+ Our gospel passage for today is brief but poignant. The
legitimate tetrarch – or one of the four designated Roman rulers of a region –
that is, Herod - heard all about the goings-on of Jesus: the flurry of
inquisitiveness that Jesus was stirring up: by his persuasive words and
astonishing deeds.
Because he was so much
different from other people, Herod too was curious. He was interested no doubt
from an innocent bystander point of view, or from a legitimate authority who
feels stirrings of a threat-to-power from one who appears maybe a bit more than
merely human.
The people, his subjects, tell
him that maybe John the Baptist, whom Herod had put to death, has come back
from the dead. This might be a real possibility because he knew that John was a
very powerful and holy man – and that his dead could easily have been
prevented.
But Herod knew that this was
probably not likely, so, regarding Jesus, he was curious.
This sense of curiousness
about things that appear to be “divine-or-heavenly-sent” actually is a native
curiosity born into us, by the Creator who gives us life and soul, who gives us
purpose and meaning, who gives us a share in his own life.
Anyone and everyone is “called
to curiosity!” called to investigativeness, called to question, to know and to
respond in a thoughtful, reasoned, inspired way. The questions who, what, when,
where, why must lead to insight, light, knowledge, which then leads to “so, how
does this affect not only me, but others – all of my brothers and sisters in
the human family?”
Of course, Jesus is the WAY,
the TRUTH and the LIFE we all are searching for – so investigating,
questioning, being-with Jesus – all day long – in many and varied ways – will
calm us, cure us, and lead us – forth into a more managed and productive day:
in the light of the Kingdom that we are commissioned by our baptisms to be
stewards of!
Open our eyes, ears, minds and
hearts, O Lord, that we may consider the wonders of your law, your love and your
insistence that we all be happy people both now and forever!
Amen.
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