The Ivory Coast, a nation in western Africa, recently had an election. However, as you may have heard, things did not go smoothly.
No one expected the final outcome to be what it was: a very close result in which it appeared that the underdog had narrowly achieved a victory. Not sure what to make of this, the election commission invalidated results from several districts, leading many, including the declared loser, to question and dispute the final outcome. One day last month, in separate ceremonies, two presidents were sworn in, each one claiming that he was the official winner.
In the weeks since, there has been a lot of uncertainty. Some are predicting violence, and possibly even civil war. Everyone in the Ivory Coast is frightened.
Things were not so different in the time of King Herod, because for awhile, in Judea, there were two kings. There was Herod, who considered himself to be the king of the Jews, but there was also this other king – a child-king – whom many began referring to as the real king of the Jews.
Herod feared that this child-king would try to take the throne away from his children, or even from Herod himself.
Meanwhile, all of Jerusalem was frightened as well. Peace was already precarious at best. Life was already difficult enough.
The people knew the power of Herod, and what would happen if a rival were to challenge him for the throne. They didn’t like Herod, but they also didn’t want to see his anger aroused.
But what about this new king? What if he really was the one anointed by God, as many believed? What if he was the one who could inaugurate a new kingdom, the kingdom of God? What if he really was the long-awaited messiah?
Clearly, the people had a choice to make. Which king would they honor? Which king would they follow? It was a difficult choice to make in a tumultuous time, a time when chaos and confusion reigned, when the stakes were so high and the right path unclear.
Remember what I told you last week, that Matthew’s gospel was written in Antioch during the fearful, uncertain years following the destruction of the temple, a time when many were tempted to give up on the way of Jesus and choose a different path. The dilemma of having to choose between two kings, two kingdoms, was a dilemma that they themselves were facing. In the story of Jesus’ birth (including the visit of the wise men), they saw their own story. They saw their own fear and uncertainty. They saw their own dilemma. And they received encouragement that they were not alone, that God was with them in their struggle, and that God would be with them in the present as God was present in the past.
Because it is never easy choosing between two kings. If you choose wrongly, there will be consequences. In fact, if you choose right, there are still consequences. Choosing to serve Jesus, the newborn king, is not easy. King Herod is formidable, powerful, and ruthless. He is the Walmart of kings. His buying power is like no other. He puts others out of business and easily squashes the competition. In fact, just as Sam Walton built Walmarts all over America, King Herod built “Hermarts” all over Judea.
And you know, it’s so easy to just shop at Hermart. To shop anywhere else would be costly. It’s so much easier to just go where everyone else goes. It’s so much safer, so much less costly.
However, shopping at Hermart does have some hidden costs. At Hermart, you save money, and you may even save your life … but you risk losing your soul. At Hermart, you get the best deal, no doubt about that, and yet you never return home fully satisfied. No one, upon walking out of Hermart with their cart full of goods, says to himself, “Life is good! I am blessed and full of joy!” Because deep down they know that while they may have saved a few bucks and possibly even their life, they’ve lost a part of their soul.
Down the street, there is a small independent store. The name of this store is “Jesus Saves.” However, at first glance, it seems that Jesus is the only one who saves, because to shop at Jesus Saves is actually quite costly. Everything in that store is expensive. In fact, everything in there requires a major commitment.
Things in there are so expensive, they don’t just cost an arm and a leg; your whole life is what’s required.
Gold, frankincense, myrrh – these things are not cheap, and yet those are just the items in the basket next to the register. The big-ticket items – justice, mercy, compassion – these are quality goods; but what kind of a sacrifice are you willing to make in order to bring justice, mercy, and compassion home with you?
Hermart, or Jesus Saves? It is a difficult and scary choice to have to make.
Hermart appears to be the safe choice. At Hermart, Homeland Security promises to keep you safe, as long as you follow the rules. Herod’s rules aren’t always fair, but he promises that if you follow them, you will live in peace. And Herod keeps his promises. Usually. Your home and your life will be protected. Probably.
