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There's no sweeter sound in this world than the sound of a baby laughing. On the other hand, there's little that speaks more of vulnerability than the sight of a crying or suffering infant. Rev. Lehotsky went on to share that a small group had gathered at his church the previous Wednesday evening to remember Annette. Born to immigrant parents living in one of the apartments owned by the church, Annette was born with multiple birth defects and serious problems. There was no way that Maria could bring her daughter home. For seven months, she visited Annette twice every day in the hospital. The family lavished Annette with love, fully aware that it might never be compensated or even comprehended. The prognosis wasn't good. Despite the best efforts of doctors, nurses and public health workers, Annette's short life ended this month, less than two weeks before Christmas. Her parents had looked daily for answers to their daughter's problems and were left only with her death but they are grateful for the promise born in Bethlehem, more than for any material things. Even as they mourned the loss of their child, they expressed gratitude for the one in whose arms Annette is now safe and secure. Rev. Lehotsky wrote: "We are reminded, too often, that life in this world is not exactly as the Creator had intended." |
For anyone who has lost a child, the sadness and trauma of losing that child, regardless whether that child was healthy or sick, is something that someone never gets over. It is a grief that they will carry with them to their grave.
It is difficult to imagine the horror that must have swept throughout all of Bethlehem and the surrounding area, when Herod's decree to kill all children who were two years or under was carried out. And let's be realistic, I doubt that Herod's killing squad bothered to ask the age of the children. I think it would be safe to believe that any child that looked remotely close to two years of age, whether they were two or three years old or even older it was of no consequence to them, they slaughtered them all. And as some translations suggest that only the boy infants were slaughtered I also doubt that they bothered much to check their gender.
Children, one moment safe within their homes, some sleeping, some in their mother's arms, others playing; and the next moment a family is shattered as before their very eyes these children are grabbed from their cribs, ripped from their parents arms, dragged out of their homes and then savagely slaughtered.
I wonder how many of these parents had heard the promise of a Messiah coming one day and now the message that this Messiah had been born? How many of them had heard the shepherds share the message of how the angel's appeared to them announcing the Savior's birth and how the shepherds came and found Mary and Joseph and the baby Jesus just as the angels had told them? If they hadn't heard it directly from the shepherds I am sure word of mouth had spread the message since it was probably at least a year or more since the birth of Christ.
Oh how their hearts must have been filled with gladness of such good news, their long awaited Messiah had been born. What a promise of a glorious and wonderful future.
And now, there was wailing and loud lamentation, and they refused to be consoled because their children were no more.
One could not blame them if their faith was shattered, for where was God when this happened? How could God have let this happen? I'm sure that any mention or suggestion of a Saviour's birth fulfilling the promise of the long awaited Messiah now rang hollow for them.
And today what are we to do with this event? Maybe we could suggest that the event never occurred? Maybe we could remove this story from the Bible. Why do we have to hear about such horrible things anyway?
If you had just had the gospel message shared with you this Christmas and you thought you'd like to start attending church and this was your first Sunday service, what would you think of such a message? Would it be enough to distinguish any fire of faith that may have started in your heart? If so, don't fret for you are not alone, even some church leaders have seemed to become somewhat faint or wearisome of hearing this story. If you read the preamble before today's gospel lesson there seems to be doubt as to whether or not the slaughter of the Bethlehem children even took place. Recently, I questioned one of our church leaders about this at the Synod Convention and was very disappointed that this person seemingly shared the view of the preamble and not the Word of God.
I don't profess to understand everything that is found written in the Holy Bible. But I do know that my understanding is not a criterion to validate God's word. As more and more of man's history here on Earth is unearth, Biblical statements that at one time seemed outlandish or foolish have now been proven to be true. For me I will put my trust in the word of God first. It is an act of faith.
Now regarding this event that took place, we must remember that Herod from the very start wanted this Christ child to die. That is why he asked the wise men to return and tell him where the Christ child was. Oh, he claimed it was so that he also might come and worship him, but his intent was to kill him. It's funny how Herod had gathered the chief priests and scribes of the people to determine where this Christ child was to be born and even though they knew that their prophets had written that the child would be born in Bethlehem, there is no record of these Godly people trying to find this child and worship Him. One can't help but feel that though they may not have wanted to kill the baby Jesus, they were indifferent to his birth. It should have been them that warned the wise men not to come back, it should have them that sought out Joseph and Mary and warned them to flee to Egypt. But it seems they were silent. God sent an angel in a dream to warn Mary and Joseph and the wise men of this.
What kind of person would order the slaughter of innocent little children? What deep seeded evil has to be present to override what good may be found in a man's heart? For those who might think that Herod would not have done such a hideous deed, it actually fits in quite well with his character. Though not in the Bible, other records show that Herod apparently had two of his own sons assassinated, another son who tried to assassinate Herod was executed just five days before his own death; as well he also had his wife Mariamne executed. One can't help but to think of a recent ruler, Sadam Hussein, who also had two of his sons executed. When we are dealing with human nature there is no depth that some will not sink to, to acquire or retain power.
