SERIES: CHRISTMAS CLASSICS
(adapted from a series from Southeast Christian Church)
“HOW THE GRINCH STOLE CHRISTMAS”
MATTHEW 2:1-23
OPEN
Song – “You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch”
Most of us are familiar with Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas. It’s a Christmas Classic that has been enjoyed by millions of people. Everyone in Whoville loved Christmas. Everyone, that is, except the Grinch.
The Grinch hated Christmas and made up a plan to spoil the joy of Christmas in Whoville. His plan was to dress up as Santa Claus and go into Who-ville and steal all of their Christmas presents, all of their Christmas trees, and even the food for their Christmas dinners.
Do you know why the Grinch hated Christmas so much? Film Clip: “The Grinch hated Christmas, the whole Christmas season. Now please don’t ask why. No one quite knows the reason. It could be that perhaps his shoes were too tight. It could be that his head wasn’t screwed on just right. But I think that the most likely reason of all may have been that his heart was two sizes too small.”
According to the story, it was because his heart was too small! I hope and pray that none of us would have a heart that is too small. Instead, as Christians we need to ask ourselves, “Is my heart growing larger as I mature in Christ?” Prov. 4:23 says, “Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.”
This morning, I want us to look at a real life Grinch. His name was King Herod and like the Grinch, he hated Christmas. The reason he hated Christmas was that he had a shriveled heart.
As we look at the original Grinch, there is a temptation for us to see Herod as someone completely different from us. He’s the bad guy, we’re the good guys. We tend look at the story of Christmas from the perspective of Mary, Joseph, and the shepherds, but we never imagine ourselves in Herod’s shoes.
I want us to try hard today to not look at Herod as just “the Grinch” in the first Christmas story. While our actions may not be as bad as his, let’s try to identify with his Grinch-like tendencies. After all, Herod started out as an innocent baby. But somewhere along the way, as he grew up, his conscience was seared and his heart started shrinking until it was several sizes too small.
Fred Craddock is a preacher and teacher of preachers that I greatly admire. He points out that Matthew gives us five pictures of King Herod in Matthew Chapt. 2. Let’s look together at these five pictures so that we can avoid the problem of shrinkage of the heart
Picture #1: A DISTURBED KING
Mt. 2:1-3 – “After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, ‘Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him.’ When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him.”
When Herod learns from the Magi that a new king has been born, he is disturbed. Actually calling Herod “disturbed” is putting it mildly. Herod was wicked and evil. He was sick in his mind and in his soul
Here’s a little history that might better explain what I mean. Herod ruled over Palestine for forty years and for the most part he managed to keep the peace - usually because he threatened everyone!
Herod was insanely paranoid. Right after he took the throne, he had the entire Jewish Sanhedrin, seventy of the most influential religious leaders in Jerusalem, put to death. And he didn’t stop there.
During the course of his reign he had his two oldest sons killed because he saw them as threats to his throne.
He killed his wife Mariamne, even though she was the favorite of his dozen or so wives, because he thought she was conspiring against him with one of his sons. He also killed her brother, her mother, and her uncle.
After Herod had killed his sons, Augustus Caesar commented that it would be better to be Herod’s pig than to be Herod’s son. Herod was part Jewish and wouldn’t eat pork. He wouldn’t slaughter a pig but he didn’t have any problem killing members of his family to keep his power.
Now, to be fair, there were some positive things about Herod’s rule. He financed an extensive building program. He built roads and beautiful palaces. He even financed the rebuilding of the Temple and made it one of the wonders of the 1st century.
Herod was very wealthy and at times could be generous. He once melted down his own gold plates to feed starving people during a famine. He had given the Jewish people significant tax cuts two different times. But for the most part Herod was an egotistical and power-hungry leader.
The wise men, the Magi, who came from a far distance probably knew very little of him, so they came innocently saying in v. 2, “We’ve seen a special star that signifies to us the birth of an important king. Do you know where we can find him?” Then we hear in v. 3, “When the king heard this he was disturbed.”
Interestingly it says also that all of Jerusalem was disturbed. The closest example I would know to compare it to would be when Saddam Hussein was in power. If he was disturbed, all of Baghdad would be disturbed because they would know what happens when a ruthless dictator is not happy.
The same thing would have happened in the 1st century. When the people of Jerusalem learned that Herod was upset, everyone got upset. They knew that their lives could be in jeopardy.
The birth of Jesus had Herod very disturbed. Jesus still disturbs people today, especially those who want to protect their own kingdom. Jesus said, “Deny yourself and take your cross and follow me.” That threatens those who live only for themselves.
