Christmas 10. 3 January 2014

image by kslyesmith

by Pastor Eric Thompson

"Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, "Rise, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you, for Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy him." And he rose and took the child and his mother by night and departed to Egypt and remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet, "Out of Egypt I called my son."

Then Herod, when he saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, became furious, and he sent and killed all the male children in Bethlehem and in all that region who were two years old or under, according to the time that he had ascertained from the wise men. Then was fulfilled what was spoken by the prophet Jeremiah:

"A voice was heard in Ramah,
weeping and loud lamentation,
Rachel weeping for her children;
she refused to be comforted, because they are no more."

(Matthew 2:13--18, ESV)

The slaughter of the innocents. This is how this event is often described in biblical literature. Every male infant in Bethlehem and the surrounding region was murdered when the wise men didn't bring Herod back the information he wanted regarding the birth of the King of the Jews. Mass murder resulted from the fear, insecurity, and egomania of a king who had no real power to begin with.

This episode serves to demonstrate the juxtaposition of the Kingdom of God against the kingdoms of this world. God sent his Son into the world in order that through him the world might be saved. He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil--a demonstration of God's presence. Yet, the kingdoms of this world are ultimately self-serving. Their interest is not in welfare but in power. Herod had no interest in the real benefit that God's true King could bring to him and to the people in salvation. His only desire was to preserve himself and what luxuries his position afforded him. If hundreds of babies had to die to make this possible, it was a price he proved willing to let others pay.

Countless mothers experienced the enormous grief that comes from the loss of a child. Even to this day sin's hold on the hearts of men leads to untold devastation. Though the Healer has come people still hang their hopes on whatever power, comfort, or control they might wring from this world. Because people serve themselves rather than love others the powerful oppress the weak and lives get destroyed. That such a thing could be done by a Jew to other Jews prompts the "weeping of Rachel." How clear it is at such a moment to see that things are not as they should be. It is into this world that Jesus came.

Take some time to consider the following. Perhaps it would be helpful to record your responses in a journal.

Where do you see people suffering because of the evil that remains in our world, especially at the hands of oppressive powers? As Rachel wept for her devastated family, how should we react when we see those whose lives are being wasted by such oppression? How might we carry on the ministry of Jesus in such a world?

Here is a prayer in response to today's text. You can pray this as your own or use it as a prompt for a spontaneous prayer.

Father, our presence in this world is a mixture of joy and sorrow. We have joy because our Savior has come. We have sorrow because we still see around us the fallout of the continued presence of evil. We are reminded not only of Rachel's weeping, but of the tears of our Savior, the longing in his heart as he stood overlooking Jerusalem--crying out for the reconciliation that could have been theirs if they had only listened and believed. Our trust is in Jesus who makes all things right. Our hope is in his return when all the spiritual and physical manifestations of evil will ultimately be defeated. In the meantime help us live as people who have seen the coming of our Savior and who share your heart for the salvation of the world. May our joy come not because we ignore or reject the suffering of this world but with eyes wide open and hearts filled with the hope that it will not always be this way.