May the mumbling commence!
Even when Jesus was on trial, he was mending relationships! It may have not been the intention, but Herod and Pilate became friends through Jesus’ trial. In a way, it is a sad commentary on the human creature. What brought them together? Together, they conspired to do evil. Jesus was a hot potato, but both men knew what the outcome must be. Read from Luke chapter twenty-three:
But they insisted, "He stirs up the people all over Judea by his teaching. He started in Galilee and has come all the way here."
On hearing this, Pilate asked if the man was a Galilean. When he learned that Jesus was under Herod's jurisdiction, he sent him to Herod, who was also in Jerusalem at that time.
When Herod saw Jesus, he was greatly pleased, because for a long time he had been wanting to see him. From what he had heard about him, he hoped to see him perform some miracle. He plied him with many questions, but Jesus gave him no answer. The chief priests and the teachers of the law were standing there, vehemently accusing him. Then Herod and his soldiers ridiculed and mocked him. Dressing him in an elegant robe, they sent him back to Pilate. That day Herod and Pilate became friends – before this they had been enemies. (Verses 5-12)
Pilate seemed pleased to be able to pass the buck and get rid of the chief priests and teachers of the law. Jesus was a Galilean – thus, he was under Herod’s jurisdiction. To Herod, Jesus was sent.
This move pleased Herod. Herod had heard much about Jesus. Indeed, who had not? He hoped to see him perform a miracle. He plied him with many questions. This hope for a miracle and this questioning had a point.
Many people thought John the Baptist was Elijah returned. Through the conniving of Herodias, John the Baptist was no more. So people thought Jesus might be John the Baptist returned from the dead. To extrapolate, they thought Jesus was Elijah.
This expectation – that Jesus was Elijah returned – helps to explain Herod’s behavior. If Jesus were Elijah, he would be able to produce miracles at his whim. That did not happen. If Jesus were Elijah, he would be expected to answer many questions about the Scriptures and help to decide matters that had been argued throughout the centuries. But Jesus was silent.
Because of Jesus’ unresponsive silence, Herod ridiculed him and sent him away to his death. This man was not Elijah – such a disappointment! But Herod was not the only person disappointed. Jesus’ followers would have expected Jesus, as Elijah returned, to confront the corrupt power of Herod. They would expect Jesus to replace Herod with someone who would rightly sit on the throne of Israel.
Jesus did none of these things. Jesus was not simply Elijah returned. Jesus is someone much greater. Jesus transcended both Elijah and Moses. Jesus was the expected Anointed One – the Messiah, the Christ.
Collusion to reject the peace that God offered is what brought two former enemies together as friends – at least for a time. What greater things might happen if the peace that God offers is accepted! If two people were united in friendship in the rejection of Jesus, what great uniting force will Jesus continue to be when he is accepted!
The people of Jesus’ day tried to force their own images of who Jesus should have been as Elijah returned or as the Messiah come to earth. Help us, O Holy Spirit, to set aside our own agendas so that we may begin to see together what God is calling us to do in the Spirit of Christ Jesus.
Enough mumbling for now…
Peace Out
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