Luke 9-11

Now Herod the tetrarch heard about all that was going on. And he was perplexed because some were saying that John had been raised from the dead, others that Elijah had appeared, and still others that one of the prophets of long ago had come back to life. But Herod said, “I beheaded John. Who, then, is this I hear such things about?” And he tried to see him. (Luke‬ ‭9:7-9‬)

“And he tried to see him.” Throughout my years of Bible reading and study I have given little thought  to this sentence. Herod Antipas, Son of Herod the Great, tried to see Jesus, and the inference is that he did not or perhaps could not.

There is no small irony here. Herod the Great had tried to “worship” Jesus as a baby. (See the Bible’s book of Matthew, chapter 2.) But His informers, the Magi, returned to their homes in the East, taking the secret of the Christ Child’s location with them.

Now Herod the tetrarch, Herod the Great’s son, wants to see Jesus, indeed, tries to see Jesus. Why would Jesus grant Herod Antipas an audience? He had ordered the execution of John the Baptist, Jesus’ cousin. So he threatened Jesus as a man just as his father had threatened Jesus as a baby.

The words of Jesus in the next chapter of Luke’s gospel certainly apply to both Herods:

     Then he turned to his disciples and said privately, “Blessed are the eyes that see what you see.
     For I tell you that many prophets and kings wanted to see what you see but did not see it,
     and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.” (Luke‬ ‭10:23-24‬)