AS WE CELEBRATE THE LAST DAYS OF THE OLD YEAR, OUR GOSPEL TEXT TODAY CONFRONTS US WITH THE DEATH OF INNOCENT CHILDREN AT THE HANDS OF HEROD. THE BIRTH OF CHRIST DOES NOT REMOVE THE POWER OF EVIL FROM OUR WORLD, BUT ITS LIGHT GIVES US HOPE AS WE WALK WITH THE"HOLY INNOCENTS."
OF PAST GENERATIONS AND TODAY WHO HAVE SUFFERED UNJUSTLY. IN OUR GATHERING AROUND THE WORD AND MEAL, GOD CONTINUES TO REDEEM US, LIFT US UP AND CARRY US IN THE DAYS OF OLD. IN THE TEXT FOR TODAY, ONE PAR OF HEROD'S PLAN HAD NOT WORKED OUT: THE MAGI DID NOT RETURN TO REVEAL THE EXACT WHERE ABOUTS OF THE CHILD. NOW THE LORD ALSO FOILED THE DESIGN AGAINST THE CHILD'S LIFE. " THE TEXT: " AND WHEN THEY DEPARTED, BEHOLD, THE ANGEL OF THE LORD APPEARED TO JOSEPH IN A DREAM, SAYING ARISE, AND TAKE THE YOUNG CHILD AND HIS MOTHER AND FLEE INTO EGYPT, AND BE THERE UNTIL I BRING YOU WORD; FOR HEROD WILL SEEK THE YOUNG CHILD TO DESTROY HIM. GOD AGAIN MAKES USE OF ANGELIC VISION, IN MATTHEW 1:20; TELLING JOSEPH TO MARRY MARY AND NOT TO ABANDON HER. THE NEED OF HASTE IS EXPRESSED: HAVING ARISEN, TAKE AT ONCE; LOSE NO TIME. THE CHILD AGAIN IS NAMED FIRST, EVERYTHING REVOLVES AROUND HIS WELL BEING. "AND HIS MOTHER," THE ANGEL SAYS. THE PHRASEOLOGY IS VERY CAREFUL AND ONCE MORE DEFINITELY POINTS TO THE VIRGIN BIRTH. THE REASON FOR THE COMMAND IS ALSO STATED, IN ORDER TO PREVENT DELAY. HEROD HAS THE INTENTION, HE HAS PLANNED, HE IS ABOUT TO SEARCH FOR THE CHILD WITH A PURPOSE OF PUTTING HIM TO DEATH. EVEN THE PLACE OF REFUGE IS NAMED IN THE DIVINE MESSAGE. EGYPT SHOULD BE THEIR TEMPORARY HOME UNTIL SUCH A TIME AS A FURTHER COMMAND OR COMMUNICATION TO JOSEPH WOULD PERMIT THEIR RETURN.
EGYPT WAS CHOSEN BECAUSE MANY JEWS HAD SETTLED IN THAT COUNTRY.
THE HOLY FAMILY WOULD THEREFORE BE AMONG FELLOW-COUNTRY-MEN AND IN A ROMAN PROVINCE, WHERE THE RAGE OF HEROD COULD NOT PURSUE THEM.
THERE ARE THOSE WHO SAY THAT ITS VERY HARD TO GET INTO THE SPIRIT OF CHRISTMAS, WHAT WITH ALL THE PROBLEMS WE'RE FACING IN THE WWWORLD.
IT DOES SEEM LIKE IT IS VERY HARD TO SING " JOY TO THE WORLD" IN TIMES LIKE THESE. BUT WHAT WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND IS THAT CHRIST WAS NOT BORN INTO A WORLD THAT WAS ANTICEPTIC AND CLEAN AND FREE FROM PROBLEMS.
