Matthew 2

It is not the easiest thing to lay down the world and all it offers us in order to crown a personal king other than ourselves. It is why the road is broad that leads to destruction and many travel it. In Matthew 2 we watch as Herod, the king, is confronted by Christ, the King of Kings.

Herod’s response was the natural man’s response, self-preservation. A new king had been announced, one whom he saw as a threat to his throne. In reality that throne was very safe; Christ had no use for that physical throne. The throne which Christ sought was more precious and intimate, the throne of his heart. Herod’s unwillingness to yield a physical throne to the King of kings only personified his resistance to personally bow to another in his spiritual throne. He was lord of his domain and he sought to preserve that at all cost, even if it meant the death of tens of babies.

Self preservation at all costs. What does that look like today? Comfort, safety, the familiar… complacency? Every day we are confronted by the presence of a new King in our life. Christ’s kingdom calls us to worship (as the wise men did), to obedience (as Joseph and Mary continued to do), and to submission to the His will. Christ’s call to us is a call to death. “Take up your cross and follow Me, I heard the Master say.” It is a death to self-preservation. It is a death to comfort and complacency. It is a call to radical abandonment for His will, not our own.

I will be the first to confess the great difficulty of these words. The world’s system has mused us with her attractions and worldview. We are often content to willingly turn a blind eye and deaf ear to the commands of Christ in order to achieve worldly success and comfort. We struggle to allow Christ to reign over our time, finances, speech, and actions. Oh sure, we will show up at church as an expression outwardly homage where we pretend homage is due. I suppose Herod did the same for Caesar. But have we really bent the knee to Christ in all areas of life? Or are we even willing to kill to keep Him from placing His demands upon us.

Self preservation led Herod not only to slaughter those babies of Bethlehem, but several members of his family as well. He cherished his throne and wanted no threat of its loss. He is the extreme case, I admit. But, where are we? Can we truly say we “die daily” for the causes and will of Christ? If someone looked at our life, would they see the marks of someone who bowed to another King?

May Herod’s example haunt us and spur us to humble submission, obedience, and true worship of our rightful King.