“But Herod said, ‘John I beheaded. Who then is this about whom I hear such things?’ And he kept trying to see him” (Luke 9:9).
If Herod had really wanted to see Jesus, he could have.
Why was Herod so afraid to see Jesus? We can tell from his words and actions that he had a spark of something inside of him that was drawing him to Christ. But what made him stop trying to see Him? What kept him from getting to know Jesus?
In the book of Sirach, we hear that “the beginning of pride is man’s stubbornness withdrawing his heart from his maker” (Sirach 10:12). What is this? Was the root of Herod’s trouble stubbornness and pride?
How often do we find ourselves stymied in our relationship with Jesus? We want to get closer to Him, but something is holding us back. Could it be, like Herod, that we succumb to stubbornness and pride?
The good thing is that Jesus promises to be with us and to guide us continuously if we listen to Him. If we admit our stubbornness and pride, He will forgive us and grant us the grace to see all we long for.
