By: Rev. David Wilson Rogers
Jesus grew closer and closer to the Holy City—the city that would ultimately witness his execution on the cross—and he continued to teach, heal, and proclaim God’s sovereignty over a world increasingly hostile to God’s love. Aware of the growing tension and nervous anticipation surrounding the sacred festival in Jerusalem, some Pharisees sought him out with what appeared to be a dire warning. “Get out of Jerusalem,” they urgently warned him. “Herod wants to kill you!”
Undaunted, Jesus responded with seemingly uncharacteristic insults and prophetic proclamations. Jesus boldly responds to the Pharisees referring to King Herod as a fox and then goes on to essentially say that he will not be intimidated by the idol threats of a rich aristocrat who is more concerned with power and wealth than fulfilling God’s ministry.
In the Jewish culture of Jesus’ time, to call someone a fox was to say that person was a liar, an imposter, or someone who was too slimy and conniving to be trusted. It was an in-your-face slam against the established ruler of Galilee, King Herod. Jesus was calling the king a liar, a cheat, and a worthless imposter who deceives and corrupts the people with his arrogance.
Herod Antipas was certainly a shadowy person. He was the man responsible for having John the Baptizer executed. John was publicly critical of Herod’s incestuous marriage and since John was gaining broad popularity as an outspoken prophet of God, Herod sought to have him silenced before John could undermine his tenuous rule over Galilee. Later, when Jesus began to command attention from the people, Herod again became fearful of the idea that such a person would destabilize his authority.
Jesus’ response to the warning was not only insulting, but defiant. He tells the Pharisees that he is going to keep on healing and casting out demons until his work is finished. He goes on to say that Herod is incapable of killing him because Herod’s territory does not include Jerusalem and that Jesus must die in Jerusalem. In an interesting twist of fate, after Jesus is arrested in Jerusalem, Pilate sends Jesus to Herod to stand trial, but Jesus remains silent. The cunning fox is unable to bait Jesus into betraying himself or validating a way for Herod to personally carry out the threat of death, so Herod ends up sending Jesus back to Pilate for conviction and sentencing. The fox could not kill Jesus so it was left up to Rome to carry out the vile task.
Subtle symbolism is not lost on the images of animals when it comes to the delicate balance of power between Jewish leaders like Herod and the Roman authority that ruled the land. The rule of the Emperor was symbolized by the eagle and it was universally understood that the regal bird represented the unrelenting power of Rome—a power that would seek to destroy God through the murder of Jesus Christ.
Long before this threat was issued, when Herod first became aware of Jesus and the ministry of God’s Kingdom, there were some who were star-struck by the illusion of power and prominence they felt they could gain by being followers of Jesus. In an interesting play on words and symbolic meaning, Jesus reminds them that foxes and birds have their homes, but Jesus Christ has no place to lay his head. In a subtle, yet profound way, Jesus reminds us all that power, wealth, military might, and governmental authority are from the realm of corrupt Herod and evil Rome. The way of Christ is one of sacrifice, service, and surrender.
