Herod and Jesus

Herod and Jesus.

You couldn't get two more different people.

Herod was born into a politically well-connected family.  Jesus was born into a carpenter's family.

Herod was destined for a life of hardball and power brokering.  Jesus was destined to die on a cross for the sins of the world.

Herod had a preoccupation with power.  He was addicted to power.  He was addicted to controlling people and resources in order to secure his own destiny.

Using His power, he killed anyone who got in his way.  Over the years he killed his brother-in-law, his mother-in-law, two of his sons, and even his wife.

Jesus had a preoccupation with people.  He was addicted to helping people.  His own life was summed up in the verse found in Mark 10:45, "for the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many."

Herod had a preoccupation with possessions.  He built 7 palaces, 7 theaters, one of which seated 9,500 people.  He even built stadiums for sporting events, one of which could seat 300,000 fans.

He even constructed a new temple for the Jews.

Jesus had a preoccupation with poverty.  He said during one of his sermons (Matthew 5:3), "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."  He later gave the principle that it is as we die that we gain, it is as we give that we receive.  He tells his disciples to go out with power and authority, preaching the kingdom of God, taking nothing for the journey, no staff, no bag, no bread, no money, no extra tunic.  His desire was not to build buildings but transform lives for God.

Herod had a preoccupation with prestige.  He loved to make an impression on others.  He built entire cities with state of the art architecture and amenities and named them after his superiors.  Several of his 10 marriages were prestige oriented and politically motivated.

Jesus had a preoccupation with a lack of pride.  Paul writes in Philippians 2:8 that Jesus, 'being found in appearance as a man he humbled himself and became obedient to death."  If there was one thing that irritated Jesus it was people who considered themselves better than others.

Herod had a preoccupation with paranoia.  He went to great lengths to make sure a secret ingredient never ended up in his soup.  When he became king, he commissioned tens of thousands of slaves to build over 10 emergency fortresses, all heavily armed and well provisioned.  He had an elaborate network of spies. 

Jesus had a preoccupation with vulnerability.  He was an open book.  He walked and talked with openness.  Nothing was hidden.  All was open.

Herod was named "King of the Jews" by the Romans (even though he was an Edomite).

Jesus was named the "King of God's kingdom" by none other than God himself.

To say that the two kings, Herod and Jesus, merely "crossed paths," is way too mild.  According to a fundamental law of physics, the force of impact depends upon speed and direction.  Jesus and Herod were both moving fast, but from totally opposite directions.  King Herod represented the popular perceptive on power in 2011:  get it, keep it and use it.

Jesus has a more simple, yet radical philosophy:  Use power to serve others.

No wonder they clashed.  Both had possessed immense power, but how they chose to use it revealed the hearts of two radically different men. 

One was a tyrant - the other a servant.

One was consumed with self-interest, the other focused on pleasing God and serving others. 

One manipulated, slandered, deceived and coerced; the other healed, touched, taught and loved.

Herod eventually came to ruin and in the final year of his life, his body was infected with disease; his pain was so bad that he often screamed throughout the night.

Jesus ended up dying on a cross, but he rose again.  And now is seated at the right hand of the father.

Let me ask you today:  Are you a Herod?  Or are you trying to live like Jesus?

Do you think more of yourself than others?  Do you crave power and the adrenaline rush that comes from controlling your own resources and controlling the people around you?  Are you more afraid of what others may do to you instead of how you can serve them? 

Which king are you following?  I want to be like Jesus.

Challenging thoughts for a Wednesday.