The Greek word “tarasso” (tar-as’-so). In all seventeen places where it is used – is translated “trouble.” But James Strong defines this “trouble” in several ways – To agitate, to trouble (a thing, by the movement of its parts to and fro). To cause inward commotion, take away someone’s calmness of mind, disturb his equanimity. To strike one’s spirit with fear and dread. To render someone anxious or distressed. Along with these he adds several other closely related meanings. In other words, “When Herod the king had heard these things, he was agitated, and all Jerusalem with him.” Or “when Herod had heard these things, he was struck with fear and dread, and all Jerusalem with him.” Or “when Herod the king had heard these things, he was distressed, and all Jerusalem with him.”
For the sake of time I’m not going to look at all seventeen scriptures where this word is to be found, other than to point you toward them. John tells us that the Lord Jesus was sometimes troubled – at the confusion of Mary and at the unbelief of the disciples who should have known better. And he also tells us that at Gethsemane, Christ was troubled contemplating His upcoming sacrifice and death. Another troubling incident occurred at the pool of Bethesda, where an angel apparently came periodically and agitated the water. Studying these cases, we might learn a little more about the word, but I think that we’ve got enough material in the remaining scriptures.
It needs to be recognized that to varying degrees this is true of every child of Adam at some point during their lives. We may not hold any political office, club vice-presidency, deaconship, or position of authority. But that doesn’t mean that we aren’t kings and queens in our own hearts. The average human being doesn’t want anyone – not even Jehovah – telling him what to do. We might decide that it’s wrong to murder and steal, and in the process we agree with God, but that decision has to be something which we reach independently of the Lord – I am the king. For most people, if stealing appears to be worth the risk, then we will alter our former opinion, no matter what God might say about it. Essentially it boils down to…. “We will not have this man – this Messiah – to reign over us.”
Herod didn’t want to acknowledge that there was anyone or anything above him. He was not only the only king in Israel, but he was the highest judge – the supreme of the supreme. That is another reason why the world tries to hide from the reality of Christ. To acknowledge the King of kings, means that we have to acknowledge Revelation 20:11-14 – “I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire.”
Herod had stolen the throne of David through murder and other sins. He had maintained his seat upon that throne through murder and sin. The very thought of Jehovah’s Christ made him shudder down to the very soles of his feet. Not only do human histories describe the wretchedness of Herod’s heart, but the books of God condemn him far beyond that. And the fact that he was only months away from death didn’t change or help his attitude one bit. You can be sure that on the day that he was cast into Hades, he was shaking his fist toward the God who had condemned him. Herod was “troubled” at news of the birth of the Messiah, because he had no room for the Lord in his heart.
I jotted something down in my notes for consideration as a future message, but I’m not sure that it is large enough for thirty minutes’ consideration. On the other hand it is definitely worthy of a passing comment; it demands some attention. The Magi said that they were looking for “the King of the Jews.” When Herod heard of that, he asked his counselors about where “Christ” should be born. They responded with the prophecy of Micah, and in their paraphrase they spoke of the one who was to be “the Governor” over Israel. Then Herod invited the wise men to meet with him, and he passed on what he had been told. And he concluded that audience with the command that they go and return to Jerusalem, so that he might “worship” the child as well. The next day the Magi found the house of Joseph and they “fell down, and WORSHIPPED.” The thing which struck me was the method by which they honored “the future KING of Israel.” Herod was the only one to use the word “Christ.” The wise men referred to the “King.” And yet, Herod spoke of worshiping Christ, and the Magi actually did. This little child was not merely to be obeyed and honored as a prince – the future king of Israel. This child was already the Messiah – the anointed of the Lord – the Christ. Yes, He must be honoured and obeyed, but above and beyond that – He must be worshiped, as the beloved Son of God, in whom the Lord has always been well pleased. The magi knew, and even Herod knew theologically, that the Messiah was Jehovah.
And yet still, Herod would not admit that this Jesus was the Christ, the Son of God.
But there was more. No one knew for sure how terrible things would become if Herod really lost his head and his temper. He was willing to kill his own children to protect his throne and power. What might he do, if he was told that the Messiah had come, whether He actually had come or not? We know that a few days later he would slaughter a few toddlers down there in Bethlehem. But what if he was told that Joseph and his family had escaped and hidden themselves in Jerusalem? Herod was insane enough to turn over every rock in the capital and kill every child under the age of ten. If Herod was troubled, then all Jerusalem should be troubled, because no one knew how far he would go.
