Matthew 2:2,3
‘“Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we saw His star in the east and have come to worship Him.” When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.’
This is a strange response. I understand Herod was threatened, but Jerusalem? I would have thought they would be excited to hear about the messiah. I’m sure the faithful were excited. It was the powerful and those who did not want God in their lives. They were comfortable with they way things were.
Change can be threatening. The Israelites yearned to go back to Egypt while in the wilderness wanderings. Yes, they were enslaved, but things were predictable. They were sick of the manna. They didn’t like change.
Taking that concept further. Many in their sins are comfortable there. Some homeless don’t want deliverance. They want to be left alone.
Several do want help. Jesus’ arrival is good news to them. Isaiah 9:2 prophesied this, “The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death, a light has dawned.” All who come to Christ have a need.
I heard a message years ago about the bible’s view of towns. It wasn’t good. God commanded in Genesis 1:28, ‘God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it; rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and every creature that crawls upon the earth.”’ He commanded them to go, not to stay and congregate together. Jesus said this before going back to heaven, ‘And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.”‘
The apostles mainly congregated in Jerusalem. It took the persecution of the church to cause them to go. After the flood, many congregated in Babylon. God confused their tongues which causes them to disperse.
When people congregate into a town, there is a tendency toward evil. There is a power structure and wealth is generated. Both power and money corrupt.
This doesn’t mean God doesn’t want us to congregate, just that we need to be aware of the pull towards corruption. The bigger a town gets the more of a tendency towards corruption. Our founders understood this and designed our government to be of the people, not the powerful. The house of congress was designed to give the people a voice. The states have much power, often over the federal. The less centralized the better.
The crowd or the world can have a bullying effect. It takes courage to go against it. We don’t have to join it. I would say the “world” in Jerusalem wasn’t thrilled about Jesus’ coming. The evil power structure doesn’t want God.
We need to be aware of the part of us that doesn’t want God. The bible calls it the flesh. It wants it’s own way, it wants to indulge in all the appetites. Jesus said this about our flesh, ‘Then Jesus told His disciples, “If anyone wants to come after Me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow Me.”‘ We deny it, ignore it, we starve it.
We are to welcome the messiah. We in darkness saw a great light. Rejoice! Ignore the part of us that wants it’s way. Lord, help us to welcome You.