The Lutheran Hour
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"A Dark Beginning"
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Text: Matthew 2:13-18
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Christ is risen! He is risen, indeed! Today, 2004 looms before us. Some predict a year of hope and happiness; others approach January 1st with fear and frustration. Because of Easter’s empty tomb, we are certain of this: any hatred or horror the new year brings can be countered and conquered by those who know the Christ as their Substitute, their Sacrifice, their Savior.
How differently we see things. As a parish pastor I had the opportunity, and it was a wonderful opportunity, to go to the maternity wards of various hospitals to call on new moms and get a glimpse of their newborn. They usually asked, “Have you seen my baby?” If I said “yes” they queried, “Isn’t my baby beautiful?” Well, babies are beautiful gifts from God, but I must confess that a big percentage of newborns, my own included, look somewhat like Winston Churchill, albeit without his cigar.
We see things differently. That thought was reinforced for me this past week, when I was in a grocery store checkout line. I was behind a woman who had a little boy in her cart. His name was Jerome. I know Jerome was his name because she said it a lot. “Jerome, quit crying. Jerome, quit whining and I’ll take you out for ice cream. Jerome, don’t disturb the people. No, Jerome, you can’t play with the cigarette lighters. Jerome, be a good boy. Jerome, behave yourself.” Now Jerome was an attractive little lad with rosy cheeks, curly hair, and a personality somewhat akin to Attila the Hun. If I had asked Jerome’s mom to describe Jerome, she would have said something like, “Jerome is a cute little boy who is filled with a natural curiosity and a powerful personality.” That’s what she saw.
But when I, and the rest of the shoppers, looked at Jerome, we saw that the four horsemen of the apocalypse, death, famine, plague and pestilence, had a little playmate called Jerome. Jerome’s mom would have been shocked to hear people describe her cuddly cutie as conniving, self-centered and spoiled. If mom had asked, more than a dozen people would have held her place in line if she had excused herself to apply some correction to Jerome. But she didn’t, so we stood in line, amazed at a 25-year-old, 127-pound woman being pushed around by 23-pound Jerome. Yes, we see things differently.
As we approach this New Year, the 2004th since Jesus Christ, God’s Son, our Savior, was born in Bethlehem, we do so with a multitude of different perspectives. Some see this week as being a time of renewal, reflection and resolution; others see the days after the heady sights and sounds of Christmas as being a return to the same old worries, the same old uncertainties, the same old grind. We want to know: “Will this year be a time of bright hope or dark beginnings?” Those who look for advice in the Scripture readings for this Sunday, which is known as The Feast of the Holy Innocents, will hear this: “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.”
That is not the message we expect to hear as the New Year approaches. We want more angels singing; we want more “good news” and “great joy.” Even those who hold the most pessimistic perspectives don’t expect to hear about the massacre of baby boys by a power-mad monarch. After our initial shock, we might want to know “why?” Why did the Holy Spirit instruct the Apostle Matthew to paint such a horrible picture? Why did God, in His all-knowing wisdom, want this story to be included in His inspired, inerrant Word?
It was only last week that things were wonderful. We had a new Baby. We had angels singing. We had shepherds seeing this wonderful thing that God had done. All of that nice stuff gave us a good feeling. It put us in the Christmas spirit. And who can forget the faith of Mary, who willingly became the mother of our Lord; or the acceptance of Joseph, who believed his bride after the Lord spoke to him in a dream. It was all so nice.
Last week we celebrated the birth of the Baby Jesus. That was wonderful. I imagine the birth of just about every child is wonderful. Ask a parent how they felt when they looked at the ever-changing facial expressions, and the clutching little hands of their newborn. Ask them if they are not dreaming of possibilities and potentials, of first words, first steps, first friends, and a future filled with promise. Yes, the birth of a child is a magnificent moment. But how much more so when the Child born is God’s Son, our Savior, Who has come to seek and save the sinners of this world? It gives us such a warm Christmassy sort of feeling.
That was last week. This week, as we approach the New Year, we read this discordant and dissonant story of conniving, murderous Herod. He calls to our attention that which is evil, malicious, immoral and malevolent. The picture of the bloody swords of his soldiers as they silence the smiling sons of Bethlehem is something we do not wish to see. And the question is asked again, “Why does God ruin our cheery, carefree Christmas feelings? Why tell the story of this murder so soon after the revelation of Jesus’ manger?”
You should know, God never wished Herod to take these young lives. Christianity’s holy Lord hated Herod’s selfish act of horror, even as He has always opposed every inhuman act of sin. But wait, did I refer to Herod’s act as being “inhuman?” That’s wrong. Herod is not inhuman; Herod is humanity. Talk to Cain, one of our first ancestors. Ask him what lies beneath that freshly turned mound of earth. Students of Scripture know that it is his murdered brother. Stand with Moses and see God’s people suffering in slavery. Even today, the enslavement of the oppressed is not unheard of among the nations of the world.
