At this point in Matthew’s narrative, Jesus is well into his public ministry and he is gaining fame. He is healing the sick, calling out the elite, and spending time with people on the margins. His reputation is growing and sparking fear in those who hold religious and political power.

Herod, the regional political leader, openly posits that this Jesus must be John the Baptist, raised from the dead. Imagine feeling so threatened and fearful that you believe someone you recently beheaded for publicly calling out your sin has come back to life.

Herod was a notoriously suspicious person, forever fearful that someone would usurp his power. He came up against conflict and his response was to use power to gain control. Jesus and John face conflict, and they become emboldened to say the hard thing, especially to those who have the power to shame, defame, or kill them. We can all be tempted to choose the path of least resistance, to avoid confrontation, to choose comfort over speaking the truth.

Jesus and John were driven by God’s view of love – love of neighbor, even of enemy – and it cost them dearly.

Earlier this month, I spent three days inside a Midwest prison. While there, I met men who have spent decades on “the inside”; a place where they have no power or control. But still, they yearn for a different world, one in which violence and fear are replaced with peace and compassion, knowing full well that they may never get to experience this world themselves. They showed us through their wise instruction and hospitality that this hopeful vision is possible but it does not come from the top down. The people who change the world are usually the ones with the least power, the least control, and the least privilege. They understand Jesus’ upside-down kingdom, the one he and John both died bringing into the world.