The Fourth Day of Christmas
The Fourth Day of Christmas is a difficult one.
Today is the the Feast Day of the Holy Innocents, one of the most haunting stories of the Gospel of Matthew. The history we read in Matthew is different from story told by the average nativity scene, where the Wise Men are there at the birth of Jesus to offer their gifts. Historians largely believe that the Magi arrived sometime later, meeting toddler Jesus. On the way, they stop to see King Herod, the cruel puppet King of Israel, thinking that the new born king would be in the capital city.
The Magi continue on to Bethlehem when they find the king hasn’t been born in the house of power, but promise Herod that they’ll report back to him with they find Jesus. Realizing in dreams that Herod intends harm for the young boy, the Magi go home by another road, while Mary, Joseph, and Jesus flee to Egypt, having also been warned in a dream that disaster was coming. Scripture continues with dark tragedy:
“When Herod knew the magi had fooled him, he grew very angry. He sent soldiers to kill all the children in Bethlehem and in all the surrounding territory who were two years old and younger, according to the time that he had learned from the magi.”
“When Herod knew the magi had fooled him, he grew very angry. He sent soldiers to kill all the children in Bethlehem and in all the surrounding territory who were two years old and younger, according to the time that he had learned from the magi. "
We want to look away from stories in the Bible like this; it’s easy to skip forward and pretend we didn't see it. Similarly, it can be easy for Christians today to get into our lanes and ignore what’s happening around us, to focus on individualism and only on what’s ours. However, the Bible is clear: in Christ, there’s no such thing as not our child. The children at the southern border, in Palestine, in Ukraine, in Sudan, and everywhere in between and around the world are created in the image and likeness of God, just as the children ordered to be massacred by Herod were.
Krum, Texas is full of children, and growing with new kids every week. Our ISD could very well quadruple in size over the next decade … so, community, how will we look out for the innocent among us? Provide for their safety, food, education, and everything a child needs to grow and know that they’re loved and respected? And where will Community UMC fit in? The world is big, but this is where God has called us to be.
In Christ,
Pastor Jarrod