First Sunday of Christmas - Massacre of the Innocents!

This time of year when we have just had Christmas and we are now looking forward to the new year seems to be in a bit of a no mans land.  We are still waiting to celebrate the new year and we are not sure if Christmas is over or not. Except in the church’s year we are still very much within the Christmas season and waiting in anticipation for Epiphany which we will celebrate next Sunday.

I have to say I find this time of year a time of reflection. As we wait for the new year and we have celebrated the feast that is Christmas with family and friends I often think back on what has happened in the past and look forward in anticipation to what may come in the next year.  Christmas messages can be a bit like that can’t they.  And I have to say the Christmas letter often expresses these sorts of thoughts.

The Christmas letter – in our house we have a competition as to who is going to have sent the funniest letter.  They seem to be in two halves these letters – either we have every single detail of a person’s year and of their family, OR they seem to show the very best of their year – the amazing results of their children, the fabulous holidays they have been on- and there are occasions when I wonder what the reality really is.  I do occasionally send one from our family and one year I was banned from doing so by my family. I wrote the letter after what had been quite a difficult year in different ways- I didn’t think it was too bad but I was told by the girls and Andrew that it was far too depressing and so it wasn’t sent that year.

I start with this because today in the lectionary we are confronted with a reality within a very beautiful story. We have been singing and celebrating the birth of Jesus possibly sentimentalising the story. Although we see him born in the stable with muck and hay I am sure in equal measures the shepherds with their lambs and the angels make the story rather more palatable don’t’ they. And then in our lectionary reading from Matthew’s gospel we are confronted in the middle of this story by something really really shocking.  The reaction of a despot who to protect his own power and authority orders the slaying of innocent children- babies in Bethelehem.

How do we react to such a story. Most of us want to cut it out – it’s uncomfortable in it’s reading. We are left with the question of why it was allowed to happen by God – was it part of his plan – surely not.

But Matthew writing his gospel for a jewish audience puts this story in. And as he does he asks us to remember back to another story which was key to his early readers- key to their heritage and history. He asks them to remember the saving of another baby from the slaughter of innocents. The saving of the baby by being hidden in a wicker basket and put into a river. And in such a way the purposes of God and the exodus from slavery of the Israelites was assured in the little baby Moses  growing up in the royal palaces.

Moses destined to be the one who led the people of Isreal from Slavery out towards the promised land. Moses who led the people through the red sea and into the dessert where God protected and provided for them.

And I think Matthew wants us to remember this – to see the similarities. Because in this time too a power hungry individual showed gross inhumanity to protect his own throne and power. He had the babies slaughtered to stop the Israelites growing too strong and to protect his own power position as ruler.  And here too in Matthew we see Herod doing just the same. His inhumanity is overwhelming, we baulk at it, we are revolted by it. In the midst of our cosy view of the Christmas story it reminds us so starkly and powerfully of the type of world that Jesus himself was born in. A type of world where man shows gross inhumanity to man and man lusts for power at all costs.

Do we live in a world that is any different today I wonder? Just this year we have seen the slaughter of innocents again for purposes of power and to promote terror.  Stories in the summer from Iraq spoke of Christian children being beheaded in the streets by Islamic state. And then just a few days ago we saw those children again killed in Peshwara.  Evil and evil purposes are still at work in our world today and will continue until the time of Jesus’ return.

But and the big but in this story – is we can think only of the evil that is so apparent and abhorrent. OR we can think of the fact that God’s plans and purposes where not destroyed despite the evil. God is bigger and more powerful and has the victory over evil itself.

Despite the best efforts of Pharaoh and Herod God still triumphed.  In both cases the babies were protected so that they could grow up for acts of salvation – Moses for the Israelites for a time and place, Jesus for the whole world and for eternity.

And God was able to do this because of the faith of people just like you and me who were prepared to put their faith in God in action and take a step of faith. Joseph must have been pretty shocked to receive the dream he had to go to Egypt, but he took action on the dream and in doing so he protected the whole family and Jesus the son of God himself.

So I think this story can give us hope in a modern world where evil is still so evident. Because God’s purposes and not held back despite evil. And God still wants us to live out his kingdom in a world where we are in the middle of earthly kingdoms and expectations.

The reality is that all of our lives are touched by the stresses and strains of the world, by the evil of others and by the pain and suffering that results from living in a fallen world. But we can hold on the fact that despite this Christ entered our world to show us his Kingdom value and to usher in a new way of living. And it is this that we need to show to the world. And because of his power over sin and death, and because of his ascension into heaven we have the assurance that he is with us by the power of the Holy Spirit and will always be with us no matter what life throws at us.

So as we enter into the new year – are our lives going to be perfect ? This time next year I am sure we will all be thinking the same thing – some good things have happened and some not so good. And yet we can know like we did this year the reality of the presence of God with us through it all. And we can try to live out and show his kingdom this year so that we begin to make a difference in our corner of the world. 

At this time of year we have thought a lot about Jesus as the light of the world – a light that shines in the darkness and as John 1 says – a light that has not been put out by the darkness. And as we start the new year lets think about Jesus’ words on the sermon on the mount which are still as relevant today as when Jesus himself said them: You are the light of the world, a city built on the hill cannot be hid. No one after lighting a lamp puts it under the bushel basket, but on the lampstand and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let you light shine before others, so that they may see your good world and give glory to your Father in heaven.