Flora First Christian Church - Flora, IN

This sermon was scheduled to be preached on December 16, 2007. Due to a snow storm that blanketed North Central Indiana, worship services were not held. This manuscript appears that the Advent series, “Through the Eyes of Christmas” may be complete.

“Herod: The Eyes of Greed”
Matthew 2:1-23

One In Every Crowd

Do you know Cindy Lou Who? In the book, “How the Grinch Stole Christmas,” Cindy Lou was the little girl who got up for a drink of water in the night and discovered the green Grinch dressed like Santa Claus stealing their Christmas. He was stealing everything - their tree, presents, decorations, and the Christmas Day feast stored in the frig! Of course the Grinch told little Cindy Lou that he was just taking their tree to fix a bulb. You see, the Grinch hated all of the Whos that lived down in Whoville with their cheerfulness and their Christmas glee, so he decided to steal everything that had anything to do with Christmas, so that they would cry, cry, cry down on their knees.
There’s one in every crowd—someone who hates Christmas. Back in November 2000 when the movie version with Jim Carney was released in theaters, I understand that there were showings in which some cheered when the Grinch loaded up his sled with the Whos’ Christmas gifts and made his way up the hill to his cave. I doubt that those who cheered were only middle school students being cute. Every generation has their Grinches - people who become famous for hating celebrations and folks who are joyful.
Even the first Christmas had a Grinch - someone who didn’t want Christmas to survive.

The Eyes of Christmas: Greed

Like Mary and Joseph these eyes are of a real historical person. Where Mary saw Christmas with eyes of joy and Joseph saw Christmas with eyes of faith, these eyes looked upon Christmas with greed and envy. These eyes belonged to King Herod who would do anything to prevent God from doing His best work.
Let’s try not to look at Herod as just an eccentric villain to be despised. Let’s look at those human qualities that reside within each of us, hopefully never to that degree that controlled Herod’s every move and led his heart to shrink to three or four sizes too small like the Grinch’s.

Guard Your Heart

A question each of us must ask ourselves: “Am I letting my heart shrivel up like Herod’s or is my heart growing larger as I mature in Christ?” Proverbs 4:23 says, “Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.”

Noted Disciples of Christ preacher, Fred Craddock, pointed out in his research that there are five snapshots of King Herod that we see in the story of the wisemen that can lead us into looking into our own hearts.

A Disturbed King

The first snapshot we see of Herod is a Disturbed King. (Matthew 2: 3) Remember how the Bible tells that after Jesus was born wisemen came asking questions: ‘Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We’ve seen his star, his birth announcement, from the east and we’ve have come to worship him.’ Because they were not Jews, they went directly to the place that they thought could tell them—to the palace in Jerusalem—King Herod’s home. The wrong person to ask where the new king is staying is the current king, who is defensive of his power.
Herod ruled over Palestine for forty years and for the most part he managed to keep the peace though intimidation.
Herod was called “The Great,” not because he was seen as a good king, but because he was a great builder. He rebuilt the temple in Jerusalem. He was very wealthy and at times could be generous.
But for the most part, Herod was an egotistical, power hungry leader who was down right mean. He thought nothing of doing away with those who threatened his reign.
When I was in Israel a few years ago I heard a saying that was popular among Israelis: “Don’t go swimming with Herod.” It means: WATCH YOUR BACK; be careful who you associate with if you have any reason to suspect them. During the course of Herod’s bloody reign among those he killed were his two oldest sons (Aristobulus and Alexander) . . . in a swimming pool, because he saw them as threats to his throne. He also killed one of his wives, her brother, her mother, and her uncle. Some people really don’t like their in-laws, or anyone else. If you look up the word “paranoid” in the dictionary you’re likely to find a picture of King Herod.

Disturbing Teaching of Jesus

Jesus still disturbs people today who want to protect their own kingdom. Those who want to build only a kingdom of pleasure find Jesus disturbing when he said: “Deny yourself and take up your cross and follow me.” Those who find their sole security in as many possessions as possible are disturbed by Jesus when he said, “Don’t lay up treasure on earth, but in heaven.” Those whose ambitions are to gain as much power as possible are disturbed when he said: “The greatest among you will be the servant of all.” Those who want no absolutes in their lives are disturbed when Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”
Herod was disturbed by Jesus because he saw Him as a threat to his kingdom.

