Moment with the Gospel Series.

Today as I was meditating on Luke 9:7-9, I wondered about Herod.

Who is the Herod in Luke 9:7–9?

This is Herod Antipas, the son of Herod the Great:

Herod the Great (the father) was the king who ordered the massacre of the infants in Bethlehem (Mt 2:16–18). He died in 4 BC, before Jesus’ public ministry.
Herod Antipas (the son) ruled Galilee and Perea. He is the one in Luke 9:7–9 who hears about Jesus and is puzzled — some say Jesus is John the Baptist raised from the dead, others Elijah, others one of the prophets.
He is also the one who ordered the beheading of John the Baptist (Lk 9:9; Mk 6:17–29). Later, during the Passion, Pilate sends Jesus to this same Herod (Lk 23:7–12).

So in this passage, it is the son (Herod Antipas), not the father.

Practical Reflection Questions for Today

Luke presents Herod as curious but conflicted. He hears about Jesus, is intrigued, but does not truly seek Him with an open heart. That tension offers us some very practical points for reflection:

Curiosity vs. Commitment

Am I simply curious about Jesus, or am I committed to following Him?
Where in my life do I settle for “hearing about” Jesus rather than truly encountering Him?

Fear of Losing Control

Like Herod, do I resist Jesus because following Him might disrupt my comfort, power, or plans?
What areas of my life am I afraid to surrender to God’s authority?

Voices That Confuse

Herod hears conflicting reports about Jesus. In today’s world, what “voices” or influences confuse or distract me from the truth of who Jesus is?
How can I better listen to the voice of Christ in Scripture, prayer, and the Church?

Responding to God’s Messengers

Herod silenced John the Baptist rather than heed his call to conversion. How do I react when challenged by God’s Word or by someone who calls me to change?
Do I silence or ignore those calls, or do I allow them to lead me deeper into faith?

Seeking Jesus

Herod “kept trying to see Jesus” (Lk 9:9). What steps am I taking this week to truly see Jesus — in prayer, in the Eucharist, in the poor, in my neighbour?

Herod Antipas remains stuck in puzzlement. In Luke 23, when Jesus is brought to him, he is still curious but shallow. He wanted to see a sign or miracle, almost like entertainment, but when Jesus remains silent, Herod mocks Him and sends Him away.

It’s striking:

He had heard John the Baptist and was perplexed.
He had heard about Jesus and was perplexed.
He even met Jesus face to face during the Passion… and still walked away unchanged.

His story is a kind of warning. Curiosity without openness, puzzlement without humility, never leads to faith. He had every opportunity, but pride and fear kept him from seeing the truth.

A gentle reflection point for us today might be:

Where in my own life am I “stuck in puzzlement” — circling around questions about Jesus but not yet letting Him transform me?
Am I content to “hear about” Him, or am I willing to let Him speak into the deepest part of my life, even if it unsettles me?

Herod was “anxious to see Jesus,” but for the wrong reasons: he wanted spectacle, signs, something to satisfy his curiosity or ease his conscience.

Reflection: When am I anxious to see Jesus, and why?

In longing — Do I feel an ache or impatience to see Him in prayer, the Eucharist, or Scripture because my soul knows only He can satisfy?
In desperation — Do I turn anxiously to Him in times of fear, pain, or uncertainty, and why? Is my “anxiety” rooted in trust or in trying to control outcomes?
In joy — When I anticipate His presence (in worship, in serving others, in quiet prayer), is it like waiting for a dear friend at the door?
In distraction — Sometimes my “anxiety” is more like restlessness — I want Him to do something spectacular rather than simply be with me.

A practical prayer question could be:

“Lord, help me notice when I am anxious to see You. Purify that longing so that it leads me to deeper trust and love, not just curiosity or self-comfort.”

Why did others think Jesus was someone else?

In Luke 9:7–8, the crowd is saying Jesus might be John the Baptist risen from the dead, Elijah, or one of the ancient prophets come back to life. A few reasons help explain this:

Prophetic Patterns in Israel’s History

People saw Jesus doing mighty works (healing, raising the dead, feeding multitudes) and preaching with authority. That reminded them of the prophets who had gone before — Elijah, Elisha, Moses.
They looked to the past to interpret the present, because that was their frame of reference. They didn’t yet see Him as the new thing God was doing.

Messianic Expectations

Many Jews expected Elijah to return before the Messiah (cf. Malachi 4:5). Seeing Jesus’ power, some assumed He must be Elijah heralding the end times.
Others thought perhaps God had raised up an ancient prophet as a sign that His promises were near.

