Beheading of John: Matthew’s source for the above narrative is Mark’s Gospel (6:14-29). However, Matthew not only edits the length of the story but makes some significant changes. The placement of the story, immediately following Jesus’ rejection at Nazareth, is important to notice.
Mark’s Gospel portrays Herod as one who feared John, knowing him to be an upright and holy man to whom he liked to listen even if it greatly disturbed him (cf Mk 6:20). Matthew portrays Herod as one who wanted to kill John.
In 2:16-18, Matthew presented Herod the Great, who was responsible for the slaughter of so many innocent children in his attempt to murder the infant Jesus. In this section, the author presents Herod the tetrarch (Herod Antipas), the son of Herod the Great, who kills John the Baptist. For Matthew, the martyrdom of John, who was regarded by the people “as a prophet” (14:5), prefigures the death of the greatest of the prophets, Jesus, on a cross.
Matthew asks his community to read the past—John the Baptist was rejected, and Jesus was rejected; the Church will also be rejected. He tells his community to pay attention to what is taking place—some of them are being rejected and some are rejecting others. According to Matthew, those who follow Jesus can expect to experience rejection.