not fear but speak the gospel with boldness.  We must bear witness.  At the same time, we must live rightly before God, maintaining integrity and setting an example in all things.  We must remain under God’s grace, give glory to Him, and spread Jesus wherever we go.