“ Herod the Great ”

14 January 2007

Scripture Reading:   John  2:1-11, Isaiah 55:1-13

Rev. Dr. Carol  L. Kerr

 Blue Point Congregational Church

January 7, 2007

Rev. Dr. Carol Kerr

Herod the great had been the king of Judea for 40 years before Christ was born.  He had kept the order and he had developed an extensive building program throughout the country, including making some incredible improvements to the temple that put him in very good standing with the religious leaders.

Of course, to pay for all this building, Herod taxed the people severely. But in times when they almost starved to death, he gave them some food.  Herod had a knack for stealing from the people and then making them grateful for any morsel he would return.

Rome was also grateful to Herod, because he kept the pace and paid tribute to Rome.  That was pretty much Herod’s job.  Herod’s job was to help Judea live with an occupying army.  Harods job, as Craig Barnes, points out was to help people live with how it is – not  they wanted it to be, but how it is.  Herod was there to help people cope.

At least things were secure under Herod.  That’s one of the reasons he was called “Herod the Great.”  Except Herod didn’t really feel so secure himself.  He was so paranoid of losing power that he murdered everyone who eve had the opportunity to betray him, including his own mother, Merame, his wife, Alexandria, and three of his four sons.

Herod the Great.  Everybody loved what he could do, but everyone hated what he did to do what he could do.  The Jewish historian Josephus tells us, that, when Herod knew he was dying, he arrested the elite citizens of Jerusalem and ordered that they be executed at the moment of his death – just so someone in town would be weeping when he died. 

Herod ruled by fear.  What in us is ruled by fear?  What are you afraid of.  Certainly, we don’t live with such a horrible despot.  (no matter what you think of Bush)  But, we but in every life there is some sort of power in each person that is driven out of fear.  I knew of one person who had been an orphan and impoverished.  He was so afraid of going broke when he grew up that he worked constantly.  He certainly made a lot of money, but the fear drove him so hard that he lost track of everything else.  He missed his son’s basket ball games.  He missed dinner with his friends.  Vacations were always working ones.  He took phone calls on his cell phone, everywhere, in the ballet, at the restaurant, in the bathroom.  “fear is a tyrant and a despot, more terrible than the rack, more potent than the snake.”  Edgar Wallace. 

I knew another person who had been falsely accused of a crime and the newspapers had gotten hold of it.  Even that he was vindicated in the courts, he had been so vilified in the press that he feared what people thought of him, anytime anywhere.  He feared the nightmare starting all over again.  Most of all He feared feeling the hurt that was still deep inside.  It would lie in wait to emerge in the middle of Christmas, or when he was tired or burnt out, or on vacation.  He couldn’t believe what had happened to him.  He couldn’t believe the injustice.  But, he feared living his life with the fear.   

Herod is still alive today in our fears.  Herod can be the alcohol that you abuse.  It can be your spouse that abuses you.  It can also be smaller things… silly things… but grip you with fear anyhow, and make you do things…  the mother whose ADD son forgot to write down the assignment and so gets a C in a college prep course and fears that he will not go to an ivy league and flips into a rage.  Fear that if you don’t clean your refrigerator out before the guests come you will thought of as a bump.  Fear of loosing control so you never ever go to the doctor.  Then fear of going to the doctor because you haven’t gone so long, you don’t know what he will say. 

What are your fears.  I often think prayers of confessions should really be prayers of fears.  When you see what is driving you to do things you do not like.  If you look down deep, you will find a fear at the heart of it.  Herod sitting there, killing the love around him.  And threatened most by the news the three wise men brought him, rumors of angels.  “Take courage!  It is I.  Don’t be afraid.”  Matthe 14:27.  “There is no fear in love.  But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment.  The one who fears is not made perfect in love.”  1 john 4:18  The angels say, “Fear not, I bring you tidings of great joy.” 

The three wise men, followed a star.  They followed something other than fear.  What was coming with the star was greater the Herod the Great.  What was coming was moved the cosmos, to shine upon it.  Herod could build a great temple, but what was coming surpassed that.   Herod was threatened.  Like we are afraid to let go of our fears.  We are afraid to forgive.  To relax and live.  To trust.  Like Jerusalem the people were use to Herod.  They just accepted him.  That is life.  These are the Romans.  Hey, he is better than anything else.  We become secure with our fear.  But, it is ruining us slowly. 

Hold the fear in your hand, like a tight fist.  Then let it go up to God as you open your hand. 

The story about an old woman brought to a psychiatric center…she was old, swinging at everything in sight and scaring everyone so much that the doctors had to take everything away from her.  But there was one small coin which she gripped in her fist and would not give up.  In fact, it took two men to  pry open that squeezed hand. It was as though she would lose her very self along with the coin.  If they deprived her of that last possession, she would have nothing more, and be nothing more.  That was her fear. 

“That’s just how it is with me.  I would like it to be different, but it can’t be now.  That’s just the way it is, and that’s the way I’ll have to be now.”  Keeping the fist clenched.  You still feel bitter because that girl wasn't grateful for something you gave her; you still feel jealous of the fellow who is better paid than you are, you still want revenge on someone who doesn’t respect you, you are still disappointed that you’ve received not letter, … revenge, disappointment bitterness hate, jealousy,  are treasures.  But the kings give away their treasures.  Leave open hands, empty hands, ready to receive.  Such contrast to the widow who gives away her small penny. 

How do you do it?  Remember the star.  Repeat the words of the angel over and over again, don’t be afraid.  Fear not.  Behold one fist is another.  But keep opening them.  Blow gently in them, like blowing seeds of dandelions into the wind.  Fear not. 

So you are no longer driven by hurt.  By fear.  Free to enjoy the blessings you have.  Free to forgive.  Free to feel for the suffering of the world, and so break over the things that break God’s heart.  You become fully alive. 

Exotic wise men, kings, came form the East to follow the star.  Walter Bruggemann, the great Old Testament scholar, says that the notion that, when the Messiah was born, his birth would be such a grand event, and not just for Israel but for the whole world came from the prophet Isaiah before Matthew picked it up.  Isaiah 60 is a very old prophecy, going all the way back to 580 BC.  The six hundred years before the birth of Jesus, the Jews and been sent away to Iraq inot exile.  They had languished in exile, a captive, enslaved people, reduced to running errands for the Iraqis, and they have been there for more than a couple of generations.  At last they were made free and they made their weary way back to their city of Jerusalem.  That once golden city, now lay in ruins.  Jerusalem was disappointing ruin.  But, Isaiah was saying, it will be different in the future.  Jerusalem will be so great again, that all the world will come and see it.  These kings will come from the East, bearing all kinds of givest, tribute,   Then the scholars figured that the king that would bring this all to pass was going to be born in Bethlehem like Micah 5:2-4 had said.  “But you, Oh Bethlehem…from you shall come forth for me one who is to rule in Israel, whose origin is form old, from ancient days.  …”   

‘Fear knocked on the door.  Faith answered and no one was there.”