Saturday, August 1, 2015

1 August 2015 - jubilee


Herod the tetrarch heard of the reputation of Jesus
and said to his servants, “This man is John the Baptist.
He has been raised from the dead;
that is why mighty powers are at work in him.”

Herod is willing to accept that there is a mighty power at work in Jesus when he hears about him. It stirs his curiosity and stings his conscience. But somehow, this awareness of the power of Jesus never makes Herod realize that it would be a good idea to repent. He knows he was wrong to kill John the Baptist. His conscience is guilty from that. The power of Jesus somehow only makes Herod afraid that Jesus is against him. He's afraid he's back to take revenge for John. Yet the power of Jesus is revealed in his power over demons and sickness and sin. His power is revealed in healing and restoration. He is makes all things new and establishes the kingdom among us. How does Herod get Jesus so wrong?

It seems like Herod is too willing to take the word of others is to who Jesus is. Just as he allows himself to be pushed into killing John the Baptist when he knows he should not he hears of the reputation of Jesus and is unable to question it and learn the truth of who he is for himself. His fascination with the power of Jesus endures to the time when Pilate sends him to him for his sentence. But Jesus does not humor this fascination. Herod isn't interested in the invitation of Jesus. He is interested in novelty in order to distract himself from the changes he knows he should make. The reputation of Jesus through others is only able to bring Herod this close to Jesus. It is not enough for him to see that in Jesus he could find the answer to his guilty conscience. He doesn't realize that healing and mercy stand before him in the flesh.

Jesus wants to "have pity on us and bless us" including Herod. But mighty deeds and miracles aren't always the answer we need. Sometimes the answer we need is closer at hand than these. Sometimes he stands before us. Let all of come to know his way and his salvation. May all the nations praise him.

Herod is capricious and selfish. But God rules the peoples in equity and guides the nations on the earth. In order for us to benefit from his rule we should take full advantage of the jubilee festivals he gives us. He builds his presence into the rhythm of the recurrence of time. It is not merely novelty. It isn't mainly new and curious things. Instead, the invitation is to come with regularity and with ever deepening devotion to the one who already stands before us offering us his mercy.

It shall be a jubilee for you

Let us be jubilant, then. Let us praise the King who rules so wonderfully!

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