A Movement Toward New life

Excerpt from Henri Nouwen’s Show Me the Way: Daily Lenten Readings:

The mystery of God’s love is not that he takes our pains away, but that he first wants to share them with us. Out of this divine solidarity comes new life. Jesus’ being moved in the center of his being by human pain is indeed a movement toward new life . . . The truly good news is that God is not a distant God, a God to be feared and avoided, a God of revenge, but a God who is moved by our pains and participates in the fullness of the human struggle.

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 some miracle. He plied him with many questions, but Jesus gave him no answer. Luke 23:8-9

In the hours leading to Jesus’ crucifixion, He was brought before King Herod for questioning. It’s strange that Herod was ‘greatly pleased’ to see Jesus. He knew about Jesus’ reputation and it was as one who performed miracles. News of all the miracles Jesus performed must have reached Herod’s ears, despite Jesus always being careful about where, how, and to/for whom He performed them. Jesus rarely performed miracles in front of a large audience nor did he ever seek public recognition or acknowledgement when he did. Matter of fact, He always told people not to tell anyone about the miracles.

But news of Jesus performing miracles traveled very quickly even without our modern day channels of media/communication. All the people Jesus specifically told not to tell anyone about the miracles, they probably all did. Why wouldn’t they? Those that were sick, dying, crippled, blind, bleeding, demon-possessed, or lost a son/daughter/brother/servant, Jesus turned their life (and their family) around by healing them. Jesus did something so extraordinary that there was no way these people could remain silent and not share with the whole world about their miraculous healing/deliverance. Herod’s ears must have been tickled when he heard rumors about a miracle man amongst their midst.

And so there He was, Jesus the miracle performer, standing right in front of one of the most important and prominent political figures of the time. King Herod wanted to see for himself all the hype about what Jesus is able to do. He wanted to see miracles performed with his very own eyes, inside his court. This was no “trial of the century.” It was the excitement and anticipation of watching David Copperfield perform! Oh, what a royal treat! And he was probably thinking, “While He’s at it, He can cure my syphilis!”

Needless to say, Jesus could have wooed and impressed Herod if He had chosen to flash His divine abilities. Herod probably would have taken Jesus to be a member of his “cabinet staff” and appointed him as the royal magician, the royal physician, or something of that sort. Then Jesus would have been safeguarded from whatever persecution and charges that were being brought forth this very moment by those who called themselves teachers of the Law. 

Instead, Jesus did nothing and remained silent. He pissed off Herod, the man who could turn his fate around, and was flogged, tortured, nailed, and hung on the cross. The greatest miracle in history was about to occur in three days, but only to be witnessed by a selected few people—mostly social outcasts—that had absolutely no political power or influence.

What was He thinking?!

We are left to ponder upon the descending ways of Jesus. Jesus, the Son of God, embraced humanity at its worst in the form of human suffering, endured the pain of rejection, and sentenced to death as a convict. And yet, we see back then and today, the many new lives that were brought forth because of the life He gave to us.

The good news for us is that God is not a distant God, but a God who understands, empathizes, and is moved by the pains and struggles of what it means to be human. He’s walked down that road before.