"The three Magi before Herod", France, early 15th century. Stained glass: colored glass, grisaille; lead. Artist/Maker - Unknown. Restored by F. Pivet, 1999.
National Museum of the Middle Ages – The Baths and Hôtel de Cluny, Paris, France
Matthew 2:7-9
Then Herod secretly called for the wise men and learned from them the exact time when the star had appeared. Then he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, ‘Go and search diligently for the child; and when you have found him, bring me word so that I may also go and pay him homage.’Prayer:
Direct us, O Lord, in all our doings, with thy most gracious favor, and further us with thy continual help; that in all our works begun, continued, and ended in thee, we may glorify thy holy Name, and finally by thy mercy, obtain everlasting life; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen(Book of Common Prayer, p. 832)
Image from Wiki.
UPDATE: On Sunday last, Tobias Haller preached on Herod. His sermon, titled Evil In High Places, is excellent.
We do need to keep our eyes open and to be, as Jesus himself warned us, as wise as serpents and as innocent as doves — — there are crooks and villains aplenty in this world of ours; corruption loves its comfortable seat in the halls of power and some seated there are smooth and clever, able to deceive even the elect.Ah, but you really must read the entire sermon. It's good.
But only for a time — their doom is sure. Justice may be deferred but it will not be denied, and the villains in high places and on their lofty thrones — or in their posh boardrooms or their corner offices — will find their stolen power slipping away, slipping through their greedy fingers.
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And so, good people, take courage. Merry Christmas! Happy New Year! Have confidence that though evil and wickedness may seem for a time to run the show, the curtain will soon come down on their last performance. Christmas is the preview of that promise, and it reminds us that God has come among us to give us power to discern and avoid evil, and ultimately in and with his strength, to defeat it.
