Contemplative Bible Reading

Luke 23:8 (New Living Translation)

8 Herod was delighted at the opportunity to see Jesus, because he had heard about him and had been hoping for a long time to see him perform a miracle.

This is part of the (hi)story of the crucifixion of Jesus. At one point, Jesus was sent to Herod Antipas (there were lots of rulers named Herod in that day). Herod was delighted that a bound prisoner Jesus was being dragged to him. You see,

Herod wanted to see Jesus perform a miracle.

What’s a miracle? Let’s go with this definition: a surprising and welcome event that is not explicable by natural or scientific laws and is therefore considered to be the work of a divine agency.

Make the sun move backwards across the sky. Make an ocean part down the middle where people can walk across it on dry land. Turn water into gold or river pebbles into diamonds. Amazing stuff like that, huh?

That’s what Herod Antipas wanted. Bring that magical Jew in here so he can perform for me. Yeah, that would be amazing stuff.

How about, cause a person to stop their daily walk to give a drink of water to a tired person sitting against a building in their dirty clothes with their shopping basic containing all their worldly junk? How’s that for a miracle? Not much amazing stuff there, but that is “a surprising and welcome event that is not explicable.”

I believe God works miracles everyday right in front of everyone. Just notice.

Well, Herod wasn’t all bad, was he? The verse begins with, “Herod was delighted at the opportunity to see Jesus.” That’s a pretty good start. I believe that most people today are in that situation. Let’s bring Jesus to them.