The Impact of John the Baptist

John had stirred the whole nation with his preaching and call to repentance. When Jesus came preaching in a similar fiery way and performing miracles, it was natural for some to connect Him with John — or even think He was John returned from the grave.

Partial Understanding

People recognized there was something of God in Jesus, but they didn’t yet grasp His full identity. Their guesses show both respect and confusion — they sensed holiness but couldn’t yet see the Son of God clearly.

Reflection for Today

Sometimes we too can “mistake” Jesus — not in His identity, but in what we expect of Him.

Do I expect Him mainly to be a miracle worker, problem solver, or teacher of morals?
Or do I see Him as Lord, Savior, and Friend — someone who calls me to relationship, not just admiration from afar?

Here’s a set of reflection questions that tie together both parts of Luke 9:7–9 (the crowd’s puzzlement) and Luke 9:18–20 (Jesus’ direct question).

Reflection Questions: Who do you say that I am?

1. The Crowd’s Perceptions

Where do I see myself in the crowd — hearing about Jesus but not fully recognizing Him?
Do I sometimes reduce Jesus to just a prophet, healer, or teacher rather than Lord and Savior?
Whose “voices” influence the way I see Jesus today (media, culture, friends, even my own fears)?

2. Herod’s Puzzlement

Like Herod, am I sometimes curious about Jesus but reluctant to let Him change my life?
Where am I still “puzzled” by Him — struggling to understand His ways or His silence?
Do I seek Jesus out of entertainment, curiosity, or convenience… or out of love and faith?

3. Peter’s Confession

When Jesus asks me personally, “Who do you say I am?”, what would my honest answer be today?
How has my understanding of Jesus grown or changed over the years?
Do I truly let Him be the Christ (the Anointed One) in my daily life — guiding decisions, shaping relationships, healing wounds?

4. Bringing it Home

Where am I anxious to see Jesus this week, and why?
How can I move from just “hearing about” Him to truly encountering Him in prayer, Scripture, Eucharist, or service to others?
What is one small way I can live differently today because I believe He is more than a prophet — He is Lord?

1. Recognition

The crowd recognizes something extraordinary in Jesus — they don’t dismiss Him — but their recognition is partial and misplaced (John the Baptist, Elijah, a prophet). It’s like seeing the outline of the truth but not the whole picture.

Reflection: Where do I recognize Jesus only in part? Do I sometimes see Him as just a helper, comforter, or teacher — but not yet fully as Lord of my life?

2. Identity

Jesus’ true identity is gradually revealed: not just another prophet, but the Christ of God. Herod never grasped this. Peter, with grace, begins to name it. But even Peter’s understanding was incomplete until the Cross and Resurrection.

Reflection: How do I grow in my awareness of who Jesus really is? How is my own identity tied to His — as His disciple, His beloved, His witness?

3. Acceptance

Recognizing Jesus’ identity is only the first step. Acceptance means allowing His identity to reshape my own. Herod recognized something but never accepted it. Peter recognized and began to accept — though with stumbling. True discipleship comes in that acceptance, even when it is costly.

Reflection: What parts of Jesus’ identity am I eager to accept (Healer, Friend, Shepherd)?
What parts do I resist (Lord, Judge, Suffering Servant)?
How willing am I to let His identity define who I am?

The Gospel isn’t only about who Jesus is — it’s also about whether we are willing to accept Him for who He is and let that change our identity.

Recognition, identity, and acceptance aren’t only about how we see Jesus — they ripple out into how we see others, and how we allow ourselves to be seen.

Recognition of Others

In Luke 9, people mis-recognized Jesus. They saw something holy but couldn’t name Him rightly. In our communities, this happens too: people may fail to see one another’s gifts, or may box someone into an old image instead of recognizing the Spirit’s work in them.

Question: Do I truly see and recognize the unique gifts in those around me, even if they’re not what I expect?

Identity in Community

Jesus’ identity was not defined by the crowd’s opinions — it was rooted in the Father’s love. Likewise, your identity isn’t determined by whether parish members accept or overlook your contributions. Your identity is beloved daughter, called and gifted by God.

Question: Do I rest my identity more in God’s gaze or in the shifting recognition of people?

Acceptance — Giving and Receiving

Sometimes in parish life or at work or even in our own family, we long to be accepted for who we are and for what we offer, but instead meet resistance or indifference. It is painful. Jesus too experienced rejection from His own people. Yet He kept offering Himself.

Question: How can I live acceptance in two directions — accepting myself as God sees me, and accepting others even when they struggle to see me rightly?

The Gospel challenges us to see who Jesus truly is.
But it also challenges us to see who others truly are in Him.
And finally, it invites us to accept ourselves as God sees us — even when others fail to.

