Thoughts for the Day

When morning came, there was no small commotion among the soldiers over what had become of Peter. When Herod had searched for him and could not find him, he examined the guards and ordered them to be put to death. Then he went down from Judea to Caesarea and stayed there.

The Death of Herod

Now Herod was angry with the people of Tyre and Sidon. So they came to him in a body; and after winning over Blastus, the king’s chamberlain, they asked for a reconciliation, because their country depended on the king’s country for food. On an appointed day Herod put on his royal robes, took his seat on the platform, and delivered a public address to them. The people kept shouting, ‘The voice of a god, and not of a mortal!’ And immediately, because he had not given the glory to God, an angel of the Lord struck him down, and he was eaten by worms and died.

But the word of God continued to advance and gain adherents. Then after completing their mission Barnabas and Saul returned to Jerusalem and brought with them John, whose other name was Mark.

(Lectionary, New Revised Standard Version)

Thoughts

After Peter's escape from prison the Book of Acts turns to look at King Herod's actions and his subsequent death. So today I shall plumb the murky history of the 'Herod dynasty' - there is no absolute agreement between historians however on all the details and it relies much on information to do with the minting of coins for the reign of a new king. The Herodians were a dynasty of kings who were part hereditary and part appointed by rulers that included the Roman Emperor and the Senate. Herod the Great, was the one who sought to enlist the wise men to reveal the whereabouts of the baby Jesus and who slaughtered the babies to find him.

Herod Antipas was a son of Herod the Great who governed a fourth part of his father's kingdom. Herod Antipas was tetrarch of Galilee, and the Herod to whom Jesus was sent during His trial and eventual crucifixion. He was also the one who was married to Salome and had John the Baptist murdered.

Herod Agrippa l, was a grandson of Herod the Great, who governed Judea and later Samaria. It was likely him who persecuted the church in Jerusalem and had the apostle James, the brother of John and son of Zebedee, put to death by the sword. He died in Caesarea, having spent much of his reign trying to curry favour with the Romans. He is likely the Herod mentioned in today's reading.

Herod Agrippa II, son of Agrippa I, was to be instrumental in saving Paul from being tried and imprisoned in Jerusalem by the Jews who hated his testimony of Jesus as the Messiah. King Agrippa, out of consideration for Paul being a Roman citizen, allowed Paul to defend himself, thereby giving Paul the opportunity to appeal to the Emperor in Rome. This was to ensure the Gospel message spread to a much wider audience.

Lord God,
we see Your hand guiding Your people
through the challenges of this world,
whether that is caused by rulers or their people.
You strengthen the weak and feeble,
ensuring Your word continues
and is heard by those who draw near to You.
May we who are not threatened physically,
and who are still able to speak freely
cherish this freedom and use it to spread Your word.
Amen.