Then there was something else. Bible students should be acquainted with the ups and downs that we see in the Book of Judges. When the people were serving the Lord, it was a joy to live in the Promised Land. But just as God had promised, when Israel chose to live in sin and idolatry, then the Promised Land was not a place of milk and honey. By Matthew 2, for nearly half a millennium, the unfriendly hand of God had been against Israel. First the Greeks and then the Romans and turned Israel into a nation of slaves – again. History also speaks of a dozen of huge national disasters, which brought Israel into poverty. But there had been no Judge to deliver them, and there hadn’t been any true repentance. In other words Israel had not responded wisely to the chastisement of the Lord. They hadn’t learned any lessons from the history of the Judges. Yes, they should be troubled.
Perhaps these things explain the troubled state described here in Matthew 2, but there is another possibility. Remember that the word “troubled” could mean “stirred” or “agitated.” For some people like Anna and Simeon, this news made them more excited and joyful than anything that they had ever heard before. Jerusalem was “troubled” in several ways upon hearing the Magi’s news.
On one occasion, the Lord Jesus had a wonderful service, first teaching and then feeding thousands of people. Afterward, he ordered his disciples into their little fishing boat with instructions to sail home. While in the middle of the Sea of Galilee, a storm came up and the ship began to swamp. But then “in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went unto them, walking on the sea. And when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were TROUBLED, saying, It is a spirit; and they cried out for fear. But straightway Jesus spake unto them, saying, Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid.” This sort of thing had never happened to those men before. And some of them were fishermen, who knew how dangerous storms like this could be. They were all wound tighter than drums, when all of a sudden the Lord came walking towards them. That the Lord Jesus had never done this before, either, so the disciples were even more “troubled.” But essentially, they were troubled only because they had yet to grasp the fact that Jesus Christ is Creator of this universe, and that there is nothing that He cannot do in and over His creation. Even the children of God are sometimes troubled when there isn’t any reason to be troubled. Just a few minutes later the disciples found themselves tying up to the docks at Bethsaida.
Time and time again, we go through this same sort of situation. We are headed to the doctor’s office where we fear that the news isn’t going to be very good. Or a loved one was rushed to the hospital, and we don’t know any of the details. Or we’ve lost our job, or a big contract, and we don’t know how we’re going to be able to pay the bills. We are “troubled,” and we can’t see any way out of this predicament. But we have nothing to fear because the Messiah is coming – Christ is walking across the water toward us.
Many times, our trouble is nothing more than not knowing enough. If Jerusalem had known what it would mean to have the birth of the Messiah down there in Bethlehem, the whole city would have been filled with joy and praise, despite what Herod and his cronies might try to do. If the disciples had known that in a few minutes they would be warming themselves in Bethsaida, they would have welcomed the sight of the Lord Jesus. And if Zacharias had responded to the visit of the angel, he wouldn’t have lost his voice for nine months. Many times, our “trouble” comes as a result of our unbelief. And in this case our “trouble” is sin because whatsoever is not of faith is sin.
Another place where this word is brought up, comes after our Lord’s resurrection. The disciples were gathered together behind closed doors for fear of the Jews. They were discussing what the women had seen at the tomb, and what the two from Emmaus had seen, when all of a sudden, as it had been out there on the sea, there was the Saviour in their midst. “And as they thus spake, Jesus himself stood in the midst of them, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you. But they were terrified and affrighted, and supposed that they had seen a spirit. And he said unto them, Why are ye TROUBLED? and why do thoughts arise in your hearts? Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see.” The exhortation is that when we see Jesus, we must put away our fears and the things that trouble us. There is no problem, no situation, no evil, and no sinner greater than our Saviour. “What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things? Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
In John 14 the Lord Jesus was encouraging His disciples, while telling them that the Millennium was still off in the future. But despite their eschatalogical confusion, they didn’t need to worry. He said, “I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you…. The Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you. Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be TROUBLED, neither let it be afraid.” Obviously, under the blessing of the Lord, we have some control whether or not we are troubled – worried. It is essential that we learn to trust the Lord, and lean not unto our own understanding.
Does that mean that life will always be smooth; there won’t be any problems? Don’t be silly. And yet, even under those circumstance, we have the Lord’s blessing and the Apostle’s exhortations. I Peter 3 – “The eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open unto their prayers: but the face of the Lord is against them that do evil. And who is he that will harm you, if ye be followers of that which is good? But and if ye suffer for righteousness’ sake, happy are ye: and be not afraid of their terror, neither be TROUBLED; But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear.”
I think that I can understand why Herod’s heart was troubled at the thought of the coming of the Messiah. His problem was sin. And if I understand the exhortations that I read elsewhere in the New Testament, I think that whenever we are troubled, the cause is still related to sin of one sort or another. But the Lord has told us, “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be TROUBLED, neither let it be afraid.”
The question with which we are left is – what is your relationship to this Messiah? Herod considered Christ to be his rival, and we must not join him. The solution that our troubled hearts need is submission and surrender to this Messiah. The answer to this kind of trouble is repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.