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When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him; and assembling all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. They told him, “In Bethlehem of Judea ….” Then Herod summoned the wise men secretly and ascertained from them what time the star had appeared. And he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, “Go and search diligently for the Child, and when you have found Him, bring me word, that I too may come and worship Him.” (Matthew 2:3-5a, 7-8)
I can’t help wondering why Herod sent the wise men on to Bethlehem, instead of just refusing to help. Did he think maybe they were hiding information from him about Jesus—stuff he might still find out? Did he actually believe they would fall for his line about “I want to worship the Child, too”?
The wise men weren’t fools. I suspect they knew exactly what Herod was going to do about Jesus as soon as they discovered he didn’t belong to Herod’s family. They knew how kings behave. And so they made agreeable noises and got on the road to Bethlehem as soon as they could.
It isn’t easy when you have to deal with evil people, whether that’s a king or an abusive boss or relative. Sometimes all you can do is pray for help and escape as quickly as you can. If that’s you, you can be sure God cares about your situation—because He came into our world to save us from all evil, sin, and abuse. Jesus bore our suffering Himself by His own free choice, so that through His death and resurrection, He could give us life, peace, and freedom forever.
WE PRAY: Lord, when I’m in danger, help me! Amen.
Reflection Questions:
- Why do you think Herod is so afraid of a baby?
- Why are the people of Jerusalem disturbed?
- When have you asked God to help you against an evil person or situation?
Advent Devotions were written by Dr. Kari Vo.
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