25 Days of AdventSample

Advent -- Day 19

Matthew 2:1-5, 7-8, 13-16, 19-20

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 when it rose and have come to worship him.”

When King Herod heard this, he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. 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. “In Bethlehem in Judea,” they replied. Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. 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.” When they had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. “Get up,” he said, “take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him.” So he got up, took the child and his mother during the night and left for Egypt, where he stayed until the death of Herod. And so was fulfilled what the Lord had said through the prophet: “Out of Egypt I called my son.” When Herod realized that he had been outwitted by the Magi, he was furious, and he gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two years old and under, in accordance with the time he had learned from the Magi. After Herod died, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt and said, “Get up, take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel, for those who were trying to take the child’s life are dead.”

Meditation

Herod was a cruel and illegitimate king. He was a pretender who used manipulation to ascend to the throne because he knew he was not actually entitled to be king. And here is the thing about using manipulation to get anything: if you use it to get power, you will have to use manipulation to maintain that power. And so Herod did, accomplishing his purposes through intimidation, murder, and a feigning, false submission to those who would determine if he would remain.

So it should come as no surprise to us that news of the birth of a rightful heir to the throne frightens Herod and inspires even greater evil. The arrival of the wise men brought an opportunity for Herod, a chance to repent and humble himself in worship to the true, newborn king. And this is what he claims to want to do. But he has so trained himself in evil and so loves what he struggles to hold onto (and will, consequently, lose) that he cannot see to worship.

We are all pretenders to some throne, to the thrones of our own lives. We have manipulated. We have held onto things that are not legitimately ours and tried to cover our own sins. But there is always a choice: to cling to our power (though it will inevitably be lost) or to cleave to the One who is our true King, to surrender all to the one who can make our motives pure again.

Prayer

Living God, may I never place my security in status or the approval of others, but only in your character and promises. Deliver me from the plague of insecurity and anxiety that can cripple me and erode my faith in you. I want to be increasingly defined by your truth and not by the lies of a fleeting and broken world. May I be your person, even in times of trouble and stress, knowing that from you and through you and to you are all things. Grant that as I cast all my anxiety on you, I will experience your peace and make choices that are honoring to you, instead of foolish decisions that spring from fear and disbelief. Thank you for the grace of forgiveness when I do things that are displeasing to you. I am grateful that there is no sin so great that it would prevent you from welcoming me back when I come to my senses and return to you. In your Son’s great and lovely name I pray. Amen.