When Herod realized that he had been outwitted by the Magi, he was furious, and he gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two years old and under, in accordance with the time he had learned from the Magi. Then what was said through the prophet Jeremiah was fulfilled: “A voice is heard in Ramah, weeping and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children and refusing to be comforted, because they are no more.” [Matthew 2:16-18, NIV]
Even with guidance from God,
the journey of the wise men was not easy. It was long and arduous, but the
faith that inspired them surmounted all hardships. They did not have the modern
ability of hopping a private jet to Jerusalem and then own to Bethlehem. They
walked and rode camels over dusty unpaved trails for several days. Having
ridden a camel, I assure you it is no presidential limousine.
The Magi dealt with
uncertainties and fears of traveling unknown territory, and all the time trying
to sort out the meaning of this unusual event. Was it real? Where was the prince,
and who was he? If you set out to seek Jesus, if you deny yourself, take up His
cross daily, and follow Him, your way will be long, arduous, and beset with
great difficulties. People will talk about you. Can you imagine how the family
and friends of these wise men must have talked about them?
You will have the enemies of
hell march against you. Can you imagine the torment of knowing that your
actions resulted in hundreds of innocent babies being killed? Had the wise men
told Herod, only Jesus would have died. Herod was a master in the art of
assassination, when it benefited his goals. He paid careful attention to the
news the wise men brought him. He pondered the maximum age that Jesus could be,
and he had no doubt heard that Joseph and Mary had acquired a house in which to
live in Bethlehem. He surmised that Jesus could not be more than two years old,
so he ordered the assassination of all male children less than two years of
age.
Some scholars claim that the
assassination of the children did not occur, because it is not mentioned
outside of Scripture. On this topic William Baclay writes, “The fact that a thing is not mentioned, even
in the places where one might expect it to be mentioned, is no proof at all
that it did not happen. The whole incident is so typical of Herod that we need
not doubt that Matthew is passing the truth down to us.” [Baclay, Gospel of
Mathew, p. 37]
Herod was no different from
many people today. He was a very selfish and ambitious person who was willing
to eliminate anything and anyone who got in the way. He was willing to
assassinate another person’s character, work performance, or even life itself. Nothing
was going to stop Herod! Like Herod, many people today see Christ as one who
will interfere with their lifestyle, their ambitions, and their agenda. Like
Herod, these men and women will go to great lengths to eliminate Jesus and to
justify their horrible actions. Like many sinners today, Herod knew that Jesus would
smash ambitious, self-centered, and worldly dreams. Every true believer bows to
worship Jesus as a broken man or woman whose sinful self-centered dreams have been
broken by the love of Jesus. The irony is that when brokenness bows before the
Potter, a priceless treasure is sculptured. Jesus takes broken people and
creates fearless warriors for righteousness, justice, and peace.
Seeking Jesus may be the
hardest thing you will ever do. In your search, know that the faith that has
saved you and given you everlasting life will make it possible to surmount all
obstacles. For you see, as a follower of Jesus I am in the presence of Jesus. If
I develop cancer, I will still be in the presence of Jesus. If I am in some
terrible car crash and become paralyzed, I remain in the presence of Jesus. If every
one of my friends and family turn against me, I will still be in the presence
of Jesus because I remain in a personal relationship with him and he will never
leave me. When death calls me home, by whatever method, I will still be in the
presence of Jesus. This is what the Magi understood. They understood that this
plan of God had to unfold for the greater good of all humanity. It was sin that
caused Herod to assassinate the children, not the action of the wise men.
Likewise, sin still causes people to steal, kill, and destroy the lives of
others.
Matthew 7:16-20 teaches that
the fruit we bear reveals the type of tree we are. Do you find your fruit to be
more like that of Herod, or the Magi? Whatever the difficulties in finding
Jesus and developing a relationship with him, it is worth the effort. The
hardships you and I go through are minuscule in comparison to the knowledge
that babies and toddlers were killed to protect God’s plan for our salvation.
Perhaps our insensitive and callous hearts toward the slaughter of unborn
babies in our country and throughout many other countries has made us more
accepting of the actions of Herod. In fact, we may be more like Herod than we
want to admit.
Prayer: Lord Jesus, help me be true to you in our relationship. Help me to
spend time with you daily in reading your Bible, talking with you, and worshiping
you. Help me to be daily like the Magi and not like Herod. Give me a heart that
constantly searches for you. Amen.
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