Heretofore, the commentary has been about the politicization of the Temple and the synagogues. The Temple had become a den of what would be called today, “crony capitalists” who would make a profit by selling sacrificial animals and such to the congregation for the love of money. They would take advantage of those who wanted to sacrifice but would not be wealthy enough to grow their own. That situation is the sin of usury (Exod 22:25). It is not that capitalism is bad, but the misuse of it. Therefore, it is not the politization that is important in this commentary but mismanagement that presents itself as management.
That the Temple was built for Herod and not for God is the issue! Herod did not build the Temple to please God but for the Jews to accept him as Jewish. Think on that as applied to the modern church; many do extravagant things to appear to be benevolent when inside the money or service is for themselves.
Herod sought to make a name for himself to the Jews to be accepted as a Jew, albeit he was a Idumean Arab. Later, Christians would become “Jews inwardly” (Rom 2:29) because they accepted the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob as their own God, Jesus. When Jesus was born, the builder of the Temple, allegedly for the Purpose of God, was used to magnify Herod in the eyes of the Jews and the Romans to whom he always paid generous tribute. Herod, although an Arabian inside, always fought the Arabians for one reason; to please Caesar and make a name for himself.
If the reader forgets, making a name for oneself, is the reason that God destroyed the Tower of Babel, and was one reason that God used the Romans to tear down the Temple of Herod in 70 AD.
While Herod was making a name for himself, Mary was pregnant with the Child of God — making a Name for Himself! By now, most people barely know much about Herod, but Jesus is known all over the globe. Few, though, have rejected wicked Herod, but most reject the true King, Jesus.
The crucifixion was not only a spiritual event planned by God but a plot for those who would be king. The groups that plotted the demise of Jesus were crony capitalists (the priests), their self-invested leaders (the chief priests), the Hasmoneans ( those who had won the war of independence from the Greeks), the Herodians (those who claimed the throne by sucking up to the Romans), the Romans themselves who would soon gain sole governing, and the “useful idiots” who knew not what they were doing, according to Jesus (Luke 23:34).
Judaism had become nothing more than men seeking to make a name for themselves all the while diminishing the Name of God!
The synagogues were not any better. They were nothing more than satellite “temples” who did whatever the elite told them to do. A few assembled to hear the truth but perhaps Jesus knew that they were no more than houses of Satan in functioning. After all, he preached in synagogues and places of ill-repute to reach the sinners. To put it mildly, the Jewish “church” had become as much like the synagogue of Satan that there was little difference.
In the Revelation of John, two of the seven churches of Asia were accused of being of the synagogue of Satan. Those two churches were not so bad churches, but they remained accused of being of Satan. They were much like those of the Temple of Diana of the Romans and Greeks.
Now for the modern Christian churches: Care must be taken for the accusation against the ancient churches of Asia may not be only for them, but for the modern Christian churches as well. Some believe that those real church examples were for the different ages of the Christian Church, but others say that they may be the images of modern churches as well. The Seven Churches of Asia may be the composite Church of the World before the apocalypse.
Indeed, each church had some offensive characteristic that can be recognized in many of the modern denominations. The most recognizable is the doctrine of the Nicolaitans wherein sexual activity is not condemned and even accepted in the church. That applies very well to the acceptance of homosexuality and shacking up in many modern churches. It may also apply to the failure of preachers to preach against sin for fear that sinners will be offended.
Herod offended the Jews many times and in many ways. He broke their law with impunity and paid “indulgences” to the Jews for his wrongs. Thinking that Herod was building God a house, he was only placating the Jews to accept himself as a Jew. Is that what many Christian churches do today? Are they not handing out authority in the church based on who is who and who has the name that counts?
When I write, I must always question, “Am I writing to promote God or am I writing to promote me?” Of course, human nature is for self-gratification and so that others perceive oneself as knowledgeable, educated, loving, generous, or whatever. Whenever anyone is in the public eye, it can be for many different reasons but ultimately it is either for God or yourself.
I will be honest: What I do for God makes me feel good about myself. Maybe that is okay, but if I do it mainly for me, then it diminishes God. That thought handicaps my work each day, never knowing for sure for whom I write. I am no different than anyone else. We Christians are all “peculiar people” are we not?
