Authority Defeated

Having spent time in honest, reflection, will you share with me this time in the lives of Three Magi, foreigners to Jerusalem, who have a life decision to make? They have a choice to make between, human authority or Heavenly Authority. They have to choose whether to obey Herod’s orders or God’s orders.  I refer to it as a life decision, because the Life of the New Born King is at stake. More so, their own lives are at stake. Can we learn from these Wise Men? Are we learning from them? When you and I are faced with life-altering decisions, whether to obey God or humans, what is our response? 

God, have mercy upon our souls!

The Magi did not hesitate in the least, for they held high the Authority of Heaven, above all earthly authority.

This is the first unarguable fact, which has been brought to us. Three foreigners, people not under the rule of King Herod, have come into his domain, his kingdom and totally denounced his authority, by respecting, honouring and obeying the One Supreme Authority – the Authority of God on earth.

The second unarguable fact, of which we have been apprised, is this. The proof of a person’s wicked, evil and utterly demonic heart is seen when that person’s power and authority have been challenged and totally shunned. The weakness and limitedness of earthly authority have been brought to us. When Herod realized how his authority was treated so very scantily, so easily dismissed, it galled him no end. In fact, all he could do was lash out with the responses of the weak.

Recently this was made so true to me; so miraculously clear and true that I had to acquiesce and seek forgiveness for us all. I looked and listened to a young parent in the action of disciplining a little child, a baby really just one year old. When the child stubbornly continued in self-will, the parent, who is the authority figure, began to become frustrated. I saw how the parent’s authority, in giving orders to that baby, were totally shunned. The parent, unable to stand against such open, authority-dismissal, resorted to anger and punishment. Is this not true of you and me also? When we see how limited our authority is and we can’t have what we have ordered, don’t we become frustrated and angry and resort to some weak measures?   

Yes, we are made fully aware of the nature of the evil, wicked heart and how nothing will be too evil for it, when its authority is undermined. Herod could not handle his authority being defeated by anyone in his kingdom and beyond. In his disturbed state, his fear, agitation, rage and weakness, he attacks the most innocent. Why doesn’t he try to find those three kings from the East and have them killed? He turns his rage on innocent baby boys, two years of age and under, and has them all killed. Is this not proof of the utter weakness and limitedness of human authority?

Return to some parents and their responses, when they are unable to give orders and have them obeyed. They take their frustrations out on the innocent. It is in this mighty weak act of attacking the innocent that we see the defeat of human authority.

Children, little children at that, are murdered in cold blood, as it were, by the one who is the high-ranking official of the land. It is plain that King Herod has come to a point of defeat that drives him to insane acts. Had the Magi obeyed Herod’s orders, every single baby boy, carded to die, would have lived. You see, Baby Jesus was the target and since he could not find that One Child, he wiped out all the male babies, who were born around that time.

Wouldn’t such an evil, warped mind, patting one’s self on the shoulder, strut around feeling smug and victorious? He has flexed his muscles of authority to the fullest extent, as it were, and has shown that if God can speak of peace on earth and good will to all people, then he will not just speak, but bring grief, unrest, sorrow and more to people.  

Here is the reality. To many people in Jerusalem, to many mothers, fathers, family members, friends and even strangers, evil has been victorious and good has been defeated. When we look at the atrocities being carried out at this time even, where is good will? Where is peace?