Why Herod’s story? Because God is honest. Search the Scriptures and you will see us, shown as we are. You will see us stripped of our pretend sophistication and civilization. In Scripture you will see rapists and idolaters, adulterers and murderers march through the pages and the centuries. The massacre of Herod’s soldiers does not stand out because his deed is so much darker than that of anyone else; it stands out because its evil is silhouetted against the brightness and holiness of the Savior’s birth.
The story of Herod’s hatred calls us back to reality. With the story of the monarch’s murders, we are forced to see this Baby Jesus for Who He really is: the Savior who has come to rescue us. Herod forces us to remember that the little hands we glimpse in the manger will someday be pierced with nails. Herod forces us to recall the beautiful Baby’s face will, in adulthood, be struck by angry fists; His forehead crowned with thorns. Herod forces us to see Jesus has come to save souls from sin. To paint Jesus only as a pretty Baby and forget He is the Christ, minimizes His mission and insults His sacrifice for sinners.
Of course, people do see things differently. It is fashionable today, for people to argue that “society, humanity, civilization has come a long way” since Herod sent his soldiers on a search and slay mission against the Savior. Some proudly proclaim that “such an act would not, could not, happen in our broad and open-minded world. They point to firemen who sacrifice themselves to save others; police who are protecting and serving; good Samaritans who help unknown strangers. But my friends, realize these stories are news because they are unusual, not because they are the norm. These stories are related and recalled because they are the exception, not the rule.
How far have we come? Have nations and leaders moved forward to establish fair dealings? In Russia, a number of years ago, Boris Yeltzin established a group called the “Commission on Victims of Political Repression.” That group admitted that Communists of the Soviet Union, in the years between 1917 and 1980, tortured and killed 200,000 clergy; that’s clergy alone! The report relates: “Clergymen were crucified on churches’ holy gates, shot, strangled, doused in water in winter until they froze to death.” How far have we come? Look to the punishment meted out in some Islamic countries to those citizens who convert to Christianity. How far have we come? Look to North Korea. There, during 2002, hundreds of Christians were labeled criminals, required to renounce their religion and worship Kim Il Sung. If they did not, death could become a reality.
Now you might say, “Pastor, these stories come from places where there is still prejudice. We are different. The rest of the world may not be civilized, but we are. We’ve come a long way.”
Humanity has always been horrified to hear how Herod, in order to save a throne, killed these baby boys of Bethlehem. The best guestimators believe that far less than 100 children died in that massacre. That is not an inconsequential figure, but it is minuscule compared to the million unborn lives that are terminated annually in North America. And this, not to save a throne, but for many, to maintain a lifestyle. How far have we come? Not so far, I think. In a world where life is expendable; principles are disposable, our sophistication seems like a sham; our civilization surrounds us like an eggshell, ready to crack at the slightest touch. No wonder so many approach the new year with fear.
But it need not be that way. God, and those who worship the Savior, see life and tomorrow differently. In October, at the Indiana Convention of the Lutheran Laymen’s League, I heard a wonderful sermon from a Fort Wayne Pastor, Reverend Arnie Piering. With his permission, I will relate what he said, as it was shared: “In my closet hangs a sweater that I seldom wear. It’s too small. The sleeves are too short; the shoulders too tight. Some of the buttons are missing and the thread is frazzled. I should throw the sweater away. I have no use for it. I’ll never wear it again. Logic says that I should clear out the space in my closet and get rid of the sweater. That’s what logic says. But love won’t let me.”
“Something unique about that sweater makes me keep it. What’s so unusual about it? For one thing, it has no label. Nowhere will you find a tag that reads, ‘Made in Taiwan,’ or ‘Rinse in cold water.’ It has no tag, because it wasn’t made in a factory. It has no label, because it wasn’t produced on an assembly line. It isn’t the product of a nameless employee. It’s the creation of a devoted mother who was expressing her love. The sweater is unique. One of a kind! It can’t be replaced. Each strand was chosen with care. Each thread was selected with affection. And though the sweater has lost all of its use, it has lost none of its value. It’s valuable not because of its function, but because of its maker.”
King Herod would have thrown that sweater away, just like he threw away the lives of those baby boys. To him they were worthless. But to God, those children, like every soul in this world, were valuable. God says we are valuable; not because of what we do, or because of what we accomplish, or because of how much money we make, or how famous we become. We are valuable because God loves us. We are valuable because Jesus died to save us. We are valuable because the Son of God gave His precious life to redeem us. Read Scripture. The lepers no one else would touch, were valuable to Jesus. The tax collector who was a societal outcast was valuable to Jesus. The lowly shepherds in Bethlehem were valuable, as was the despised Samaritan adulteress, as were the people who called for His death, demanded His crucifixion, and who laughed as He hung upon the cross. To Jesus, you are valuable. In truth, it does not matter what the world thinks of you; it does matter that God, because of His Son, thinks the world of you. It is God’s grace that gives believers hope and happiness, no matter what may come in 2004, or any other year.
Dear friends, I am not a prophet. I don’t know what 2004 will hold. But I do know that the philosophical followers of Herod and his soldiers will still be around. You will see them as they march boldly, waving their bloodied swords of hatred and cruelty. You will spot them as they move stealthily through the shadows of society. Herod’s malevolence, his greed, his maliciousness are still around.
