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have ordered after the magi “go home by another way.” We can easily relegate the Murdering of the Innocents to past history or dismiss it entirely as non-historical; I believe Scripture and our tradition asks more of us.
Scripture stories invite us into conversations that are meant to lead us to greater self-awareness and changed behavior. In Matthew’s Gospel, King Herod functions as a symbol for something within us that reacts negatively to the birth of Christ in our lives. That part of us that resists the call of Christ may be labeled Herod-like. King Herod is devoted to self-interest, willing to attack and kill if his kingship, his way of life, is threatened. Today’s Gospel give us the the first inkling of Herod’s character - he is willing to lie when his position is threatened. What the magi find in Bethlehem is a different kind of king - and they are told by an angel to “go home by another way.”
I see in King Herod an image of that part of me that wants security and control - on my own terms. In that kingdom, I sit on the throne and fear dominates - for my reign is always threatened by others; their desire for their own security and their ability to control their lives. Jesus, as a vulnerable baby, represents a part of myself that is meant to grow during the upcoming year. I am invited to get off the throne and allow the true king to be the source of security and power in my life. While I know this dethronement will be painful at times, the good news is I will no longer have to feel threatened, be defensive, react cruelly. This year, with God’s help, I can proclaim Christ the King - and “go home by another way.”