(Matt. 11:1) When the disciples, as has now been sufficiently made known, left the place where I gave them the instructions, I remained until sunset, blessed this poor little people and its little children, and then I too went onward with the still numerous disciples around Me, along the Sea of Galilee into the cities from which one or another of the disciples who have remained with Me came and where they were at home. There I taught and preached what I have commanded the twelve to teach and preach, and everywhere made the sick well.
But at this time John, who had baptized at the Jordan, had already been thrown into prison by Herod, through the mediation of the priests of Jerusalem, who had exerted themselves most vigorously with Herod to that end; for they could never forgive John for having called them a brood of snakes and a breed of vipers. But they themselves did not dare attack the preacher in the wilderness, since they knew well that the people regarded him as a great prophet. Therefore they had gone through Herod, naturally by means of money and all kinds of powers to oppress the people, and Herod took him prisoner under the pretext that he was a madman who stirred up the people, filled their heads with all kinds of ideas dangerous to the state, and drove people mad in many ways.
But fundamentally Herod cared little about what John taught, only that he made good booty from it. Therefore Herod did not keep John in very strict confinement and admitted everyone to John in prison for a moderate price; proven disciples of the Baptist paid only one stater for an entire week, while others had to pay a piece of silver for a day’s visit.
Herod had by no means forbidden John to preach and make as much commotion as he could and wished in a large hall that had now been made into a large citizens’ prison; for that brought Herod all the more money.
Herod often went to John himself and even encouraged him to make more noise precisely now in prison, where he was safe from the priests and Pharisees, than before in the wilderness at Bethabara, and called himself John’s friend and protector.
John knew well in spirit whom he was dealing with in Herod; but he nevertheless used this opportunity and continued preaching in his prison, and his disciples had free access to him—naturally against the small payment of one stater per week. Priests from the temple had to pay a pound if they wished to reach John, and when they asked Herod why he allowed John to continue preaching in prison, that sly fox of a Herod answered: ‘I do this out of secret statecraft, so as to get to know all the followers of this man who is dangerous to the state beyond all measure!’ At such an answer the priests praised Herod beyond all measure and presented him with much gold, silver and precious stones; for they thought to themselves: ‘This is the right man; we must support him with all our strength! He is called to clear all that prophetic rabble out of the way!’
But Herod, a Greek by birth, was intent only on money and cared not in the least about anything else; besides money, only very beautiful concubines had any value. For their sake he could even become cruel if they wished it, but otherwise no one ever achieved anything with him without money; for money alone he could be had for absolutely anything.
From this faithful description of Herod, everyone will surely find it readily clear how John could have his disciples around him in prison and how, through this, he could be informed (Matt. 11:2) of My activity in Galilee, both by his disciples and by other people who frequently visited him.
When John accordingly heard in prison how I taught and worked, he at once sent two of his most renowned disciples to Me and had them ask Me: ‘Are (Matt. 11:3) you indeed the One who is to come, or should we still wait for another?!’
Here people will ask and say: but how could John, who first gave Me the greatest and most brilliant testimony, possibly arrive at such a question?! For anyone who can think just a span beyond the material, the reason is a most simple and even most natural one.
After the time when John came to know Me and then also fully perceived that I was unfailingly the promised Messiah, he thought that the entire Jewish people was as good as completely redeemed merely by My appearance and that all the power of the great of the world had ceased forever. But when he came into prison and became more convinced from day to day that with My appearance the power of the great of the world had not only not ceased but had only increased, John too began very slightly and quietly to doubt My genuineness within himself!
For he thought to himself: ‘If this Jesus of Nazareth is really the Promised One, the Son of the living God, how can he now leave me in the lurch and not free me from prison, and how could he allow me to come into it?!’
Yet again he heard from those who visited him what unheard-of deeds I performed! And so he sent the two of his most proven disciples to Me, who were to put the above question to Me.
But since I clearly saw the reason why John had Me questioned in this way, I answered the disciples very briefly and said to them: (Matt. 11:4) ‘Go and tell John what you see and hear: (Matt. 11:5) the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers become clean, the deaf hear, (Matt. 11:6) the dead rise, and the Gospel is preached to the poor; and blessed is and becomes the one who does not take offense at Me!