Different churches have different focii. For many, the focus is on the band up front. That raises the questions: Is the congregation praising God or the group? Is the congregation magnifying God or pleasuring themselves?
The focus in many megachurches are the ministers: Are they there for him or for God? Is his personality the main feature or the Word?
Many such questions can be raised. I have seen layman who think they are preachers put on the garb of preachers. Not that those on the pulpit should dress casually but like they are preaching a funeral or going to a formal dance is extravagant. Are those types dressed immaculately for the congregation or extravagantly for God?
What would Jesus wear? An undergarment and a plain tunic. What do many preachers wear? Spit-shined shoes and five-hundred-dollar suits. You hopefully get the point that modesty should be the outward appearance of a Christian, but neither slothfulness nor extravagance the outward appearance of a narcissist.
Each of those are obvious things, but we must even watch testimonies; Do we testify to exalt God or to be noticed? Do we testify to be noticed as a modest Christian or are we speaking to magnify our own humility?
My grandson like so many others have said, “I don’t care what others think,” but do they? People dress differently to be noticed, they act differently to be noticed, and they perform for the crowd to ironically set themselves apart from the crowd. That is true in the Christian churches as well. People perform for the congregation. They may want to be perceived as a great musician, a glorious educator, a humble preacher, or whatever, but for many it is merely a performance.
Face it… Christians want to be perceived as good Christians and righteous men and women, but inside just as Paul was “chief sinner” (1 Tim 1:15), each Christian also sins. If we say that we do not, we lie (1 John 1:10).
Even preachers lie! One preacher told me that he no longer sinned. He had sinned often but was not convicted of it. Being oblivious to one’s own sin may not be damning but it certainly is not pleasurable to God.
Are church workers out to please themselves, to please the congregation, to deceive he preacher, or to magnify God? All those who appear before the congregation must ask themselves those questions.
Some mornings as I write, I ask myself my motives. If it is for any other reason than to present the gospel to a dying world, then it is for myself. Many times, I have had to stop writing because it comes to me that I am not writing for God but to leave a legacy for me!
Churches are rampant with “Herodianism” at the present; many want to be “king” and although not stately inside, they do things to appear more noble. As anyone goes to the front to perform for the congregation, most likely the first steps are in humility. But as they step down from the stage with all the applause, they are magnified.
Although I encourage people privately, I do not applaud them publicly. Neither would I want to be applauded publicly but just like them, I do need encouragement privately. Nothing is more encouraging than seeing people respond well to the Word of God. Clap for God, not the singer or the speaker, and sometimes “Amens” are a greater “clap” than hands.
Because people want to be perceived as the chiefest of the righteous, of course, extravagance like Herod laid on the Jews did not make him a Jew. He was still an Arab inside, only appearing to be a Jew.
Likewise, a sinner inside who does extravagant things remains a sinner inside as they even do much for the church, and not so much for God. A good measure of what a person does for God is done silently without notice. Jesus said it well, “And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, ‘They have their reward’” (Mat 6:5).
My only function in the church presently is praying. I stand up so that people can hear my prayer to God. Praying should not be for recognition but to magnify God and ask for His blessings.
Even desiring to pray well is sort of arrogant. It is not a performance that God seeks but a testimony of the heart. We all, if we are sincere, have thoughts that we are performing to the expectations of the congregation. Herod was proud of himself and said so in speeches to the Jews; not what God had done for them in winning battles, prosperity, and such, but what Herod himself had done for them (the book of Josephus).
Many obituaries praise dead Christians for what they had done, but few for what they had done for God. There is a difference but sometimes it is hard to detect. Herod did it for himself but claimed to the Jews that it was for them and their God. He claimed God by dishonesty. Inside, he knew that he belonged to Caesar and not to God.
Jesus was confronted by the Herodians who accused him of not being patriotic, Jesus responded to the “hypocrites,” this way, “Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar's; and unto God the things that are God's” (Mat 22:21).
Herod and his successor “Herods” belonged to Caesar. They were in power, not because they trusted God but because they sucked up to the Caesars, of whom Herod the Great “sucker-upper” was the chiefest. Jesus was telling them to just go worship Caesar and not to waste their time acting as if they are so righteous! He said it plainly, and like it or not, but many in churches are prominent in services because they have sucked up to someone, be it the preacher or the board.