Jesus came with a different perspective. Those who are greedy don’t like when he said, “Don’t lay up for yourself treasure on earth.” The ambitious person doesn’t like when Jesus said, “The greatest among you will be the servant of all.” The prideful person doesn’t like when he said, “Unless you humble yourself and become like little children you can’t enter the kingdom of God.” The relativists can’t stand when Jesus said, “I am the way the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”
The Grinch was disturbed that the people in Who-ville were having a good time on Christmas. Herod was disturbed by Jesus because he saw him as a threat to his kingdom. It disturbed him that there might be another king of the Jews.
We might wonder how on earth a little child, born in a lowly stable in Bethlehem, could pose such a threat to King Herod. Well, it appears that when we live for ourselves, we lose perspective and reason, then our heart shrinks and we become disturbed. Herod was disturbed by Jesus because he saw him as a threat to his kingdom.
Picture #2: A DECEITFUL KING
Mt. 2:4-8 – “When he had called together all the people’s chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Christ was to be born. ‘In Bethlehem in Judea,’ they replied, ‘for this is what the prophet has written: But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for out of you will come a ruler who will be the shepherd of my people Israel.’ Then Herod called the Magi secretly and
found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. He sent them to Bethlehem and said, ‘Go and make a
careful search for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him.’”
Herod tried to deceive the wise men. He wanted them to give him the information on where this new baby King was located. But Herod had no more intent on worshipping the baby Jesus than the Grinch did of being a real Santa Claus. Herod just wanted to find Jesus and kill Him. He was a deceitful king.
There are a lot of people like Herod who fake an allegiance to Jesus just so they can mask their real agenda. Their real agenda has nothing to do with worshipping Jesus. Jesus said in Mt. 25:4-5 – “Watch out that no one deceives you. For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many.” Just because someone calls him- or herself a Christian, or quotes the Bible, that does not mean you should follow them.
I heard Bob Russell, retired minister from Southeast Christian Church, talk about a popular TV preacher who would say, “Send me $1000 and God will bless you.” Bob said a preacher he knew wrote a letter to that TV preacher saying, “God has already blessed me, now it’s your turn. Send me $1,000 and let God bless you.” That preacher is still waiting for a response. Later the TV preacher was the target of several media investigations showing that he was living a life of incredible extravagance.
The Apostle Paul warned the church elders from Ephesus, in Acts 20:28-31 – “I know that after I leave, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock. Even from your own number men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after them. So be on your guard!”
Don’t get sucked in by deception. Test what people say with the Word of God. Do everything that you do to the glory of God
The big question at this point in the message is: “Are you deceiving people occasionally?” Are you here to worship and serve God or do you have ulterior motives? Are you trying to be consistent? Or do you guard your language at church but frequently use profanity at work? Are you looking up scriptures at church but clicking on Internet pornography at home? Are you willing to sing His praises at church but choosing entertainment that is detrimental to your spiritual growth at home?
Mk. 7:6-7a, Jesus says, “Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you hypocrites; as it is written: ‘These
people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. They worship me in vain…’”
The fact of the matter is that all of us struggle with forms of hypocrisy from time to time. The warning is that we need to be aware of the struggle and strive to stop the hypocrisy. If we don’t, it will shrink our hearts to the point where there is no room for anything spiritual.
Picture #3: A DECEIVED KING
Mt. 2:9-12 – “After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen in the east went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold and of incense and of myrrh. And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route.”
These fellows aren’t known as “wise men” for nothing. They were wise enough to bow down and worship the baby Jesus but they didn’t worship King Herod. They were wise enough to know that when they received a message from God to go the other way and stay away from Herod, they went the way God told them to go.
The Bible clearly presents the choice of going two ways: one way is foolish and the other is wise. The book of Proverbs is full of comparisons between foolish thoughts and behavior and wise thoughts and behavior. Jesus ended the Sermon on the Mount with the parable of the builders. The foolish builder built his house upon sandy soil that gives way during the storms of life. The wise builder built his house upon solid soil made of bedrock that stood firm during the storms of life. The foolish person builds on sand because they only hear the word of God but do not follow the word of God. The wise person both hears and obeys.
Vs. 16 – “When Herod realized that he had been outwitted by the Magi, he was furious.” Herod, the deceiver, had now became the deceived.
God will only allow people to pretend for so long. Gal. 6:7-9 – “Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life.” Num. 32:23 – “Be sure, your sin will find you out.”