But if you have knelt with the shepherds and seen God’s Son, our good News of great Joy; if you have stood with John at the Savior’s cross and heard the Lord cry out in redeeming triumph, “It is finished”; if you have run with Peter to peer inside the empty resurrection tomb, then you will begin this year and every year in the light of the Lord. If you have heard the Lord speak in His inerrant, inspired word; if the Holy Spirit enables you to say, “Jesus is my Savior and Lord”; then the mania and the madness of this world will be minimized.
During the First World War, a new day was dawning on a battlefield in northern France. The sun was burning through a fog which had been so thick that no one had been able to see more than a few yards from the trenches. During the night, the Germans had drawn back their lines a little and the French had gone forward. Between the two positions, a lonely farmhouse was still standing. As the sun rose, the guns began to crack. Suddenly firing ceased and there fell a strange stillness. Between the trenches, near the farmhouse, there was crawling on his hands and knees, a baby. In the unfamiliar silence, the soldiers in the trenches could hear his laughter. Eventually, a soldier jumped out of his hiding place and ran to where the child was crawling. He scooped him up and raced him to shelter. From both sides, there was a cheer. For a few moments, that baby brought peace to an earthly battlefield.
Let me assure you, as you are poised at the beginning of a new year, Jesus Christ, the Babe of Bethlehem, the Christ of the cross, can give you peace, lasting peace, spiritual peace. Jesus Christ, the Babe of Bethlehem has come to bring you peace of forgiveness and pardon, and peace for 2004, and 2005, and for eternity. If you wish to know more about this wonderful Savior, please call us at Lutheran Hour Ministries. Amen.
Lutheran Hour Mailbox (Question & Answers) for December 28, 2003
Topic: Good Year or Bad Year?ANNOUNCER: And we’re back with Pastor Ken Klaus, I’m Mark Eischer, and Pastor, I wish you and your family a Happy New Year.
KLAUS: A blessed New Year to you Mark, and to all of our listeners.
ANNOUNCER: I have to admit though, that when you came in today with a sermon titled, “A Dark Beginning” and then you proceeded to preach about King Herod slaughtering the baby boys of Bethlehem, I had to think, “Can’t we start the new year on a more positive note?”
KLAUS: It might have been easier to do that, Mark. Generally, the Lutheran Hour message is based on the scriptures that are selected to be read on any given Sunday. Since about the sixth century, the church has remembered December 28 as the Feast of the Holy Innocents.
ANNOUNCER: Now why would the church want to remember an atrocity?
KLAUS: Precisely because it shows the world’s need for Jesus. King Herod’s story shows us just how much the world is filled with sin; how black is the heart of humankind, how much the Savior is needed. We needed a Savior 2,000 years ago when Herod tried to keep his crown by killing some baby boys. We need a Savior in 2004.
ANNOUNCER: Yes, but hasn’t civilization come a long way since then?
KLAUS: Mark, I wish with all my heart it was so. Since we started talking about children, let’s continue talking about these little ones. In 2004, from the time a child is conceived it has to run a gauntlet of terrible situations. Almost every so-called civilized country allows abortion in the termination of life. The danger for children hardly stops with abortion. Assuming a child is actually born, there are places where that child can be sold – I mean for money. Hundreds of thousands of children have, in 2003, been forced to work in sweatshops. There are millions of children who live on the street, many millions more in poverty. There are uncounted children forced into prostitution, child pornography, places where genocide is practiced, where children are killed precisely because they represent the future of their people. Home computers and televisions come with parental lock-outs to protect children from predators.
ANNOUNCER: Can this still be a good year?
KLAUS: With Jesus Christ. Listen to the words of St. Paul, he said, “Be very careful then how you live – not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is . . . Speak to one another with psalms, hymns, spiritual song. Sing, make music in your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (Eph. 5:5-20 excerpts) Did you hear that? Give thanks to God for everything, making the most of every opportunity in evil days.
ANNOUNCER: And this is St. Paul, formerly known as Saul the Pharisee, murderer, and former persecutor of the church.
KLAUS: He was all of those things, but he was also forgiven. Paul knew, as so many know, that Jesus came into this dark world to bring light. Every age, every person needs the light that comes through faith in Jesus. In Jesus there is forgiveness, even for a murderer like Paul.
ANNOUNCER: Now what about King Herod? Could he have been forgiven had he repented?
KLAUS: Mark, there is no sin we’ve talked about today that is beyond Jesus’ forgiveness. So that we might be forgiven, so that we could be saved, Jesus took our place under the law, fulfilled the laws we had broken, died the death we deserved, was raised from the dead to show God had accepted his sacrifice. With faith in Jesus, we can face the new year with joy in Jesus, no matter what that year may bring.
ANNOUNCER: And how would you sum this up today?
KLAUS: With some words written by the forgiven St. Paul. He shared his Holy Spirit- inspired words with the church at Rome and with us. “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? . . . No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus, our Lord.” (Romans 8:35,37) That is a wonderful source of strength and hope, Mark, for any new year.
ANNOUNCER: Thank you Pastor Klaus. This has been a presentation of Lutheran Hour Ministries.