The account of the Magi coming to worship the baby king Jesus includes one insidious character: Herod.
Herod, king at the time of the birth of Jesus, carried a reputation of control, violence, and murder. Through these means, Herod arose as the only ruler of Palestine to keep the peace and bring order to the disorder of the area during that time.
On the surface, ignoring the means with which Herod worked, he qualified as a great leader.
Never mind that Herod killed his own sons to protect his throne. Never mind that he ordered all male children in Bethlehem under two years old to be killed. Never mind any of that. He kept the peace. He was great. His exploits of leadership earned him the title of Herod the Great.
Scholars believe that despite his actions of manipulation and murder, Herod was aware of many of the details of the coming of Christ. The response of his advisors upon the arrival of the Magi indicate some prior knowledge to the event of the arrival of Christ. Nevertheless, the response of Herod was self protection; he sought to protect his own throne.
One scholar says that Herod showed more interest in saving his throne than saving his soul.
It’s easy to read this account in Matthew 2 and think of all of the leaders around us that killed dreams, manipulated others, and even rejected what was good and holy to protect their own little kingdom. We even heard others call these leaders “great” because of the positive results of their hurtful efforts. The clarity with which we see this in others seems to come naturally.
The hurt and damage caused by such leaders requires honest conversation with the Lord and with trusted others. It is a healing that takes time and care. This healing is necessary and wholesome, and the heart of God yearns to do this work in each of our hearts.
But what about in ourselves? Can we see the efforts we make to protect our own little kingdoms? Do our efforts to self-protect cause harm to those around us? Might the means we use to hold onto our peace, our stability, and our order cause us to miss the work of Jesus in our lives?
Today, take just one step.
Maybe today you need to take a step of asking God what He wants to do to protect His work in your life. Maybe today you need to ask the Holy Spirit to serve as your source of peace and stability while giving up whatever mechanisms you have attempted to use to hold onto control. Maybe you and I need to repent for unwittingly acting as the Herod in others lives, if even we were unaware. Maybe your step today is to invite God to begin, continue, or complete the long-awaited healing work in your heart.
Whatever the step, ask God to direct it. Invite Him to speak. He will.
Life is a long road. Walk it with Jesus. Take a step today… just one is fine.
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*Insights on the names of Jesus from: Morris, Leon. The Gospel According to Matthew. Pillar New Testament Commentary. Wm. B. Eerdmans, 1992.