October 28

Acts 12: 20-24

20 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. 21 On an appointed day Herod put on his royal robes, took his seat on the platform, and delivered a public address to them. 22 The people kept shouting, "The voice of a god, and not of a mortal!" 23 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. 24 But the word of God continued to advance and gain adherents.

In the end Herod is judged. His political schemes failed in the end. Even as he is being hailed as being divine, he is judged. The people of Tyre and Sidon had suffered under the tyranny of Herod. They used the methods available to them. You appease and flatter a politician gone mad. That is what they do. Their flattery is not the final word on the subject.

Herod may speak like God. The fact is that his content does not glorify God. He is accountable to God for his reign and the decisions that he made. God’s often repeated preference for the poor and the oppressed is now visited on him. His robes, position on the platform and the flattery of the crowd do not replace his responsibility to serve God and the people over whom God has placed him.

Luther argued that civil rulers are responsible to God for the way in which they exercise their vocations. This “left hand” kingdom, as Luther called it, is ultimately responsible to God for the way in which rulers use their authority. The idea of government and good order is the gift of God for the care of creation and the protection of God’s people. When rulers oppress and favor the rich over the poor, God take offense.

Herod’s sin is not just that he has killed James or that he ignored Tyre and Sidon. His sin is that he does not give glory to God. In the end, he is a human who faces the reality of death. His divine attributes are not his. He, like all people, is accountable to God.

Reflections questions:
1. What role does the government official play in God’s reign over creation?
2. Does our separation of church and state make this text meaningless? Why? Why not?
3. How does the statement of verse 24 connect to this story?