I have waited several days before writing this blogpost...But felt led to do so with the prayer that it may be read and heard and pondered long after the Advent/Christmas season is over. I write it in light of the tragic event at Newtown, CT last Friday, an event that has now made the slaughter of the innocents of that first Christmas long ago a very contemporary story which is emblazened in our collective memory as a nation this year.
The story from Matthew's Gospel (Chapter Two) is often read in churches AFTER Christmas since it is part of the church's celebration of Epiphany (sad that many churches do not even honor Epiphany Sunday anymore). Perhaps we neglect it because this part of the Christmas story cannot be sentimentalized or celebrated. So why is it there in the Bible and right there in the Christmas Story?
Here is Matthew's Account (TNIV translation):
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 make a careful search for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him." After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen when it rose went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route. When they had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. "Get up," he said, "take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him." So he got up, took the child and his mother during the night and left for Egypt, where he stayed until the death of Herod. And so was fulfilled what the Lord had said through the prophet: "Out of Egypt I called my son." When Herod realized that he had been outwitted by the Magi, he was furious, and he gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two years old and under, in accordance with the time he had learned from the Magi. Then what was said through the prophet Jeremiah was fulfilled: "A voice is heard in Ramah, weeping and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children and refusing to be comforted, because they are no more." (from Jeremiah 31:15)
I want to share some thoughts I have been pondering over these last few days...They are still a bit raw but here they are the best I can present them for now.
1) Children are a gift from God. When God decided to show up on this planet, he came in the form of a child. When that child grew up in "wisdom and stature before God and men" he welcomed the children, was overjoyed at their willingness to praise God and even said that if the rest of us wanted any part in His Kingdom, we would have to become like children. In the end, we can easily see that every child is a child of God in light of The Child of God whose birth we celebrate this season and The Father who sent Him and the Spirit of God which made it happen. Children matter to God alot!
2) Parents have a huge responsibility in taking care of the gift of children God has given. Mary and Joseph paid attention to God when God showed up and said things to them concerning their child. Mary and Joseph obeyed God when He told them to do something, even things that did not immediately make sense, for the good of their child and in the recognition that this child was going to be very significant in the plans, purposes and promises of God. We must come alongside parents in their God given calling to raise children in these most challenging of times.
3) Government has a God-given responsibility to protect the innocent, commend the good and act justly in the face of evil and wrong-doing. The Church and every Christian is called upon to pray and work for a government that takes their God given calling seriously.
4) Evil is always a possibility and can become a reality when the "principalities, powers and authorities" collude together and when good people say or do nothing. Evil is always disturbed by the presence of goodness and will always seek to destroy any and all life which bears the mark of God's goodness, beauty and truth. Evil is threatened and will even escalate in its intensity in the face of goodness. Paul's reminder that our battle is not against flesh and blood but against the principalities, powers and authorities and that we are to "put on the armor of God" in the face of evil. (Ephesians 6)
Like those words long ago from Matthew who is quoting Jeremiah the Old Testament prophet, today we can also say:
"A voice is heard in Newtwon, weeping and great mourning, families weeping for their children and refusing to be comforted because their children are no more."
God weeps with those who weep. Jesus said "Blessed are those that mourn, for they shall be comforted." And we weep with those who weep this Christmas. We mourn with those who mourn this Christmas. And yet in Jesus Christ, we want to hear, know and experience God's blessing of comfort for all those who have lost the ones they loved so deeply and will miss so much in the days, months, years ahead. And we know that there is a day coming when there will be no more pain, violence, death, mourning and so with the ancient church we pray Maranatha "Come Lord Jesus Come"...As you came long ago, come now. Amen.
In the midst of grief, I have found these two poems (given to me by my friend Jonathan Wilson, professor of theology at Carey College in Vancouver, BC) very healing:
WALKING WITH GRIEF
Do not hurry as you walk with grief; it does not help the journey.
Walk slowly, pausing often: do not hurry as you walk with grief.
Be not disturbed by memories that come unbidden.
Swiftly forgive; and let Christ speak for you unspoken words.
Unfinished conversations, will be resolved in Him.
Be not disturbed.
Be gentle with the one who walks with grief.
If it is you, be gentle with yourself.
Swiftly forgive; walk slowly, pausing often.
Take time, be gentle as you walk with grief.
Author Unknown
COME NOW
Come now live in us.
Let us stay in You, since if we be all in You,
We cannot be far from one another,
Though some may be in heaven and some upon the earth.
George MacDonald
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