(Matthew 2:1, NRSV)
These words read like an “oh, by-the-way” observation intended to convey general information about when Jesus was born — which, on one level, of course it is. But what lies beneath these words? What was that King Herod time like?
Many scholars think that Jesus was born in 4 BC. (I’ll let you figure out how Jesus could have been born “Before Christ”!) When you look back at the writings of the main Jewish historian that documented that time — Josephus — you discover it was a time marked by violent political rebellion and religious turmoil, caused in large part by the murderous rule of King Herod himself. As a result, in a number of quarters of Israel, Jewish freedom fighters and “wannabe” messiahs revolted, using guerilla warfare tactics to attack Roman troops in their country. Josephus records how the Roman general Varus was called to quell one of these rebellions: Varus sent a part of his army into the country, to seek out those that had been the authors of the revolt; … he punished some of them that were most guilty … now the number of those that were crucified on this account were two thousand.” And that was just one such incident among many. Josephus goes on to say that there were 10,000 other such disorders in Judea.
Into this time of confusion, anger and discontent Jesus was born. And as Jesus grew up, so also did this anger and discontent grow and spread throughout Israel. Violence, anger, discontent: they surrounded Jesus.
Yet Jesus chose not to be defined by what was around him. He knew the real kingdom he was a part of was not from this world. It was a kingdom defined by a value system that ran directly counter to the kingdoms of this world. Because this vision of that kingdom was so real and compelling, he was not enticed by his culture’s message and its ways. Instead of preaching against it, he lived a life of peace in the midst of a violent world and called people into a way of life that embodied peace and peace-making with their flesh-and-blood brothers and sisters they lived next to. And he calls us to follow this way of peace today. “Let us then pursue what makes for peace” (Romans 14:19).
Professor of Ministry Leadership and Biblical Studies