On the other hand, others remain pulpit-sitters because they are humble. Thinking of my youth in church, the most pious was not the Sunday School Superintendent but the quiet ones who were always there just being there without a word.
Now for an opinion: I prefer churches with modest worship because it seems to me that big bands, smoke, and lights are more performance than worship. Likewise, with “amateur talent hour” when adult actors act. Even worse, is when some who are not preachers act as if they are.
Has anyone else noticed how humble an otherwise arrogant person becomes when they prance to the pulpit in their preacher “costume?”
The best “performance” is not a performance; it is showing up as oneself. I love it when a singer laughs at her or himself and carries on, knowing full-well that humans are imperfect beings! Mistakes will happen and perfection is not a pre-requisite. Even the best testimonies have come from the most downtrodden and are those who are normally quiet in church. I think of the man who sat quietly in his pew for years but got vocal for God when God got into him!
Look for the man or woman sitting quietly in a pew with tears in the eyes. That is not for show; that is them being them!
The modern church calls it “episcopalian” in that the government is as described in the Bible with bishops, deacons, and workers. Each position has certain qualifications and can be found in scripture. One description that is not required is a good performance. However, those most visual in the church are the best performers.
The performers are expected to “audition” for their part. The worst is ordination based on some quiet “calling” they seem to have heard from God. Apostles are called, but bishops appointed. Because they must have inner qualities is the criteria. It should have nothing to do with what others think, or who sponsors them, as Caesar sponsored Herod for acting a Roman. Herod performed so well that Caesar made him a Roman citizen!
Ironically, Herod had multi-personalities as if he was the Holy Trinity: he was truly an Arab, and to the Jews he was a Jew, and to the Romans, he was a Roman. Herod was the chief hypocrite and Jesus recognized that Herodians are as well.
Herod called for himself to be king and used the government and the “church” for his cause. Soon, his cause became apparent as he murdered even children to retain is throne which wise men thought belonged to God. Jesus was the real King, and Herod was a farce who died soon after the real King was born.
The objective of this commentary is to be true to God. It is directed at keeping the politics out of the Church. It is not directed at political ideology but identity “politics” wherein some are not good enough for the church, but some are, that some are favored and others not.
Gifts of the Spirit may be taught but for them to bear fruit, they must be used. Why teach who had what gift unless the church body is willing to accept those gifts? Using gifts is an objective not something to be discarded.
Likewise, it is foolish to think that you have a gift when it is not and be in a position that others must partake of your “gift.”
I think now of the young girl who played a flute in church because she thought she had the gift of music. The congregation cringed and felt badly for her. We all must test to see if our gift is truly a gift and that it has utility. Many in the church are not well-matched to their gift.
The church is not expected to be perfect but just as the minster cannot do it all and will fail, when just a few do it all; it too may fail.
Who knows if that quiet man in the back pew has talent or not, unless someone asks? Humble men and women are not outgoing. The best talent is the one hidden!
I remember a quiet Christian man that sat nearly incognito in the back of the church. He said little and never volunteered for anything. It turns out that the man had been humbled like Paul when he became a Christian. Unknown to any others, that man had talent that he would never display because he once had done so to make a name for himself.
That man said, that for just one time, he would use his gift. In one service, he played for Jesus. He slowly walked to the stage, brought out an alto-saxophone and played from his heart in praise to Jesus. He made the sax “talk,” as the saying goes. Unknown to anyone he had been a professional musician who God had humbled. He was so ashamed that he had played for Satan, that he feared playing for God because his music had before exalted himself. So far as I know, he never played publicly again because people praised him for his talent.
That was what Herod was seeking and he got it. Before Jesus was born, the Jews had accepted him for his talent. He had built a temple even more elaborate than Solomon and cities so grand that they won over Caesar and the Jews, but none of what he did was for God!
What did Herod do for God? He was the first who would kill Him. Never think because someone performs as if for God that it is to God that he performs. Jesu took the time to tell the Herodian hypocrites just how Herodian in nature they were!
(picture credit: Shutterstock; "Falling Church")
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