"Immediately an angel of the Lord struck him down, because he did not give God the glory, and he was eaten by worms and breathed his last." — Acts 12:23 (ESV)
Our reflection is from the Acts of the Apostles, Chapter 12:19b-25, which tells about the story of King Herod who killed his soldiers just because he did not find Peter. Due to his arrogance, after some time God himself took his life. Herod envied a lot because Peter was Jesus’ disciple and he was telling the good news about the kingdom of God that was Jesus Himself.
The sins of envy, pride and greed are the most dangerous poisons for our lives. God gave us talents according to our abilities. The talents given should be developed for the good of others. If you are doing nothing, evils are happy to tease you again and again. They would not easily give up before they could have you follow them. Herod wanted to rule the kingdom for the rest of his life, that’s why he hated Jesus and His followers so much.
Out of envy and jealousy, Herod sacrificed the lives of so many babies in Israel, as well as soldiers and many others innocent Israelites. Herod did not acknowledge the existence and power of God, and so he never felt peace during his life. Even though all his needs were fulfilled, there was always something lacking, so he never stopped looking for and even killing so many people to be able to get what he wanted.
Let's reflect and try to look at ourselves, maybe sometimes we are like Herod who was never satisfies with what God has given us in our lives? If so, it's never too late to stop chasing wealth, positions, reputations and fame because if one day we die, we will return to the dust. In front of death and God’s power, not a single treasure we should be proud of.
Reflection on Acts 12:19-25 by Sr. Yanti Purnawati SFSC
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