A Prayer for Recognition, Identity, and Acceptance

Lord Jesus,
You were misrecognized by the crowds,
and even those closest to You stumbled in knowing who You truly are.
Yet You never wavered in Your identity as the Beloved of the Father.

When others overlook my gifts or fail to accept me,
remind me that my worth is not measured by their opinions
but by Your love.

Help me to see myself through Your eyes:
called, chosen, gifted, and deeply loved.
Help me also to see others as You see them,
recognizing their gifts even when it is hard.

When I feel unaccepted, let me rest secure in You.
When I feel unseen, remind me that You notice every detail of my heart.
And when I feel discouraged, lift me to keep offering my gifts anyway —
for Your glory, not for human approval.

Jesus, my identity is in You.
Jesus, my gifts are from You.
Jesus, my acceptance is in You.

Amen.

Today as I was meditating on Luke 9:7-9, I wondered about Herod.

Who is the Herod in Luke 9:7–9?

This is Herod Antipas, the son of Herod the Great:

Herod the Great (the father) was the king who ordered the massacre of the infants in Bethlehem (Mt 2:16–18). He died in 4 BC, before Jesus’ public ministry.
Herod Antipas (the son) ruled Galilee and Perea. He is the one in Luke 9:7–9 who hears about Jesus and is puzzled — some say Jesus is John the Baptist raised from the dead, others Elijah, others one of the prophets.
He is also the one who ordered the beheading of John the Baptist (Lk 9:9; Mk 6:17–29). Later, during the Passion, Pilate sends Jesus to this same Herod (Lk 23:7–12).

So in this passage, it is the son (Herod Antipas), not the father.

Practical Reflection Questions for Today

Luke presents Herod as curious but conflicted. He hears about Jesus, is intrigued, but does not truly seek Him with an open heart. That tension offers us some very practical points for reflection:

Curiosity vs. Commitment

Am I simply curious about Jesus, or am I committed to following Him?
Where in my life do I settle for “hearing about” Jesus rather than truly encountering Him?

Fear of Losing Control

Like Herod, do I resist Jesus because following Him might disrupt my comfort, power, or plans?
What areas of my life am I afraid to surrender to God’s authority?

Voices That Confuse

Herod hears conflicting reports about Jesus. In today’s world, what “voices” or influences confuse or distract me from the truth of who Jesus is?
How can I better listen to the voice of Christ in Scripture, prayer, and the Church?

Responding to God’s Messengers

Herod silenced John the Baptist rather than heed his call to conversion. How do I react when challenged by God’s Word or by someone who calls me to change?
Do I silence or ignore those calls, or do I allow them to lead me deeper into faith?

Seeking Jesus

Herod “kept trying to see Jesus” (Lk 9:9). What steps am I taking this week to truly see Jesus — in prayer, in the Eucharist, in the poor, in my neighbour?

It’s striking:

He had heard John the Baptist and was perplexed.
He had heard about Jesus and was perplexed.
He even met Jesus face to face during the Passion… and still walked away unchanged.

His story is a kind of warning. Curiosity without openness, puzzlement without humility, never leads to faith. He had every opportunity, but pride and fear kept him from seeing the truth.

A gentle reflection point for us today might be:

Where in my own life am I “stuck in puzzlement” — circling around questions about Jesus but not yet letting Him transform me?
Am I content to “hear about” Him, or am I willing to let Him speak into the deepest part of my life, even if it unsettles me?

Herod was “anxious to see Jesus,” but for the wrong reasons: he wanted spectacle, signs, something to satisfy his curiosity or ease his conscience.

Reflection: When am I anxious to see Jesus, and why?

In longing — Do I feel an ache or impatience to see Him in prayer, the Eucharist, or Scripture because my soul knows only He can satisfy?
In desperation — Do I turn anxiously to Him in times of fear, pain, or uncertainty, and why? Is my “anxiety” rooted in trust or in trying to control outcomes?
In joy — When I anticipate His presence (in worship, in serving others, in quiet prayer), is it like waiting for a dear friend at the door?
In distraction — Sometimes my “anxiety” is more like restlessness — I want Him to do something spectacular rather than simply be with me.

A practical prayer question could be:

“Lord, help me notice when I am anxious to see You. Purify that longing so that it leads me to deeper trust and love, not just curiosity or self-comfort.”

Why did others think Jesus was someone else?

In Luke 9:7–8, the crowd is saying Jesus might be John the Baptist risen from the dead, Elijah, or one of the ancient prophets come back to life. A few reasons help explain this:

Prophetic Patterns in Israel’s History

People saw Jesus doing mighty works (healing, raising the dead, feeding multitudes) and preaching with authority. That reminded them of the prophets who had gone before — Elijah, Elisha, Moses.
They looked to the past to interpret the present, because that was their frame of reference. They didn’t yet see Him as the new thing God was doing.

