December 17
Bloody murder
Matthew 2:18
A voice was heard in Ramah, lamentation, weeping, and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children, refusing to be comforted, because they are no more.
Our title and key verse today might seem a bit strange for an entry in Christmas devotional series. However, the story of the visit of the three wise men of Magi from the East is always wound up in the Christmas story. Visit and Nativity display that you pass, or listen to the Christmas carols, or look at the collection of Christmas cards available for sale and you’re going to find the Wise Men there on the scene. After all, according to the Jim Reeves classic, C-H-R-I-S-T-M-A-S, “T – is for three wise men, They who travelled far.” We will ignore, for now, the fact that the three wise men never even went to the manger.
Yet for all this inclusion of the three wise men in our mindless jollification, shopping, decorating, and lighting up, the story of the arrival of the wise men and the consequences of their visit, is completely disturbing, even traumatising.
The verse above is taken from the account of King Herod losing his temper, after he was deceived by the wise men, killing the boy children who were in Bethlehem and in all its districts, from two years old and under, in an attempt to kill “baby” Jesus. As we know, by then Joseph spirited the family away to Egypt. We have to face it, that’s in the traditional Christmas story!
This story, recorded by Matthew only, is often called the “Massacre of the Innocents” or the “Slaughter of the Innocents” and is the cause very specific attention by the Roman Catholics and some other divisions of global Christianity. These groups consider the murdered boys to be the Christian martyrs. They refer to them as the Holy Innocents and venerate them with special feast days around the so-called Christmas season, 27 December (West Syriac); 28 December (Catholic Church; Lutheran Church, Anglican Communion); 29 December (Eastern Orthodoxy); and 10 January (East Syriac).
Matthew skillfully draws the parallels between the events on the Jesus birth narrative and Old Testament prophecy. This verse, used to indicate a fulfilment of another Old Testament prophecy, was originally penned by the Prophet Jeremiah in Jeremiah 31:15-17. We miss this because our “Christmas” story, compressed and filtered as it is for jollification rather that the teaching of truth, ends before all of these other events.
When the three Magi from the east finally enter the story, they announce that they have been following a star and it is supposed to lead them to a child-king. This sudden arrival and accouchement didn’t cause a celebration with jingle-bells, roasted chestnuts from the open fire, or sleigh rides in the snow. There was no singing of “we three kings of orient are bearing gifts and travelling far” nor a chorus of “star of wonder, star of light, star of royal beauty bright.” No, instead it caused pandemonium in the Palace and created a very unsafe situation for families with young male children.
Herod heard about their arrival and set out, by subterfuge, to find out about the promised Messiah. The birth of Jesus shook the royal palace at the throne itself. Herod called in the visitors and interrogated them about the child-king. He asked the wisemen to find the child and come back to him. Herod, a butcher of people who during his reign murdered his wife, his three sons, his mother-in-law, his brother-in-law, his uncle and many others who he thought were against him, pretended to them that he would become a worshipper of the child-king.
Herod was double crossed though. His real motives known, God continued to have His messengers active to secure the plan of salvation and the visitors were made to escape Herod’s stranglehold on the city.
A panicked and desperate Herod then turned to his friends, the chief priests and scribes. Herod was also an outstanding builder, in his time he built magnificent theatres, monuments, fortresses and other building. One of his most outstanding works was the rebuilding of the Jewish temple in Jerusalem, so he had friends there.
Herod asked his friends about the prophecy surrounding Jesus’ birth, specifically about the prophecy concerning geography and location. His well learned friends were quick with their answer, quoting Micah 5:2.
“But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah,
Though you are little among the thousands of Judah,
Yet out of you shall come forth to Me
The One to be Ruler in Israel…”
Armed with this information he turned to this military, “Then Herod, when he saw that he was deceived by the wise men, was exceedingly angry; and he sent forth and put to death all the male children who were in Bethlehem and in all its districts, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had determined from the wise men.” Matthew 2:16-17.
The “Christmas” story doesn’t end on twelfth night with a party and the removal of the decorations. The “Christmas” story ends with a nail-biting high stakes chase and a great escape. “Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying, “Arise, take the young Child and His mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there until I bring you word; for Herod will seek the young Child to destroy Him.” When he arose, he took the young Child and His mother by night and departed for Egypt Matthew 2:13-14.
This is where we come to the bloody murder of the little boys through the little town of Bethlehem. The song playing on your radio about the little town of Bethlehem being still is false. The mothers of these innocent boys were bawling their bellies out. “It’s here that we come back to the Old Testament prophecy, Matthew 2:17 continues, “Then was fulfilled what was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet”, followed by today’s key verse.
The shepherds did receive “good tidings of great joy” but that is not the whole story.
Think on these things:
- Are you troubled by the distortions that are taking place around God’s good news event?
- Do you think that we are fighting a losing battle against the world’s hold on the Jesus birth narrative?
- How can you find the correct response to the “season” for your family?
Prayer focus:
Let us pray today for innocent children suffering anywhere and ask God to bring the good news of His Son to them.
In His Grace
Pastor Alex
