King Herod, played a part in the death trial of Jesus, a trial followed up with other atrocities. He likely related the sudden emergence of the people of Christ, making up the church, to the belief that Jesus’ followers might be trying to set up a new Jewish kingdom. He was delighted that his stern measures pleased the old establishment. He had James, the brother of John, murdered by the sword. He detained Peter, with the belief that after Easter he would present Peter to the priestly leadership and accomplish another execution. As a Roman puppet, Herod knew his primary duty was to keep peace among the subjects he ruled. To vex the emerging institutional church was a means to keep peace among the leaders of the general populace, so to control the community. Herod withheld his current political agenda until the holy days were passed. The Easter of Christians is the time of the Passover of the Jews. Tradition was made useful in transition to fresh meaning. What preceded (Passover) was fulfilled in Christian experience by Easter’s events.
It is human to give special meaning to certain dates, even hours, in our lives. Life is changed during sacred moments. It is presumed that we can gain something during special periods that may improve us in pedestrian life. Lent is such a season for many. Thanksgiving is to make us more thankful than we may have been, and by this gesture to improve future attitudes. Christmas ought to gain improvement from us after Christmas. Even New Year’s Day, with its resolutions, is supposed to inspire better living in us for the year ahead, a year to be lived on something of a higher plane than last year. There is an underlying feeling that if I use each Sunday in the way God would have me use it, I might expect to improve my spirit and life during the weekdays ahead. I must bring some intention to the matter, so participate in some way. Will I make my alleged self-improvements and resolutions stick, so to become reality? Resolution can become us.
Herod wanted politics for peace, but that could be evil in the context of truth. What Herod would do for the peace of his puppet kingdom was, as he saw it, a positive good. The end justified the means. Instead of pleasing God, his purpose was to please mankind, humanity in the majority, as he understood the majority feeling. He lost, if he ever owned it, the sense and meaning of justice, right, freedom, love, courage, or negotiation. The last we hear of him was that he was eaten of worms. He died riddled through with a parasitic disease. Power people die too – the equalizer.
What do we intend to do after Easter, or after any period marking human or spiritual aspiration? We say we will love more after an anniversary. Do we? We say we will be better citizens after the Fourth of July. Are we? We say we will pray more after hearing a sermon on prayer. Do we? We say we will be good parents on the birth date of another child. Are we? Moses was changed, and lived a different man for forty years after the event of the burning bush. Jacob was changed by the Bethel vision. Disciples were changed by Pentecost’s experience, and became working Apostles. Very few of us will have large dramatic experiences, but we can improve through special events, days, moments. Some of the dramatic experiences of the past address our attention and decision making for personal and social improvement. We can determine and foster spiritual growth – if we will. Will we? It may begin with a review of Scripture, or a striking period of prayer, or any other event of our lives. There are red and green lights in life. They alert us to proceed, or stop, or make turns. It is for growing and controlled experience we evaluate our days, so to improve performance even to our own approval in the future. *Mark W. Lee, Sr. — 2016, 2020