Second Snap Shot—Deceitful King

The second snapshot we have of Herod is that of a Deceitful King. (Matthew 2:4-8) After the wisemen asked their question—“Where is the one who has been born King of the Jews,” Herod called together the chief priest and Bible scholars for a little pow-wow and asked them that question himself. Those in the know replied, “From Bethlehem” that’s what God told Micah the prophet.
Herod called the wisemen back for a little secret rendezvous and then sent them to Bethlehem to make a careful search for the child with special instruction: “When you find him, bring me word that I too may go and worship him.” (Yeah, right?)
Herod had no more intent on worshipping the Christ child, than the Grinch did of being a real Santa Claus.

Still today people will fake their allegiance to Christ to mask their personal agenda. Jesus said, “Watch out that no one deceives you. For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many’” (Matthew 24:4-5).
The message to us—beware of anyone who would led you to follow them, without emphasizing that Christ is our leader.

Louisville Vs. Kentucky Basketball

Mike Batuello, former Assistant Athletic Director at the University of Louisville, said that the annual University of Louisville verses University of Kentucky basketball game draws a few fans who will be dressed in red with a blue shirt underneath. Toward the end of the game, if it became obvious U.K. was going to win, they’d shed the outer garment. There would then be more blue in Freedom Hall at the end of the game than at the beginning. And sometimes it worked the other way. I imagine it happens at games that feature teams wearing red and white and black & gold.
Sometimes Christians shamefully play that game, too. They’ll adjust their appearance and conduct to whatever is popular at the moment, such as coming to worship for the inspiration but unwilling to make Christ the Lord of how they choose entertainment, manage their money, and care for each other? We must guard our hearts.
Like Herod we fake our devotion to Christ when we deliberately mislead others.

The Third Snapshot is Herod as a Deceived King.

(Matthew 2: 12) Matthew tells us that after the wisemen found the child with his mother, worshipped him, and gave him their gifts, they were warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, and they returned to their own country by another route.
When Herod realized that he had been outwitted and deceived by the Magi, he was furious and he didn’t like it for one second.
Our Lord made it clear that we all eventually reap what we sow. If we sow deception in our business, we will reap clients who don’t trust us. If we sow impurity in our thoughts, we’ll reap a mediocre marriage—or worse. If we sow lukewarmness in our Christian commitment, we’ll reap spiritual indifference. “Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.”

A fourth snapshot of Herod is that of a Vengeful king. (Matthew 2:16-18)

When Herod realized that he had been outwitted by the Magi, he was so furious that he gave orders to kill all the male children in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two years old or younger.
No one can get much lower than that! We can’t begin to imagine the horror that occurred as soldiers pulled babies from the arms of their mothers. That’s not the message of Christmas any of us ever have a desire to hear.

Angel’s Message

The angel announced: “I bring you good news of great joy.” It’s hard to believe that the good news has such brutal enemies.
It’s hard to believe that Christians have enemies who really don’t want the message out there. The hatred is against the message. People just can’t begin to comprehend that Christ not offers something better, but offers us the best. How we live our lives becomes our Christmas gift to God.

Never Be Ashamed

We should never be ashamed of Christ who was born to give us the very best that God has to give us—life! We should never be ashamed of sending a Christmas card with the nativity scene pictured on it or hanging a star on our front door over a Santa Claus. We should never be ashamed to invite a neighbor to come worship with us, or to make the changes in our lives that say—I will do what is God’s will.

Celebration in Whoville

When The Grinch stole all of the Christmas presents in an attempt to stop Christmas, the people in “Whoville” still sang Christmas carols and were glad to be together. Their joyful reaction changed the Grinch’s attitude and his heart grew three sizes larger. He returned the gifts and wound up participating in the joyful celebration.

Opposite of Greed

What is the opposite of greed ? The opposite of greed is giving away what we would want to horde for ourselves. The opposite is . . . generosity. Generosity is the real face of Christmas—not greed. We know what greed can do; it can drive us crazy, much like Herod. It can change sacred holidays into not much more than a National Commerce Day. The real message of Christmas is we have a generous and gracious God, who has bestowed His unlimited resources upon us through sending us His very own Son that the fullness of life may overflow.

Fifth Snapshot—Dead King

Herod—died, which is the fifth snapshot of the kind of king he was—a dead king. (Matthew 2:19) History tells us that Jerusalem celebrated when he died. And yet Christmas happened to give us the opposite of what happened to Herod.
Jesus put it like this to a whole crowd of people, “I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.” (John 10:10b)

Christmas Gifts

There are a number of experiences that should enlarge your heart this Christmas season: 1) The birth of a child, 2) the undeserved blessings of health and material riches, 3) the hope through pain and struggle, and 4) the conviction that God has the best gift possible to give.
“God wants to give us a Gift. That’s what Christmas is all about. Christ came into the world for the purpose of GIVING US LIFE over death. The life that Christ has to give us has no end. Amen!