I have realised that sometimes I can be just as bad as Herod. I don't think we completely want to kill Jesus, but we definitely want to smother Him, having disregard for his word and wanting to be God ourselves. We want the control, we want the power to make decisions: did he not give us free will after all!!
I am reading Matthew's Gospel at the moment through the Medium of William Barclay's Study Bible. He said this about three reactions within Matthew 2: 3-9 that have lasted until this day:
"(i) There was the reaction of Herod, the reaction of hatred and hostility. Herod was afraid that this little child was going to interfere with his life, his place, his power, his influence, and therefore his first instinct was to destroy him...The man whose only desire is to do what he likes has never any use for Jesus Christ...
(ii) There was the reaction of the chief priests and scribes, the reaction of complete indifference...There are still those who are so interested in their own affairs that Jesus Christ means nothing to them.
(iii) There was the reaction of the wise men, the reaction of adoring worship, the desire to lay at the feet of Jesus Christ the noblest gifts which they could bring."
Lord Jesus, let us adore you that we lay the noblest of gifts upon at your feet and desire that students might wish to do the same. Let us not kill, or worse, be indifferent to you, but let us together recognise that we needed to worship you as a baby, let alone now, as the saviour of the world.
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