Why would the Herodians want Jesus dead?

[tonychanyt]

Mark 3:

1 Again he entered the synagogue, and a man was there with a withered hand. 2 And they watched Jesus, to see whether he would heal him on the Sabbath, so that they might accuse him. 3 And he said to the man with the withered hand, “Come here.” 4 And he said to them, “Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do harm, to save life or to kill?” But they were silent. 5 And he looked around at them with anger, grieved at their hardness of heart, and said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He stretched it out, and his hand was restored. 6 The Pharisees went out and immediately held counsel with the Herodians against him, how to destroy him.

Jesus threatened the religious order of the Pharisees. They wanted him dead. What about the Herodians?

Mk 12:

13 They sent to him some of the Pharisees and some of the Herodians, to trap him in his talk.

The Pharisees and Herodians paired up together to ask Jesus whether they should pay taxes to Caesar.

Parallel account in Lk 20:

19 The scribes and the chief priests sought to lay hands on him at that very hour, for they perceived that he had told this parable against them, but they feared the people. 20 So they watched him and sent spies, who pretended to be sincere, that they might catch him in something he said, so as to deliver him up to the authority and jurisdiction of the governor. 21 So they asked him, “Teacher, we know that you speak and teach rightly, and show no partiality, but truly teach the way of God. 22 Is it lawful for us to give tribute to Caesar, or not?”

The Pharisees ganged up with Herodians to try to get Jesus to offend Caesar so that they could deliver him to Pilate, the governor, to crucify him. Why did the Herodians want Jesus dead?

Jesus fed the five thousand in Jn 6:

15 Perceiving then that they were about to come and take him by force to make him king, Jesus withdrew again to the mountain by himself.

Jesus had no political ambition. Still, the Herodians worried that Jesus, as a messianic figure, would change the political order as prophesied in Scripture (Is 9:6). He might lead a popular rebellion to overthrow the government, threatening Herod's dynasty. The Herodians wanted to maintain their privileged position bestowed by Rome. They wanted to keep the status quo. The Herodians, like many others, misunderstood the nature of Jesus' kingdom, which he described as "not of this world" (John 18:36).

 

[public hermit]

Yeah, that's pretty much it. Jesus might not have been overtly political (although his claiming a kingdom other than those that existed is exceptionally political), but the crowds that came to him freaked out all the authorities, including religious, Herodian, and Roman.

 

[public hermit]

The Herodians, like many others, misunderstood the nature of Jesus' kingdom, which he described as "not of this world"

Did they misunderstand it? Is not the kingdom of God a legitimate threat to all other kingdoms? I'm not sure they misunderstood. What if they knew exactly what his kingdom meant and still rejected it? I don't think that's outside the realm of possibility. I would be willing to bet it still happens today,

 

[tonychanyt]

Did they misunderstand it?

Some misunderstand the Kingdom of God as a geopolitical kingdom instead of a spiritual one at the time.

 

[public hermit]

Some misunderstand the Kingdom of God as a geopolitical kingdom instead of a spiritual one at the time.

True. But I think it's an open question as to whether the religious authorities, in particular, made an error in judgment. I think it's possible they knew good and well who he was and had no interest in being humble, or turning the other cheek, or giving Caesar his due, or denying themselves, or loving others as they love themselves, etc.