Mt 2:13-18
When the magi had departed, behold,
the angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said,
"Rise, take the child and his mother, flee to Egypt,
and stay there until I tell you.
Herod is going to search for the child to destroy him."
Joseph rose and took the child and his mother by night
and departed for Egypt.
He stayed there until the death of Herod,
that what the Lord had said through the prophet might be fulfilled,
Out of Egypt I called my son.
When Herod realized that he had been deceived by the magi,
he became furious.
He ordered the massacre of all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity
two years old and under,
in accordance with the time he had ascertained from the magi.
Then was fulfilled what had been said through Jeremiah the prophet:
A voice was heard in Ramah,
sobbing and loud lamentation;
Rachel weeping for her children,
and she would not be consoled,
since they were no more.
the angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said,
"Rise, take the child and his mother, flee to Egypt,
and stay there until I tell you.
Herod is going to search for the child to destroy him."
Joseph rose and took the child and his mother by night
and departed for Egypt.
He stayed there until the death of Herod,
that what the Lord had said through the prophet might be fulfilled,
Out of Egypt I called my son.
When Herod realized that he had been deceived by the magi,
he became furious.
He ordered the massacre of all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity
two years old and under,
in accordance with the time he had ascertained from the magi.
Then was fulfilled what had been said through Jeremiah the prophet:
A voice was heard in Ramah,
sobbing and loud lamentation;
Rachel weeping for her children,
and she would not be consoled,
since they were no more.
I have such a hard time reading this part of the gospel. I am also the type of person that has to turn off the news because I can't stand all the evil I see. With the recent elementary school shooting coverage there was definitely a moment when I had to just sit and sob that there could be such evil in our world. I have that same feeling when I read this verse. To even start to think about an entire city of babies murdered...my mind can't even comprehend that. Times like this when our whole country cries and people question "how can someone do something like that" or find somewhere to place the blame and most of all we know in our hearts it goes against everything we are. We know we were NOT made for such evil, but we were made for good, for greatness. I encourage you when people get discouraged, when those evil acts bring fear and unrest and heartbreak and anger, to point them to the one who came to save us from all of it. Today is a day where I find myself getting sucked into the negativity, and I have to remind myself that the King of Peace wants to share that peace with me. When Jesus came it didn't mean evil left the world, but it did mean healing entered. So that's what I'm celebrating this Christmas season, that there is healing for our hurting world.
"Come, Lord Jesus, Come. Come and fill our hearts with your love. Hold me close, Lord, hold me tight. and Come Lord Jesus Come."
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