preview

JUNE 11
JESUS AT HEROD’S COURT
“When Herod saw Jesus, he was very glad, for he had been wanting to see
him for a long time, because he had heard about him and was hoping to
see him perform some sign. He questioned him at some length, but Jesus
gave him no answer. The chief priests and the scribes stood by, vehemently
accusing him. But Herod with his soldiers treated him with contempt and
mocked him; then he put an elegant robe on him, and sent him back to
Pilate.” (Lk 23: 8-11)
Herod wanted to see Jesus because he “was hoping to see him perform
some sign (miracle)”; that is to say, Herod wanted to be entertained by
the Lord, as if He were some kind of court jester. Herod was not interested
in the Person of Jesus Christ, but in His “entertainment value.” Herod’s
human need for entertainment, which is a healthy thing in its proper
place and time, had developed to the extent that he was entirely a seeker
of stimulation, with no interest in spiritual growth. This put Herod on the
wrong side of the cross.
Entertainment in the form of watching a show, as we do online, on TV,
or on stage, provides us with relaxation and passivity; a “switching off”
of certain brainwork. In small doses this kind of entertainment can be
healthy and restful. But if I overdo it, for example, by binge-watching TVseries
on a regular basis, I can cripple my capacity to focus, and to engage
real people and real situations as God sends them to me. I can ultimately
cripple my capacity and thirst for spiritual growth; my capacity and
willingness for grace-filled cross-carrying.
Today let me be mindful, and ask the Lord to help me walk with Him, and
in Him, on my cross-carrying journey. Let me keep my focus on Him, Who
was crucified for me, that I may have truth and life; the grace-filled life
He offers me, when I have the eyes to see and ears to hear what truth He
has to teach me today.
168