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Continuing our analysis of the penultimate chapter of Luke’s Gospel, this week, please read verses 3-12. If possible, use a different translation each day, asking God to open your eyes to fresh revelation from His Word.
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Luke 23:11-12 (NLT)
‘Then Herod and his soldiers began mocking and ridiculing Jesus. Finally, they put a royal robe on him and sent him back to Pilate.
(Herod and Pilate, who had been enemies before, became friends that day.)’
Back in August of last year, in one of the devotions, I briefly mentioned the phrase ‘The enemy of my enemy is my friend’? Wikipedia says that ‘The idea behind this is that seemingly opposing parties can actually work together against a common enemy. During World War II, the Western Allies and the Soviet Union, despite their inherent differences, were encouraged to work together against Hitler and Nazi Germany.’
In the current political climate, it’s very hard to imagine how a country like Russia could actually work with and alongside the United Kingdom. There have been accusations thrown in both directions with threats and counter-threats being made regularly. Embassy staff have been withdrawn or expelled in the wake of supposed poisoning in the streets of England. We are beginning to see the return of the Cold War and it is more than a little concerning as we closely monitor the situation. During the second world war, Hitler and Nazi Germany was so widely hated that everyone was prepared to put their differences to one side for a short period of time just so that they could join forces to defeat the threat they all faced. It worked because the principle is true that ‘the enemy of my enemy is my friend’.
Very briefly today, in our verses we learn that Herod Antipas and Pilate had been mutual enemies. We are not told the reason for this but we read in Luke 13:1 that Pilate had murdered some people from Galilee as they were offering sacrifices at the Temple. Herod was ruler of Galilee and I’m pretty sure that he wasn’t happy that Pilate was undermining his authority by executing his own subjects in his own town.
We know from various sources that Pilate resented the Jews and was a brutal and vicious leader. His disdain for Jewish leaders was without doubt and therefore the political leaders such as Herod wouldn’t have been well liked.
What we know for certain is that these former enemies had now been made friends. I expect that Herod was happy that Pilate sent Jesus to him. He probably regarded this as a sign of respect and honour, although I’m sure that Pilate just wanted to abdicate responsibility. Both Herod and Pilate treated Jesus shamefully. They either contributed to the abuse or consented to it. Both were guilty of horrible torture and this joint culpability seems to have drawn them together. They became as thick as thieves.
It is very sad to see people who have met with Jesus, later reject Him and have nothing to do with Him. Very often they join forces with other like-minded people in their opposition to all things that are related to Him and His Kingdom. Hebrews 10:12 says ‘But our High Priest offered himself to God as a single sacrifice for sins, good for all time. Then he sat down in the place of honour at God’s right hand. There he waits until his enemies are humbled and made a footstool under his feet.’ There is a time coming when God’s enemies will be held to account. We certainly take no pleasure in this but it serves as a warning to us all that it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the Living God. I’m so grateful to God that I’m His child and that once I was afar off, but now I’ve been brought close by the Blood of Christ.
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