“In the morning, there was no small commotion among the soldiers as to what had become of Peter. After Herod had a thorough search made for him and did not find him, he cross-examined the guards and ordered that they be executed. Then Herod went from Judea to Caesarea and stayed there. He had been quarreling with the people of Tyre and Sidon; they now joined together and sought an audience with him. After securing the support of Blastus, a trusted personal servant of the king, they asked for peace, because they depended on the king’s country for their food supply. On the appointed day Herod, wearing his royal robes, sat on his throne and delivered a public address to the people. They shouted, ‘This is the voice of a god, not of a man.’ Immediately, because Herod did not give praise 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 spread and flourish.”
Acts 12:18-24
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FEBRUARY 7, 2025
Reading or watching the news tends to stress me out. There is so much brokenness and evil in the world. Not only do war, sickness, crime, and other threats dominate the headlines, but it seems our country’s political strife infiltrates nearly every news story. It feels like everyone believes that if their preferred political party or leader were in charge, we would be better off and protected from the threats we face. On the flipside, most see the opposing party or leader as a serious threat to the wellbeing of our country.
Sometimes it’s easy to lose sight of the fact that even the mightiest leader on earth is just a human being. Even though they might wield a devastating amount of power, they are finite. At the end of the day, these leaders are not all-powerful.
In Acts 12, we read how King Herod dealt a heavy loss to the early Church when he arrested and executed James. James had been one of Jesus’ closest friends. As an apostle, he played a leadership role in the Church. And in the space of just one verse, we are told that Herod had him put to death with the sword—then went on to arrest Peter.
But despite his earthly power, Herod was no match for the all-powerful God. Not only did God break Peter out of Herod’s prison, but God struck Herod down. He was “eaten by worms and died.” This man who once posed a formidable threat to the Church was here one moment and gone the next.
The next time we’re tempted to view a political leader as either a savior or a devil, let’s remember this passage and keep things in perspective. It doesn’t matter how noble, dangerous, evil, important, or powerful a leader might be; in the end, they are finite, mortal human beings who (like Herod) will one day die and feed the worms. Instead, let us place our trust and our lives in the hands of our all-knowing, all-powerful God who asks us to live faithful lives of active love, no matter what earthly kings decree.
Questions for reflection and discussion:
- Why do you think we are tempted to ascribe more power to earthly leaders than we should?
- Even though Herod could kill the body, he could not stop God’s Kingdom from coming. Is this comforting? How does this relate to your reality, today?
Church Reading Plan:
- Today, February 7: Genesis 40; Mark 10
- Saturday, February 8: Genesis 41; Mark 11
- Sunday, February 9: Genesis 42; Mark 12