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Matthew 2: 3 – 12 3 When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. 4 When he had called together all the people’s chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Messiah was to be born. 5 “In Bethlehem in Judea,” they replied, “for this is what the prophet has written: 6 “‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for out of you will come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel.’”
7 Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. 8 He sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him.” 9 After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen when it rose went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. 10 When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. 11 On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshipped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. 12 And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route.
It’s hard, isn’t it, to read of the involvement of Herod in the nativity story. The addition of a man with evil intent towards an innocent child sits very uncomfortably with us, and for good reason. If there is any part of the gospel account of the birth of Christ that reminds us that this is no cosy romantic fairy tale, here it is. A grown man, secure in his wealth, in favour with the authorities that employ him, with nothing likely to depose him reacts to the news that a king has been born, with jealousy, anger and intent to get rid of the threat.
The threat? An unknown child, born to an unknown family, in an outhouse, during the mayhem of a nationwide census. Really? It seems hard to comprehend, but think again. Herod’s response reflects the common behaviour of countless human beings through endless generations. It probably reflects our own behaviour at times. Have you ever reacted to someone else’s good fortune with jealousy? Have you ever felt threatened by someone else’s popularity? Have you ever behaved irrationally towards someone else because you felt you weren’t being given the credit you deserved? If you have ever done any of these things, then welcome to the human race! None of us behave perfectly in our interactions with those who share our inheritance as the children of God. But perhaps, as we think about Herod this Christmas, it will give us pause for thought about our own relationships.
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