LET US HEAR A SOLDIER'S THREAT AND A BABY'S CRY. THE BIRTH OF CHRIST WAS NOT WELCOME BY EVERYONE. HEROD THE KING DID NOT WANT IT. HE WAS AFRAID OF ANYONE THAT MIGHT GROW UP AND MIGHT BECOME A THREAT TO HIS RULERSHIP, SO HE SOUGHT TO DISCOVER WHERE THE BABY WAS. WHEN HE COULDN'T DO THAT, HE HAD EVERY BOY TWO YEARS OLD OR UNDER IN THE AREA KILLED. SOLDIERS AND THEIR THREATS AS THEY WALKED UP TO THE DOOR, THE HEART WRENCHING CRY OF THE BABIES AS THEY DIED-A HORRIBLE THOUGHT, BUT IT IS THERE IN THE MIDDLE OF OUR CHRISTMAS STORY. WHAT COULD THAT SAY TO US? THERE IS SUFFERING IN THE WORLD BUT ALSO A GOD WHO COMES TO SHARE IT. THE BIBLE ALWAYS REALISTIC. IT LOOKS AT LIFE LIKE IT REALLY IS, AND THE FIRST CHRISTMAS STORY IS NO EXCEPTION. DID THE PARENTS UNDERSTAND WHY LITTLE BABIES WERE KILLED? I'M SURE THEY DIDN'T. WHAT COULD THAT SAY TO US? IT WAS HORRIBLE, SUCH INNOCENT SUFFERING! THIS IS WHAT CHRISTMAS TRIES TO REMIND US THAT THERE IS A GOD WHO UNDERSTANDS OUR STRUGGLES AND PAIN. HE HAS COME TO SHARE IT WITH US. IN OUR SUFFERING WE ARE NOT ALONE. MYSTERY AND UNCERTAINTY SURROUNDED THE EARLY CHRISTMAS STORY. MARY AND JOSEPH DID NOT HAVE TIME TO ENJOY THE BIRTH OF THEIR BABY. INSTEAD, THEY HAD TO SNATCH HIM UP AND RUN. THEY DIDN'T KNOW WHAT WAS GOING TO HAPPEN TO THEM. THEY HAD SEEN GOD HAD ALREADY GONE BEFORE THEM TO PREPARE FOR THE BIRTH. THEREFORE, THEY LIVED WITH THE BELIEF THAT GOD WOULD GO BEFORE THEM TO PREPARE THE WAY. QUESTIONS RUN THROUGH OUR MIND. WE DON'T KNOW WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN. ON, AND ON GO THE QUESTIONS AND WE HAVE NO ANSWERS. TOMORROW IS A MYSTERY AND WILL ALWAYS BE. THERE IS DEATH IN THE WORLD BUT ALSO A GOD WHO OVERCOMES IT. THE STRANGE FACT OF THE CHRISTMAS STORY IS THAT THE VERY BABY WHO HAD RUN FOR HIS LIFE, WAS THE ONE WHO GREW UP TO CONQUER DEATH. DEATH IS NOT THE END, BUT A PASSAGE WAY O SOMETHING GREATER AND MORE. THROUGH OUR FAITH IN JESUS WE DISCOVER HE IS WITH US FOREVER.
IN THE NEW TESTAMENT ONE VERSE IN TWENTY-FIVE DEALS WITH THE LORD'S RETURN. IT IS MENTIONED 318 TIMES IN THE 26O CHAPTERS. IT OCCUPIES A PROMINENT PLACE IN THE OLD TESTAMENT PROPHECIES CONCERNING THE COMING OF CHRIST, NOT WITH THE FIRST ADVENT IN WHICH HE DIED AS OUR SIN-BEARER, BUT WITH HIS SECOND ADVENT IN WHICH HE IS TO RULE AS KING. THE RETURN OF JESUS CHRIST IS MENTIONED IN EVERY NEW TESTAMENN BOOKS EXCEPT GALATIANS ( WHICH WAS WRITTEN WITH A PARTICULAR AND QUITE DIFFERENT PROBLEM AND THE VERY SHORT BOOKS SUCH AS 2AND3 JOHN AND PHILEMON. JESUS SPOKE OF HIS RETURN VERY OFTEN. MARK RECORDS HIM SAYING, " WHOEVER IS ASHAMED OF ME AND OF MY WORDS IN THIS ADULTEROUS AND SINFUL GENERATION, OF HIM WILL THE SON-OF-MAN BE ASHAMED, WHEN HE COMES IN GLORY OF HIS FATHER AND HOLY ANGELS (MK.8:38) THEN THEY WILL SEE THE SON-OF-MAN COMING IN THE CLOUDS WITH GREAT POWER. THEN HE WILL SEND OUT HIS ANGELS, AND GATHER HIS ELECT FROM THE FOUR WINDS, FROM THE ENDS OF THE EARTH TO THE ENDS OF HEAVENS (MK.13:26-27). JOHN TELLS US THAT CHRIST'S LAST WORDS TO HIS DISCIPLES AND US INCLUDED THE PROMISE, " WHEN I GO AND PREPARE A PLACE FOR YOU, WHEN YOU ARE READY, I WILL COME BACK AND TAKE YOU TO MYSELF, THAT WHERE I AM OU MAY BE ALSO (JOHN 14:3). IN THE LAST CHAPTER OF JOHN RECORDS A STATEMENT OF JESUS TO PETER IN WHICH HIS REFERENCE TO HIS RETURN IS INCIDENTIAL. JESUS HAD BEEN ENCOURAGING PETER TO FAITHFULNESS IN DISCIPLESHIP (JOHN 21-21).
