‘For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people…the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ’
(Titus 2:11, 13)
Scripture Reading (Matthew 2: 13-18)
13 Now after they had left, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, ‘Get up, 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.’ 14 Then Joseph[a] got up, took the child and his mother by night, and went to Egypt, 15 and remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfil what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet, ‘Out of Egypt I have called my son.’
16 When Herod saw that he had been tricked by the wise men,[b] he was infuriated, and he sent and killed all the children in and around Bethlehem who were two years old or under, according to the time that he had learned from the wise men.[c] 17 Then was fulfilled what had been spoken through the prophet Jeremiah:
18 ‘A voice was heard in Ramah,
wailing and loud lamentation,
Rachel weeping for her children;
she refused to be consoled, because they are no more.’
Reflection
We don't often hear how the Christmas story was followed by a horrifying massacre. -according to Matthew, this was the slaughter of new-borns in Bethlehem when Herod couldn't get his hands on the baby Jesus. The joy of Christ's birth was followed by bloodshed in his hometown of Bethlehem. This horror, as we are led to believe in Matthew's narrative, is not documented anywhere else, including the works of the Jewish historian Josephus.
However, this account of a new-born Messiah whose birth is followed by slaughter echoes the story of Moses' birth and the killings commanded by Pharoah in the book of Exodus. It perpetuates a narrative in some Jewish literary traditions, to which Matthew himself is drawn, where the emergence of a significant event is followed by a tragic but futile attempt to obstruct the coming good. It is a story in which the breaking forth of a good thing has a tragic cost. That tragedy, however, is not the end of the story; rather it is an indication of evil's inability to prevail over good.
When we look around us today, there are numerous unfortunate incidents that can dampen optimism and joy. Any form of bad news might have us scratching our heads and asking a lot of questions. The innocent and vulnerable victims of any unfortunate news is even more heart-breaking. However, our survival as human beings is ultimately a story of hope, an often tested but undying hope. It is the promise of a better tomorrow that has dragged us out of the depths of despair and set us on the path to a brighter future.
We see hope fully manifested in Christ Jesus. The assurance that darkness will never have the final say. We may not entirely comprehend why decent and innocent people suffer; but we can be confident that suffering is not the end of the story. As we embark on a new year, a fresh beginning, let us cling to God's mercies and the goodness that will never fail. As we agonise in great sadness when we think of those who are in danger, facing war, starvation, famine, flood, abuse, violence, and death, may we find the strength to keep fighting for hope and hoping for the best. For we believe that although weeping may endure for the night, joy will come in the morning.
Prayer
God of all nations
Your love is without limit and without end
Enlarge our vision of your redeeming purpose for all people
By the example of your son,
Make us ready to serve the needs of the whole world
May neither pride of race nor hardness of heart
Make us despise any for whom Christ died
Or injure any in whom he lives;
Through the same Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen
Blessing
May the Lord bless us
And guard us;
May the Lord make his face shine on us
And be gracious to us;
May the Lord look kindly on us
And give us peace. Amen
Organ Music
J.S.Bach Wer nur den lieben Gott lässt walten BWV 647
St Giles’ Cathedral, Edinburgh
Midweek Devotion 12th January 2023
Led by Rev Sam Nwokoro