It doesn’t always happen quickly, and it may not occur until the final judgment but eventually un-repented sin will come back to bite you The deceitful king had traveled the wrong path for so long that he allowed himself to become the deceived king
Picture #4: A VENGEFUL KING
Mt. 2:16-18 – “When Herod realized that he had been outwitted by the Magi, he was furious, and he gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two years old and under, in accordance with the time he had learned from the Magi. Then what was said through the prophet Jeremiah was fulfilled: ‘A voice is heard in Ramah, weeping and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children and refusing to be comforted, because they are no more.’”
You can’t get much lower than killing innocent children. Fred Craddock said, “It’s hard to believe. The
lullaby of the manger scene turns to the screams of horrified mothers.” How can angels announce news of great joy, and then so quickly the scene change to this horrible event? A king with a heart too small wanted
vengeance!
Years later Jesus would tell His disciples in Jn. 15:18 – “If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first.” The world has always been opposed to the good news of Jesus. Even in America, there are people who do not want us to even wish each other a “Merry Christmas.” They say that it is offensive to those who do not believe in Christ.
Several years ago, the county government of Broward County, Florida told a church that they couldn’t have the words, “Jesus is the Reason for the Season” included in their public Christmas display. The church filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court claiming they had the First Amendment right to display those words. Judge William Zloch agreed with the church’s “free speech: argument and allowed them to keep the words in their display as long as the church phrased it this way: “Calvary Chapel says: Jesus is the Reason for the Season.”
When you are tempted to wimp out and say “Happy Holidays” or send a generic card, remember what Jesus said in Lk. 9:26 – “If anyone is ashamed of me and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes in his glory and in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels.”
We should never be ashamed of Jesus. But we also have to be careful that we do not get vengeful in our response to people. Be careful that we do not return evil for evil. Rom. 12:21 – “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”
Film clip: The joyous Whos and the Grinch’s change of heart
When the Grinch stole all the Christmas presents in an attempt to stop the celebration, the people in “Who-ville” still sang songs and enjoyed getting together. It was their joyful reaction that changed the Grinch’s attitude and his heart grew three sizes larger. The Grinch returned the gifts and wound up participating in the joyful celebration. In the same way, we need to let the love of Christ shine through our attitudes, even when we come across people who are vengeful.
Picture #5: A DEAD KING
Mt. 2:19-21 – “After Herod died, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt and said, ‘Get up, take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel, for those who were trying to take the child’s life are dead.’ So he got up, took the child and his mother and went to the land of Israel.”
It’s too bad that unlike the Grinch, Herod never repented. His heart never changed. Herod never worshipped the Christ who came to earth to even provide salvation for him.
Jewish historian Josephus relates that Herod died a gruesome death: convulsions, worms, digestive tract problems, kidney failure, and gangrene. Herod realized that when he died, there would be no one who would mourn him. He summoned all the principle heads of the Jewish families in Palestine to come to Jerusalem. Refusal meant the death sentence.
He had them locked up in the horse-racing grounds and then gave orders to his sister that upon his death, all were to be executed. The executions would guarantee that the whole nation would mourn at the time of his death. Fortunately, when he did die, his sister released the captive heads of households and allowed them to return home.
Every one of us will go through experiences this Christmas season that should cause our hearts to grow three
sizes larger. But we also know that there are experiences that can cause our hearts to shrink.
The reality is no matter what your title, how long you reign, how much money you have or even how many great things you might have done; you are going to die just like Herod. Heb. 9:27 tells us that we are “destined to die once, and after that to face judgment.”
Herod was an extraordinarily self-centered man. He was obsessed with power, he was obsessed with money, and he was obsessed with himself. If you’re full of yourself, then there’s no room for Jesus
CLOSE
James Martin tells about a trip to the Holy Land. While there, he buys a nativity set for his Sunday School class. It was carved out of olive wood in the town of Bethlehem and had all the traditional figures: sheep and oxen; wise men and the shepherds; Mary, Joseph, and, of course, the baby Jesus.
As he began the return trip home, he had to go through the very strict security at Tel Aviv
airport. He didn’t figure that the nativity set would attract any attention but he was wrong. Each figure was carefully scrutinized and even X-rayed.
Martin asked why they were being so diligent. The security officer explained it this way: “You see, we must make sure there is nothing explosive in them.”
The Christmas story is explosive. It’s part of the dynamite of the Gospel story. There is power in knowing that almighty God loved us enough to come to this earth, be born, live a perfect life, die for our sins, and then raise from the dead and give us the promise of new, abundant, and eternal life.
Jn. 3:16-21 – “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God.”
God gave us a gift, that’s what Christmas is all about. A Grinch feels threatened by Christmas because his heart is two sizes too small. Are you willing to let your heart grow this morning to make room for Christ?
