Adventure - Day 11

What can we take away from Herod’s role in the Christmas Adventure?

I like Tim Keller’s reflections from his book, Hidden Christmas, he says, ”In every heart, then, there is a ’little King Herod’ that wants to rule and that is threatened by anything that may compromise its omnipotence and sovereignty. Each of us wants to be the captain of our own soul, the master of our own fate. There is a natural enmity of the human heart against all claims of sovereignty over it. It rises up a little when minor claims are made over us. But Jesus’ claims of authority are ultimate and infinite. No heart, unaided, can gladly surrender to them.”

I may not be a king, I certainly don’t have any political influence, but I often forget who is the true king.  You see, I often SAY that I’m doing my best to follow Jesus wherever He leads, but then I ACT as if what happens in my life is all up to me.  I often SAY “All to Jesus, I surrender” but I often live, “Some to Jesus I surrender, the rest is up to me!”

So I’ve learned how important it is to read the stories of Scripture through a lens that says, “That could have been me.” Herod just represents the selfish, power-hungry, sin-driven person in all of us.  So though it’s easy to point fingers at Herod, shake our heads, and think of how sad it is that there are people in the world who care more about themselves and their kingdoms, than anyone else, just remember the old adage that says, “Whenever you point a finger at someone, there’s three pointing back at you.”  

What we need, what we all need, is more Jesus and less Herod; more surrendering and less power grabbing; more peacemaking and less fear mongering.  Imagine what would happen if our world leaders were willing to lay down their interest for money and power, and put the needs of their people first.  Imagine what would happen in Israel and Palestine if Hamas released the hostages, and the two communities came together to seek each other’s good above their own.  Imagine what would happen if Christians stopped trying to be right all the time, and started to put love first.

For our Christmas Adventure, our life Adventure, may we learn to surrender our ways to His ways, our kingship to His kingship, and may we learn to repent of the little Herod inside us all.

JOURNAL

1. What do you need to repent of today that has led you away from the person God has called you to be?
2. What are some of the ways you practice surrendering and letting go of your will, to be open to receive His?
3. As we mentioned earlier, Jesus said that He didn’t come to this world to be served, but to serve and give His life as a ransom for all.  What is one way you can simply serve someone today to show them they are loved? 

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