We need only to look back at recent history to understand how gruesome and heartless man can be. Think about Hitler and those who carried out his command to try and eradicate the Jewish people. Look at the millions of Ukrainians that experienced genocide under the rule of Stalin. Look at the so called ethnic cleansing attempts between the Serbs and Bosnians that took place in what was once Yugoslavia. There are countless other examples, some even right here within our own country, some not so brutal, others just as brutal for there is no time in human history that is not filled with the sinfulness and ugliness of mankind.
Today's gospel lesson only helps to reveal the depravity of mankind. From the first murder recorded in human history, that of Cain killing his brother Abel to our very present times, all of these horrific events point to the need for a Saviour. Some people get angry with God for these atrocities, putting the blame at God's feet; but these events are not some awful punishment sent our way by God but rather they are the result of a sick and sinful world, a world that wants nothing to do with God.
Our ability to love pales so poorly when compared to God's love. We can't even begin to understand God's love for us. God could have (and many feel He should have) wiped us off the face of the Earth but He didn't.
| "For God loved the world that He sent his only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him, should not perish but have everlasting life." (John 3:16) |
Jesus came to die in our place for our sins. If he had not done this than every one of us, you and I and every person that ever lived would have to die and face eternal punishment for the sins that we have committed.
In our gospel lesson today possibly some would identify with Joseph and Mary, young parents with baby in arms, uncertain of what the future holds, fleeing for their safety. Others might identify more with the parents who lamented over the lost of their children, because they have lost a child recently or they know someone who has. But how many of us here would identify with Herod or with those who carried out his decree of murder?
As enlightened as we may feel we have become in this day and age, human nature has not changed. We still battle with all the sins and temptations that were recorded thousands of years ago in the Bible. And by the law, the commandments, we all stand guilty of sin, sentenced to die not only a physical death but also a spiritual death of everlasting separation from God.
Were it not for the fact that we have asked Christ to come into our lives and that we seek Him daily through prayer, studying of His word and worship we would not be any different than Herod and his henchmen.
And no matter what "new" philosophy comes forth, what "new" idealism formulates in the mind of man, no matter what new advances are made on the frontiers of space or in the laboratories of this world everything still points to the need of a Savior.
Look how we continue to slaughter millions of innocent unborn children today. We give it a nicer name and we put some ribbons on it but it's still murder done under the pro-choice banner. And our silence on the matter is seen as our condoning of it. Our hands are just as bloody. In North America alone in the past 25 years there have been over 35 million abortions. Think about it, that's like wiping out all of Canada and then some.
I wonder in what fashion the historians will try to whitewash this dark time in human history. Maybe they just won't talk about it, or they'll try and say the numbers were small, too small to mention.
There are many that don't want to accept the fact that God sent Jesus to die for their sins because then they would have to acknowledge their wrongdoings and their need for a Saviour and they'd have to repent and stop doing what they're doing. But if there is no God, then we are God. The moral code of the day is what rules. Our definition of love becomes God's love. And so many religious leaders today are clamoring to embrace this new, and yet so very old, philosophy. It's a philosophy that was around in the Garden of Eden. Do not be deceived.
Do you identify with Herod?
In 1961, Adolf Eichmann, who was the architect of the Nazi Holocaust was put to trial in Nuremberg. One of the people who testified against Eichmann was a man by the name of Yehiel Dinur. Eighteen years earlier Eichmann had sent him to Auschwitz concentration camp. Dinur walked into the courtroom, looked at Eichmann and fainted. Why did he faint? There are several good reasons. It may have been those haunting memories of the past. It may have been out of fear or hatred. But the real answer came from Dinur, himself. He said: "When I looked at Eichmannn, I did not see a monster. I didn't see a strong officer, I simply saw a man. I fainted because I saw a man just like me. On that day Yehiel Dinur discovered the truth. He discovered that he was a sinner. His life would never be the same.
If you don't know Jesus as your Lord and Saviour then I invite you, I plead with you to make that decision today and invite Him into your life. For we never know when our time on Earth is through. Tomorrow or some other time may be too late. There is no sin so great that cannot be or will not be forgiven by God. He waits with open arms to welcome you.
Without Christ, we are poor lost sinners heading to death and damnation. Be careful not to say that we are better than this person or that person, or that we would never do this or do that horrible thing, for but for the Grace of God, there go you and I.
As Christ is our Lord and Saviour may we stand up and challenge the evils of this world. For the evil power that wanted to destroy the baby Christ two thousand years ago is still trying to do away with Him today.
In this Christmas season let's give thanks and praise for the birth of our Lord Jesus and let us look forward with great anticipation of his coming again. My prayer is that we may all go through the fiery ordeal so that we may rejoice that we are sharing in Christ's suffering, so that we can also be glad and shout for joy when His Glory is revealed.
Come Lord Jesus!
Amen!
? 2003 Bill Rumley All Rights Reserved