Then Herod, when he saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, became furious, and he sent and killed all the male children in Bethlehem and in all that region who were two years old or under, according to the time that he had ascertained from the wise men.
To be thus is nothing, but to be safely thus. Shakespeare’s king, Macbeth, knew that being king merely brought on new pressures and fears. He then proceeded to kill everyone who could threaten his throne. In this, he was not alone. To the present day, despotic rulers destroy any opposition before it can flourish and succeed. Herod took it to a disturbing extreme by ordering that all boys 2 and under, which would presumably include the newborn Messiah, be killed. In this and in all cases where man seeks power and security, inordinate fear leads to inordinate violence. Such violence is no match for the sovereign will of God.
Power corrupts, Lord Acton said. More to the point, he continued that absolute power corrupts absolutely. This phenomenon, sadly, can happen in the church among pastors and leaders. We have heard several stories of pastors becoming lords of their realm instead of subjects to the Lord and King of kings. They mistreat staff and keep anyone they regard as a threat from achieving leadership status. This is the opposite of our call to be servant leaders. Let us today resolve to take matters out of our own hands and submit to the will of our sovereign Lord and King of kings.
Dear Lord, thank you that you are in control of a world seemingly out of control. Help us to trust your will as we live among power hungry people. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Pastor Brad Boyer
Cape Community Church