Herod never found the baby Jesus...

    "There was a reason Herod never found the baby Jesus. He never went looking for Him. You can't find Jesus sitting on your couch." ~ Father Dan
     I started thinking about Herod. Why did he not go find the Child himself? Too busy? Lazy? Accustomed to others doing his leg work? Maybe he wouldn't have wanted to be so near the Christ. After all, Herod knew Who this Child was... and Who He was to be. 
     The "King Herod" from the time of Jesus's birth was Herod the Great. He was a ruthless, barbarian tyrant, who killed anyone who threatened his position as king. He was responsible for the slaughter of the holy innocents, among many other people, including family members... even his own sons.
     The "Herod" from the story of John the Baptist was Herod the Great's son, Herod Antipas. He loved to listen to John the Baptist, but he refused to obey his message. The Baptist had warned that it was wrong for Herod to take his own brother's wife, Herodius, as his lover, so he had John imprisoned. Herod had John executed to please Herodias's dancing daughter, with whom Herod was so delighted.
     He also cooperated with Pilate in the execution of Jesus.
     Both Herods were wildly consumed with the seven deadly sins... pride, jealousy, avarice, lust, gluttony, anger, and sloth.
     Jesus is the antithesis of these men.
     No wonder they wanted nothing to do with Him, but to destroy Him.
     Yesterday's Gospel told the story about the feeding of the five thousand. Jesus had just been rejected in his own hometown, by those who should have known Him the best. The feeding of the five thousand immediately follows the recount of the execution of John the Baptist.
     So, Jesus left his hometown, and taught and ministered to other towns nearby. When He and his friends left, word got out where they had gone, and the people, in their spiritual hunger, went to find Him. And they were part of one of the most famous miracles in history.
     Spiritually hungry? You won't find Jesus sitting on your couch.