Messianic Expectations

Many Jews expected Elijah to return before the Messiah (cf. Malachi 4:5). Seeing Jesus’ power, some assumed He must be Elijah heralding the end times.
Others thought perhaps God had raised up an ancient prophet as a sign that His promises were near.

The Impact of John the Baptist

John had stirred the whole nation with his preaching and call to repentance. When Jesus came preaching in a similar fiery way and performing miracles, it was natural for some to connect Him with John — or even think He was John returned from the grave.

Partial Understanding

People recognized there was something of God in Jesus, but they didn’t yet grasp His full identity. Their guesses show both respect and confusion — they sensed holiness but couldn’t yet see the Son of God clearly.

Reflection for Today

Sometimes we too can “mistake” Jesus — not in His identity, but in what we expect of Him.

Do I expect Him mainly to be a miracle worker, problem solver, or teacher of morals?
Or do I see Him as Lord, Savior, and Friend — someone who calls me to relationship, not just admiration from afar?

Here’s a set of reflection questions that tie together both parts of Luke 9:7–9 (the crowd’s puzzlement) and Luke 9:18–20 (Jesus’ direct question).

Reflection Questions: Who do you say that I am?

1. The Crowd’s Perceptions

Where do I see myself in the crowd — hearing about Jesus but not fully recognizing Him?
Do I sometimes reduce Jesus to just a prophet, healer, or teacher rather than Lord and Savior?
Whose “voices” influence the way I see Jesus today (media, culture, friends, even my own fears)?

2. Herod’s Puzzlement

Like Herod, am I sometimes curious about Jesus but reluctant to let Him change my life?
Where am I still “puzzled” by Him — struggling to understand His ways or His silence?
Do I seek Jesus out of entertainment, curiosity, or convenience… or out of love and faith?

3. Peter’s Confession

When Jesus asks me personally, “Who do you say I am?”, what would my honest answer be today?
How has my understanding of Jesus grown or changed over the years?
Do I truly let Him be the Christ (the Anointed One) in my daily life — guiding decisions, shaping relationships, healing wounds?

4. Bringing it Home

Where am I anxious to see Jesus this week, and why?
How can I move from just “hearing about” Him to truly encountering Him in prayer, Scripture, Eucharist, or service to others?
What is one small way I can live differently today because I believe He is more than a prophet — He is Lord?

1. Recognition

Reflection: Where do I recognize Jesus only in part? Do I sometimes see Him as just a helper, comforter, or teacher — but not yet fully as Lord of my life?

2. Identity

Reflection: How do I grow in my awareness of who Jesus really is? How is my own identity tied to His — as His disciple, His beloved, His witness?

3. Acceptance

Reflection: What parts of Jesus’ identity am I eager to accept (Healer, Friend, Shepherd)?
What parts do I resist (Lord, Judge, Suffering Servant)?
How willing am I to let His identity define who I am?

The Gospel isn’t only about who Jesus is — it’s also about whether we are willing to accept Him for who He is and let that change our identity.

Recognition, identity, and acceptance aren’t only about how we see Jesus — they ripple out into how we see others, and how we allow ourselves to be seen.

Recognition of Others

Question: Do I truly see and recognize the unique gifts in those around me, even if they’re not what I expect?

Identity in Community

Question: Do I rest my identity more in God’s gaze or in the shifting recognition of people?

Acceptance — Giving and Receiving

Question: How can I live acceptance in two directions — accepting myself as God sees me, and accepting others even when they struggle to see me rightly?

The Gospel challenges us to see who Jesus truly is.
But it also challenges us to see who others truly are in Him.
And finally, it invites us to accept ourselves as God sees us — even when others fail to.

A Prayer for Recognition, Identity, and Acceptance

Lord Jesus,
You were misrecognized by the crowds,
and even those closest to You stumbled in knowing who You truly are.
Yet You never wavered in Your identity as the Beloved of the Father.

When others overlook my gifts or fail to accept me,
remind me that my worth is not measured by their opinions
but by Your love.

Help me to see myself through Your eyes:
called, chosen, gifted, and deeply loved.
Help me also to see others as You see them,
recognizing their gifts even when it is hard.

Jesus, my identity is in You.
Jesus, my gifts are from You.
Jesus, my acceptance is in You.

Amen.

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Thursday, September 25, 2025

Moments with the Gospel: Thinking about Herod in Luke 9:7-9

Moment with the Gospel Series.

Moment with the Gospel Series.

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