See It, Say Something, Sorted - December 29
Today’s Readings - Holy Innocents (transferred): Psalm 2, 26; Isaiah 49:13-23; Matthew 18:1-14
Today is the day the church marks as the day known as the Slaughter of the Innocents or Holy Innocents. The story is only found in the gospel of Matthew and there are many aspects that biblical historians find to be red flags as to the veracity of the killing of at what most believe was 20-30 babies under the age of two, ordered by King Herod. Some say Herod could never have been that cruel. The same was said about Hitler prior to what resulted in the slaughter of over six million Jews and others by the Nazi regime. Whole villages were wiped out by Herod and Augustus as they rose to power during the years prior to Jesus’ birth. Of course, Herod could have been this cruel, and yes, Augustus would have allowed it to happen. Women and children were considered the lowest of the classes of Roman citizens and it’s a known fact that unwanted children were abandoned in the town square, left to die, to be enslaved or, a very few, to be adopted.
The point isn’t whether Herod could have been this cruel or not. What matters is that unfortunately things like this do happen and still do. How we respond is what matters. Human beings have a history of making decisions that inflict pain on others. What mattered for Matthew was that he establishes a rock-solid connection between Jesus and the Messiah that has been prophesied to come. The death of the infants would remind others of the decree issued at the time Moses was born. In hindsight it was also a precursor of the threat the Roman officials would feel by Jesus’ ministry. Herod felt threatened by this baby who was to be King. Herod didn’t understand the difference between his kingdom and God’s kingdom and sometimes I wonder if we do.
Do we understand that underlying everything we do as Christians is the life-changing story of a God who loves us so much came to us not as someone with power or who would have a life of ease, but rather as someone who would live a life about as hard as it could get and then die a death worse than most of us can possibly imagine. It’s a story about unadulterated love for us from our creator. In our most sinful and disappointing state, God still loves us more than we will ever understand. In return what we’re expected to do is to love our God and love others in return.
Yes, people can be cruel. Biblical accounts of cruelty, myth or not, can serve to remind us of who we can become if we’re not careful, not watchful. However, we can make a difference by speaking in the face of injustice, we can refuse to make friends with oppression, we can support the weak, help the suffering and honor all people. When we were in London there was something we heard every time we got on a train,” See something, say something, sorted.” What if every time we saw someone in need, we said something, or did something? In a very small way, it could make a difference, maybe eventually our crazy world would be “sorted.”
Today appears on the church calendar as Holy Innocents. It marks the day known as the Slaughter of the Innocents. The story is only found in the gospel of Matthew and there are many aspects that biblical historians find to be red flags as to the veracity of the killing of at what most believe was 20-30 babies under the age of two, ordered by King Herod. Some say Herod could never have been that cruel. The same was said about Hitler prior to what resulted in the slaughter of over six million Jews and others by the Nazi regime. Whole villages were wiped out by Herod and Augustus as they rose to power during the years prior to Jesus’ birth. Of course, Herod could have been this cruel, and yes, Augustus would have allowed it to happen. Women and children were considered the lowest of the classes of Roman citizens and it’s a known fact that unwanted children were abandoned in the town square, left to die, to be enslaved or, a very few, to be adopted.
The point isn’t whether Herod could have been this cruel or not. What matters is that unfortunately things like this do happen and still do. How we respond is what matters. Human beings have a history of making decisions that inflict pain on others. What mattered for Matthew was that he establishes a rock-solid connection between Jesus and the Messiah that has been prophesied to come. The death of the infants would remind others of the decree issued at the time Moses was born. In hindsight it was also a precursor of the threat the Roman officials would feel by Jesus’ ministry. Herod felt threatened by this baby who was to be King. Herod didn’t understand the difference between his kingdom and God’s kingdom and sometimes I wonder if we do.
Do we understand that underlying everything we do as Christians is the life-changing story of a God who loves us so much came to us not as someone with power or who would have a life of ease, but rather as someone who would live a life about as hard as it could get and then die a death worse than most of us can possibly imagine. It’s a story about unadulterated love for us from our creator. In our most sinful and disappointing state, God still loves us more than we will ever understand. In return what we’re expected to do is to love our God and love others in return.
Yes, people can be cruel. Biblical accounts of cruelty, myth or not, can serve to remind us of who we can become if we’re not careful, not watchful. However, we can make a difference by speaking in the face of injustice, we can refuse to make friends with oppression, we can support the weak, help the suffering and honor all people. When we were in London there was something we heard every time we got on a train,” See something, say something, sorted.” What if every time we saw someone in need, we said something, or did something? In a very small way, it could make a difference, maybe eventually our crazy world would be “sorted.”
How might you change or do something to improve someone else’s life? How might it change your life? In this season of giving why not give the gift of time or kindness in whatever form to someone else.
Faithfully,
Sally+
Questions for Reflection and Challenge - Today appears on the church calendar as Holy Innocents. It marks the day known as the Slaughter of the Innocents. The story is only found in the gospel of Matthew and there are many aspects that biblical historians find to be red flags as to the veracity of the killing of at what most believe was 20-30 babies under the age of two, ordered by King Herod. Some say Herod could never have been that cruel. The same was said about Hitler prior to what resulted in the slaughter of over six million Jews and others by the Nazi regime. Whole villages were wiped out by Herod and Augustus as they rose to power during the years prior to Jesus’ birth. Of course, Herod could have been this cruel, and yes, Augustus would have allowed it to happen. Women and children were considered the lowest of the classes of Roman citizens and it’s a known fact that unwanted children were abandoned in the town square, left to die, to be enslaved or, a very few, to be adopted.
The point isn’t whether Herod could have been this cruel or not. What matters is that unfortunately things like this do happen and still do. How we respond is what matters. Human beings have a history of making decisions that inflict pain on others. What mattered for Matthew was that he establishes a rock-solid connection between Jesus and the Messiah that has been prophesied to come. The death of the infants would remind others of the decree issued at the time Moses was born. In hindsight it was also a precursor of the threat the Roman officials would feel by Jesus’ ministry. Herod felt threatened by this baby who was to be King. Herod didn’t understand the difference between his kingdom and God’s kingdom and sometimes I wonder if we do.
Do we understand that underlying everything we do as Christians is the life-changing story of a God who loves us so much came to us not as someone with power or who would have a life of ease, but rather as someone who would live a life about as hard as it could get and then die a death worse than most of us can possibly imagine. It’s a story about unadulterated love for us from our creator. In our most sinful and disappointing state, God still loves us more than we will ever understand. In return what we’re expected to do is to love our God and love others in return.
Yes, people can be cruel. Biblical accounts of cruelty, myth or not, can serve to remind us of who we can become if we’re not careful, not watchful. However, we can make a difference by speaking in the face of injustice, we can refuse to make friends with oppression, we can support the weak, help the suffering and honor all people. When we were in London there was something we heard every time we got on a train,” See something, say something, sorted.” What if every time we saw someone in need, we said something, or did something? In a very small way, it could make a difference, maybe eventually our crazy world would be “sorted.”
Faithfully,
Sally+
Questions for Reflection and Challenge - How might you change or do something to improve someone else’s life? How might it change your life? In this season of giving why not give the gift of time or kindness in whatever form to someone else.