Reading: Luke 9:7-9

Now Herod the tetrarch heard of all that was done by him: and he was perplexed, because that it was said of some, that John was risen from the dead; And of some, that Elias had appeared; and of others, that one of the old prophets was risen again. And Herod said, John have I beheaded: but who is this, of whom I hear such things? And he desired to see him.

Herod, the ruler of the region, hears about Jesus, about the wonders he does: he has mastered a storm, freed a demoniac, healed a woman beyond repair, and even raised a little girl from the dead.
Who is this? you ask?
Some said that he was the resurrected John. John, whom he himself had arrested for publicly denouncing his immorality and whom he had finally had killed.
Others claimed it was Elijah, another model prophet who exposed the iniquity of the powerful. Or some other prophet…
What is Herod’s reaction to Jesus?
Perplexity. He is filled with that fearful, guilt-ridden amazement. It can’t possibly be John they’re talking about, if he himself has seen him die.
He hears only rumors. The rumors that reach him only fill him with even more fear and uncertainty. What he hears is disturbing.
Curiosity. Luke tells us that he sought to see him. What he feels is curiosity, not a desire to know Jesus in depth. He is inspired by fear, not anything else.

The question remains the same, who is this, and what shall we do with Jesus?

MEDITATE: What drives us toward Jesus: fear, curiosity, tradition, or knowing him deeply? Many people like to pry around Jesus, to quote his words, to add him to their list of gurus, but if we really knew Jesus, our life would never be the same again!!!!.