“When Herod the king had heard [these things], he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.” (Mt 2:3 AV)
At the announcement of the birth of the promised Messiah, this may seem odd, but it is completely understandable. Israel was under Roman rule. They were free to govern themselves to a point. They were free to worship within the common values of the Roman culture. Then enjoyed peace at the hands of Rome in exchange for taxation to the Roman Caesars. They were relatively comfortable even though their culture and faith were under restraint. Israel was promised a king and a kingdom. If this was the Messiah, that meant a disturbance of that to which they had grown accustomed. If the Messiah had come, it might imply warfare. Lives might be lost. The ‘normal’ would be overturned. They would once again become the scourge of the world. If Messiah had come, their entire world would be turned upside down. One can understand why they would be troubled. It doesn’t excuse it. But it is understandable.
It is easy to get stuck in the status quo. When disturbing it might mean short-term stress, we are comfortable right where we are. No one wants to rock the boat. No one wants their lives upended on the promise that it will get better. Who wants that? Recently, I was reminded of a saying that is common from my heritage. It was used in a program where a family was sitting at Sunday dinner. This family was accustomed to talking about adult topics. Not inappropriate. Just grown-up conversation. The children were all approaching college age, which meant they would soon be moving away. One child had graduated and was moving across the country. The family threw out a hypothetical. If they didn’t live where they lived, where else would they rather live? Warmer climates were suggested. Country living instead of urban living was an idea. Even different countries altogether. But one by one, problems and all, they would rather stay put. The phrase, “better the devil that you know than the one you don’t know” was the common phrase used. What that means is better to deal with the problems you know than the ones that might be. This is at the root of a faithless generation. Better to stay put and deal with that to which you have come accustomed than to strike out and try something new, even if it means more troublesome problems.
This is exactly what Herod and Jerusalem felt. Better to deal with Rome, to whom they because accustomed, than to try living with the Messiah and introduce fresh troubles which need to be overcome. At my age, I can certainly appreciate their apprehension. But it wasn’t right. God promised them a kingdom. They were repeating the same error the nation made when they left Egypt. They would rather return to Egypt under conditions that made them cry to heaven than be free and toil for their own liberty. Better the devil that you know. With faith, this is inexcusable. If the LORD has made promises, it is our ethical responsibility to act on those promises. If the LORD has told us to follow, we need to leave that to which we have become accustomed and trust Him! What would have happened if Israel had refused to cross the Red Sea? The Egyptian army was right behind them. Do you think Egypt would have escorted them back to slavery without any consequences? No way. They would have slaughtered a good portion of them so they would never attempt to flee again. Rome burned Jerusalem to the ground. The circumstances they knew and to which they became accustomed became far worse than fighting for the Messiah. It is wrong to recoil at the challenge of faith. Very wrong. They were troubled. That is understandable. But to allow their anxiety to rule their choice was wicked.
👍🙏
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