(Given at the 4:30 pm Saturday Anticipatory Mass at OLP)
Why was Herod so disturbed at the birth of a mere baby boy? Why the utter hatred and rage that led to the slaughter of the holy innocents? Herod is indeed the villain of this gospel passage in juxtaposition of the Magi journeying to see the child, Jesus. Well, for one reason, according to the Jewish historian Josephus, Herod was most likely insane, or at least, this was the breaking point for him. He had murdered many of his political opponents of his day—even some of his own wives and children—to secure his throne! He was Machiavelli before Machiavelli, as one author put it. So, there’s that. And for another reason, Herod was not Jewish. He was the son of Antipater who was a Idumean. A son of Edom. A descendant of Jacob’s brother all the way back in the book of Genesis: Esau. And the funny thing is, there is a certain psalm in the Old Testament that has a messianic undertone to it in relation to this: Psalm 60. I’ll read it for you . . . Did you catch that? Over Edom I will cast my shoe. Other translations say, Over Edom, I will plant my shoe. All of this occurs in the background when the Magi come to see Jesus, the Light of the World, the prophesied king. This could possibly explain Herod’s actions. If this is indeed the messianic king of Israel, then Psalm 60 is gonna get fulfilled sooner rather than later. But what Herod doesn’t realize is that Jesus is not a threat to his earthy rule at all. Jesus has come to cast out the spiritual enemies of mankind: sin, death, and the devil, not to overthrow worldly governments. Jesus will herald the kingdom of God on earth, via his Church, but ultimately, his kingdom is not of this world. His members will be involved in politics and earthly affairs, yes, but not to topple them, rather to convert them to Christ and his teachings. As St. Peter indicates in his first letter: honor the emperor, and be subject for the Lord’s sake to every human institution, whether it be to the emperor as supreme, or to governors as sent by him to punish those who do evil and to praise those who do good. Jesus even says that we will be in the world, but not of it. Herod needed to repent of his sins, surrender to God’s will for his life, and join the Magi in their quest to see the Light to all nations. This is what we celebrate today on Epiphany.