PAUL'S LETTER'S ARE ALSO FULL OF DOCTRINE OF CHRIST RETURN. TO THE CHRISTIANS AT THESSALONICA HE WROTE: "FOR THE LORD HIMSELF WILL DESCEND FROM HEAVEN WITH A CRY OF COMMAND, WITH THE ARCH ANGEL'S CALL AND WITH THE SOUND OF THE TRUMPET. AND THE DEAD IN CHRIST WILL RISE FIRST; THEN WE WHO ARE ALIVE, WHO ARE LEFT, SHALL BE CAUGHT UP TOGETHER WITH THEM IN THE CLOUDS TO MEET THE LORD IN THE AIR AND SO WE SHALL ALWAYS BE WITH THE LORD. (1 THESS. 4:16-17). TO THE PHILIPPIANS PAUL WROTE:" BUT, OUR COMMOMWEALTH IS IN HEAVEN AND FROM IT WE AWAIT A SAVIOR, THE LORD JESUS CHRIST WHO WILL CHANGE OUR LOWLY BODY TO BE LIKE A GLORIOUS BODY, BY THE POWER WHICH ENABLES HIM EVEN TO SUBJECT ALL THINGS TO HIMSELF (PHIL.3: 20-21). PETER CALLED THE RETURN OF CHRIST ( OUR LIVING HOPE.), 1 PETER 1:3. HE ENDED THE REVELATION WITH " HE WHO TESTIFIES TO THESE THINGS TO THESE THINGS SAY, " SURELY I AM COMING SOON. AMEN. COME, LORD JESUS!" (REV.22:22). HIS RETURN THAT WAS TO BE CLOSELY ASSOCIATED WITH A GREAT WICKEDNESS ON EARTH, THE RESURRECTION AND TRANSFORMATION OF THEIR OWN BODIES, AN EARTHLY RULE OF THE GLORIFIED JESUS AND A FINAL JUDGEMENT OF INDIVIDUALS AND NATIONS. THEY ACKNOWLEDGED THAT THEIR LIVES SHOULD BE LIVED ON A HIGHER PLANE. JESUS SHARING IN OR SUFFERING, AND WE SHARE WITH THOSE AROUND US WHO ARE SUFFERING AND FOR JESUS IT STARTED EARLY: " HE WAS PURSUED AS AN INFANT, AND MANY YOUNG BOYS WERE KILLED IN SEARCH FOR HIM. 'THE SLAUGHTER OF INNOCENTS" IS A GRUESOME NAME FOR SUCH A DAY, ONLY A WEEK AFTER CHRISTMAS AND YET THE TRUTH IS THAT INNOCENTS ARE STILL SLAUGHTERED EVERY DAY, AND HAVE BEEN SINCE LONG BEFORE JESUS BIRTH. THAT SLAUGHTER IS , IN FACT, WHY JESUS CAME, AND WAS A FATE IN WHICH HE HIMSELF SHARED. AMEN!
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