That day Herod and Pilate became friends—before this they had been enemies. – Luke 23:12

Today's Scripture Reading (January 4, 2021): Luke 23

"The enemy of my enemy is my friend." The earliest known expression of the proverb is found in a Sanskrit essay on international relations that dates to the fourth century B.C.E. It has formed our understanding of alliances throughout history. During the Second World War, the policy became foundational as the Western Allies joined forces with the Soviet Union against Nazi Germany. No trust had existed between Britain and the Soviet Union prior to the war, and even during the war, there was an unhealthy competition between the nations. Still, the destabilizing effect of Nazi Germany in Europe meant that these traditional enemies had to come to an understanding to defeat Adolf Hitler. The countries were divided on almost every political issue imaginable but united in their fear of Adolf Hitler and his military machine. The friendship between the Western Allies and Russia lasted as long as Hitler was a threat. But as soon as Nazi Germany had been defeated, the friendship ended, and the Cold War began.

Herod Antipater and Pontius Pilate wanted different things politically. In many ways, they were competitors. Herod Antipater was the son of Herod the Great, King of the Jews. Properly understood, Antipater was never a king, although it is likely that he wanted to be. Pilate was primarily a military leader responsible for policing and raising taxes in Judea. For Herod, life was about personal power; Herod wanted to answer to no one. For Pilate, everything he did was in service of Rome, or his administration would end. And the two quests for power never coincided with each other, until now.

Luke 23 tells the story of three people/groups of people who opposed Jesus. The religious hierarchy feared Jesus and the damage that he might do to their carefully constructed lives. Herod never took Jesus seriously. He was a joke, and a source of entertainment to the "want to be" king. The crowd shaped Pilate's reaction to Jesus. He had the most positive response to Jesus but refused to make an unpopular stand to defend him. All of these groups had different aims, different things that they wanted to achieve with their lives. Often their paths led them to fight each other, but, at this moment, they were unified by the one who was seen as a danger to all of their aspirations, Jesus Christ.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: John 18