See the notes at Matthew 23:37-39.
From the message which Jesus sent to Herod we may learn:
- That our lives are safe in the hands of God, and that wicked people can do no more to injure us than he shall permit. Compare John 19:11.
- That we “should” go on fearlessly in doing our duty, and especially if we are doing good. We should not regard the threats of people. God is to be obeyed; and even if obedience should involve us in difficulty and trials, still we should not hesitate to commit our cause to God and go forward.
- We should be on our guard against crafty and unprincipled people. They often “profess” to seek our good when they are only plotting our ruin. Even those professedly coming from our enemies to caution us are often also our enemies, and are secretly plotting our ruin or endeavoring to prevent our doing good.
- We see here the nature of religion. It shrinks at nothing which is duty. It goes forward trusting in God. It comes out boldly and faces the world. And,
- How beautiful and consistent is the example of Christ! How “wise” was he to detect the arts of his foes! how “fearless” in going forward, in spite of all their machinations, to do what God had appointed for him to do!