Thursday, December 22

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Thursday

After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him.” When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him.  - Matthew 2:1-3

I want you to pay attention to that last phrase, “When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him.”  I think many people imagine the arrival of the Magi in Jerusalem (if they think about it at all) as just three guys on camels riding into a big city and asking questions.  That is not at all what the scene would have been like.

Herod the Great (one of several Herods mentioned in the Bible, and the ancestor of the others) was famous for both his magnificent public building projects, and his ruthless, cruel paranoia.  Herod was not a Jew at all, but an Edomite, and Rome recognized him as a vassal king over Judea. The Jews hated and resented him, although they had an admiration for his building projects, such as the magnificent improvements made to the second temple.

Motivated by his great paranoia and cruelty, he murdered the members of the Sanhedrien, his wife, his mother in-law, and his three sons.  When Herod knew that his death was approaching, he had the most distinguished leaders of Jerusalem arrested on false charges. He ordered that as soon as he died, they should all be killed - he knew well no one would mourn his own death, so he was determined that some tears be shed when he died.

He was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him: In Jerusalem, the sudden appearance of the Magi, probably traveling in force with all imaginable oriental pomp and accompanied by an adequate cavalry escort to insure their safe penetration of Roman territory, would certainly have alarmed Herod.  It probably appeared to Herod as if these Magi were attempting to perpetrate a border incident which could bring swift reprisal from Parthian armies.  Their request of Herod regarding the one who "has been born King of the Jews" probably also sounded like a calculated insult to him, a non—Jew who had contrived and bribed his way into that office.

The fact that all Jerusalem was troubled with Herod is significant.  Simply put, if Herod was “troubled” then his subjects would soon be troubled as well.  This was due either to the fact that the people of Jerusalem rightly feared what sort of paranoid outburst might come from Herod upon hearing of a rival king being born, or because of the size and dignity of this caravan from the East (or both).

Even today, the arrival of Jesus should cause us to consider what kind of reaction we will have to the birth of the King of Kings.  Some will be troubled and resistant to Him.  Some will be troubled and open to Him.  Some will be filled with joy at His coming and some will not think much about Him at all.  Does the arrival of Jesus trouble you, or does it fill your heart with great joy? 

Jeff Frazier