Here's the link to Matthew 2.
It feels funny to read the Christmas story when it's not Christmas time, but by doing so, I feel like I pay attention more to the other circumstances of the story rather than the birth of Jesus alone. For example, Matthew 2 focuses a lot on Herod's indirect role in Jesus' life. It says that when Herod heard that "the king of the Jews" had been born in Bethlehem, he was "frightened." He subversively asked the wise men, who were already seeking the child, to report back to him where the child was so that he could also "pay homage." But we see what his real intentions were when he killed all Bethlehem's children under the age of two when the wise men did not return. Herod was so threatened by the news of this new "king." Upon thinking that he may lose the love of his people, that he may lose power, or that he may lose his kingdom, Herod displayed entitlement, fear, untruthfulness, rage, mercilessness, according to the story.
I think that non-believers often react the way Herod did when they are presented with the gospel. Non-believers (and even believers who have not been transformed by the gospel) experience spine-tingling dread when they are presented with news of the "King." And that is because they are broken, fallen people, and they have spent a lifetime building their own kingdoms through self-love rather than loving their Father. Jesus is a threat because he demands people to love God's kingdom alone...to be set apart from the world. When people hear about Jesus, his call on their lives makes them feel a great loss, rather than a great gain. They are afraid to lose their kingdoms, the things they have filled their lives with to make others admire them, their power. When people feel threatened, they may be enraged, they may lash out with harsh words or go on a crusade against all who follow this "King." I'm specifically thinking of comments that you can read on the internet posted to religious videos, pictures, stories, etc. Some of those comments are plain hurtful, they are bigoted, they are filled with emotions that can be rooted to fear, rage, pain.
It feels funny to read the Christmas story when it's not Christmas time, but by doing so, I feel like I pay attention more to the other circumstances of the story rather than the birth of Jesus alone. For example, Matthew 2 focuses a lot on Herod's indirect role in Jesus' life. It says that when Herod heard that "the king of the Jews" had been born in Bethlehem, he was "frightened." He subversively asked the wise men, who were already seeking the child, to report back to him where the child was so that he could also "pay homage." But we see what his real intentions were when he killed all Bethlehem's children under the age of two when the wise men did not return. Herod was so threatened by the news of this new "king." Upon thinking that he may lose the love of his people, that he may lose power, or that he may lose his kingdom, Herod displayed entitlement, fear, untruthfulness, rage, mercilessness, according to the story.
I think that non-believers often react the way Herod did when they are presented with the gospel. Non-believers (and even believers who have not been transformed by the gospel) experience spine-tingling dread when they are presented with news of the "King." And that is because they are broken, fallen people, and they have spent a lifetime building their own kingdoms through self-love rather than loving their Father. Jesus is a threat because he demands people to love God's kingdom alone...to be set apart from the world. When people hear about Jesus, his call on their lives makes them feel a great loss, rather than a great gain. They are afraid to lose their kingdoms, the things they have filled their lives with to make others admire them, their power. When people feel threatened, they may be enraged, they may lash out with harsh words or go on a crusade against all who follow this "King." I'm specifically thinking of comments that you can read on the internet posted to religious videos, pictures, stories, etc. Some of those comments are plain hurtful, they are bigoted, they are filled with emotions that can be rooted to fear, rage, pain.
- Thinking/praying point: We need to be in constant prayer for non-believers as they hear the gospel, or for current believers when they think they are "Christian" but have not yet relinquished the reins to God. We need to pray that God open their hearts to the news of this "king" and that their reactions may be ones of open-mindedness, humility, love, and tolerance rather than those of rage, fear, and denial. In the same ways, I pray that Christians remain empathetic and wise to the various circumstances that non-believers may have encountered to make them feel that way about Christianity or religion in general.
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