Disturbed

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 when it rose and have come to worship him.”
When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. When he had called together all the people’s chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Messiah 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 shepherd 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 search carefully for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him.”

Matthew 2: 1-8

Not everyone was excited about the arrival of the Christ child. While the shepherds were glorifying and praising God for what they had seen and heard, King Herod was feeling a bit threatened. After all, the whole idea of being “king” is that you are at the top of the heap. If another king who is greater comes along, that usually means a demotion or death for the lesser king. Imagining that the Messiah would care about the petty and limited powers of an earthly king compared to that of being the Son of God, Herod lays a trap for the child.

Q: What does it say about Herod that he probably thought (A) his power and authority was something the Messiah might want, and (B) that he could actually hope to succeed in thwarting God’s plan?