BROADCASTS.com

On hearing this, Pilate asked if the man was a Galilean. When he learned that Jesus was under Herod\u2019s 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 a sign of some sort. 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. \xa0That day Herod and Pilate became friends\u2014before this they had been enemies. (Luke 23:6-12)

\xa0

The opening verses of Psalm 2 says \u201cWhy do the nations rage, and the peoples plot in vain? The kings of the earth rise up and the rulers band together against the Lord and against his anointed\u2026\u201d

Pilate and Herod eventually both agree that Jesus is innocent.\xa0 That doesn\u2019t sound much like banding together against the Lord\u2019s Messiah.\xa0 And yet Jesus still winds up on a cross, something only the rulers of Rome could order.\xa0 This should remind us of something that escapes us far too often.\xa0 Sin is rarely so dramatically clear.\xa0 \xa0\xa0

We see so many possibly redeeming characteristics in both Herod and Pilate across these episodes.\xa0 We almost want to get up and cheer them on to make the right decision this time, because they seem so close and there\u2019s so much possibility that hangs in the air!

Herod is pleased, curious, and had been waiting a long time to see Jesus.\xa0 Is that not the posture of seeking that could result in a genuine encounter?\xa0 And yet the encounter sours.\xa0

Not because Herod was raging and conspiring against Jesus, but because he was more interested in his own amusement than doing the long, hard work of seeing justice through to the end.

Herod wants Jesus to perform some fancy sign.\xa0 But, as \u201ca sheep before its shearers is silent, so [Jesus] did not open his mouth\u201d (Isaiah 53:7).\xa0 So, frustrated that he could not ply Jesus open with his questions\u2014frustrated in other words, that his plaything would not dance\u2014Herod decided to have his fun in a different way.\xa0

The chief priests and teachers of the law were there, vehemently accusing Jesus.\xa0 And though we later find that Herod finds no basis in their accusations, nevertheless he joins them.\xa0 He and his soldiers begin ridiculing and mocking Jesus, dressing him up in a fine robe so that Pilate can join in the fun.\xa0 \u201cHere is your king\u201d Herod jests back to Pilate.\xa0 And just like that, joking over Jesus, the joke king, Herod and Pilate become friends.\xa0\xa0\xa0

The sin of Herod is a good time.\xa0 Slander, mocking, cruel joking and laughter at another\u2019s expense.\xa0 But on the basis of these boring sins, Psalm 2\u2019s conspiracy between the rulers of the age against the Messiah come to pass.\xa0 On the basis of boring, workplace, schoolyard sins like these: Herod abandons justice, truth, and the only encounter he would ever have with Jesus.

Rarely are the bold, scandalous, or sexy sins the sins that cause we or the church to fall.\xa0 Far more often it\u2019s something simple like a tasteless joke that wedges us away from a true love of God and neighbour.\xa0

Yet even for this, Jesus died.\xa0 Though our love fails, Jesus\u2019 love prevails.

\xa0