But if you shop at Jesus Saves, you might lose your home in order to pay for your purchase. You might lose your car. You might have to wear the same clothes next you that you wore last year. You will have to make some sacrifices, because things like justice, mercy, and compassion do not come cheaply.
If you shop at Jesus Saves, people might even begin to think you’re crazy. Walk down the street with some buddies, and when you come to Jesus Saves and say to your friends, “Hold on, I need to go in here, pick up a few things,” they’ll just stand on the sidewalk, shake their heads and say, “there he goes again…” Depending on who your friends are, they may or may not wait for you.
You could of course invite them to come in with you; that would, in fact, be a good thing to do. But many people can’t escape the lure of Hermart, and even if they did come in, they might only browse without buying anything.
Of course, you understand. You know very well how difficult a decision it is to choose to shop at Jesus Saves. You’ve been in that position before. In fact, you’re there still. Every day, you have to decide all over again: “Where will I shop today?” And the decision is never easy. Every time you decide to shop at Jesus Saves, you make a sacrifice. You do risk being thought of as crazy. You risk losing the admiration of your neighbors, the companionship of your friends, and even the affection of your family.
I’ll say it again: it can be very costly to shop at Jesus Saves.
Strangely enough, King Herod views this little store as a threat. He is quite insecure, and as I said earlier, he is determined to squash the competition. So he might ask you where this Jesus Saves is located, insisting that he wants to shop there, too. Don’t tell him! All he wants to do is put Jesus Saves out of business, so that everyone will have no choice but to shop at Hermart.
It really wouldn’t be that difficult to do, getting everyone to shop at Hermart. Most people shop there already. Most people are too afraid or insecure to shop at Jesus Saves. It’s a great place to window shop … but for real shopping, they’ll stick with Hermart.
All Herod needs to do is to play into those fears and insecurities. He uses his incredible resources, his powers of persuasion as well as his political power, to get people to shop at Hermart. It’s very easy to believe everything that he says, about all the stuff you need to have to make your life complete, stuff which you can buy for the lowest price at Hermart. Playing into your fears and insecurities, King Herod will tell you that your life will be incomplete unless you shop at Hermart.
It’s amazing, really, that Jesus Saves is still in business. And yet, wise men – and wise women – still go there. They are willing to pay the cost for what Jesus has to offer.
Why? Because Jesus offers something Herod does not, something Herod couldn’t sell even if he wanted to. Jesus offers life – not the superficial life found at Hermart, but a deeper, more fulfilling, more meaningful life: the life of the ages. It is a life that exists not just in body but also in the soul. It is a life of wholeness.
People go to Jesus Saves because Jesus speaks the truth. His peace is a true peace. The deep-down feeling of satisfaction he offers does not begin to fade the moment you walk out the door. It sticks with you, through every circumstance. You can bring it with you into the darkest valley, and it will still shine brightly. It will not break, shatter, or fade.
Why are people willing to pay the cost for what Jesus has to offer? Because Jesus saves. True, he defines “save” differently than most – and his definition of “save” is certainly different than Herod’s. Jesus saves people from compromising themselves in the face of easier yet less meaningful lives. Jesus saves people from the brokenness of the world and the brokenness of their hearts. Jesus saves people from their own bad decisions, from their own wanderings on paths that lead to despair. Jesus saves people from the dehumanizing effects of society. Jesus saves people from the fears and insecurities inflicted upon them by the Herods of this world. Jesus saves people from the feelings of worthlessness they get when they try to catch up to an ideal standard of living that society keeps pushing just out of reach. Jesus saves people from blindness and captivity and oppression and injustice. Jesus saves people from a world in which those in power keep the poor in their place, a world of inequality, a world where some are considered to be more important and more worthy than others.
That is what is meant by salvation. That is why Jesus Saves is still in business, many centuries after Hermart has ceased to exist. That is why we need not fear the choice that is ours: the choice between Hermart, and Jesus Saves. The choice between instant cheap gratification, sacrifice and commitment that leads to lives of wholeness.
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