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 (Mt. 2:16).
The Massacre at Bethlehem
The Gospel of Matthew gives us the story of the killing of the innocents. It is a sick and horrible massacre of babies – a story that is a part of the larger story of Christmas. Which makes it even more perplexing and revolting.
In the last few years of his life, Herod the Great was completely paranoid about protecting his throne. He thought everyone was out to get him. He had three of his own sons killed, along with one of his wives, because he thought they were conspiring to take away his throne. 1
Caesar Augustus was reported to have said, “It is better to be Herod’s pig than his son.” 2
When the Magi stopped to ask for directions they had no idea they were talking to a narcissistic, psychopath. So, why is he in the Christmas story?
The Question of Evil
The Christmas story is about a God who loves us so much that he was willing to send us his only Son to become one of us. The Christmas story tells us that we never have to be alone again. The Christmas story is the angels singing in the night sky – “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests” (Lk. 2:14). But where is the peace? The angels barely finish the last note of their song and babies are dying? Did they not deserve God’s favor?
This is not a new question. The Old Testament prophet Habakkuk asked the same question:
How long, LORD, must I call for help, but you do not listen? Or cry out to you, “Violence!” but you do not save? Why do you make me look at injustice? Why do you tolerate wrongdoing? Destruction and violence are before me; there is strife, and conflict abounds. Therefore, the law is paralyzed, and justice never prevails. The wicked hem in the righteous, so that justice is perverted” (Hab. 1:2-4).
We can’t escape it. We look out at the world and see it — evil seems to be winning. We look deep into our own hearts and lives and actions and we see it … addictions, violence, anger, an unforgiving spirit, anxiety, stress, feelings of failure … evil seems to be winning.
Our best desires never seem to measure up to our noblest efforts.
The Message of Christmas
All of it played out the first Christmas. The Christmas story, as it turns out, is not all sugar and spice and all that’s nice – inside of the good news is bad news.
And we don’t like that. We want an explanation for that. Why? We’re with Habakkuk. Where are you God? Why do you allow this to happen? Why does evil always seem to win?
The short answer: I don’t know, for sure. Theories abound. But, here are two things I do know for sure.
1. God has a plan for your life that includes good and bad.
God has a plan for your life, and inside that plan are both good things and bad things.
The Bible tells us that creation is broken – we are broken. You can ask, how did that happen? Or, how could God let that happen? Or, where did the evil come from? All fair questions. But, the answers to those questions aren’t going to change anything about the brokenness. It is what it is.
In a broken world you will experience pain, heartbreak, and suffering. They are all a part of God’s plan for your life – not in the sense that he wishes those things for you – but, in the sense that he knows they are a part of life and so he has hardwired them into his plan for your life in order to prepare you for the bad stuff that is coming.
James said it this way –
Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything” (James 1:2-4).
That’s the first thing to remember. And the second is this …
2. Evil may win a few battles, but will never win the war.
Matthew quotes a scripture from the Old Testament prophet Jeremiah –
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” (Jer. 31:15).
This was actually part of a bigger prophecy describing the exile of Israel to Assyria. The Assyrian Empire had conquered the northern tribes of Israel. The battle was brutal. Thousands of men, women, and children died, while many more were executed after the battle was over. Most of those who remained were taken away into slavery to serve the Assyrian Empire.
Jeremiah is describing this horrific scene when he uses the matriarch Rachel as a metaphor for grief. The mother who has lost her children and is inconsolable. But the major thrust of the prophecy is the theme of hope.
Matthew quoted from Jeremiah, chapter 31, verse 15, but the very next verse – verse 16 – says this –
This is what the LORD says: “Restrain your voice from weeping and your eyes from tears, for your work will be rewarded,” declares the LORD. “They will return from the land of the enemy.”
Dry your tears, Jeremiah says, evil has won this battle but it’s not going to win the war. When you’re a Christian there is always hope. Jesus has already won the war.
The Massacre at Sutherland Springs
On Sunday, Nov. 5, a gunman walked into a church in Sutherland Springs, Texas and started shooting. There were only about fifty worshippers. Twenty-six were killed and twenty others injured. Ten women, seven men, seven girls, one boy, and an unborn child died. Visiting preacher Bryan Holcombe died with eight of his family members, including an unborn grandchild. The church’s pastor, Frank Pomeroy, was out of town that day. One of the victims was his fourteen-year-old daughter, Annabelle.
But, that’s not the end of the story. Not by a long shot. That little congregation – what was left of it – didn’t miss one single Sunday of worship. They created a makeshift memorial in their sanctuary. They put up a tent next to the church building and, together with what must have been the entire town that showed up in support, they worshipped God.
Pastor Frank Pomeroy preached a sermon about love and forgiveness. [Remember – his fourteen-year-old daughter was murdered in the massacre just seven days before.] He preached about responding to evil with love. He preached about confronting darkness with light.
[Brief 2-Minute Sermon Clip]
Frankly, I’ve heard that message a hundred times. I’ve preached it myself. But, it was never more powerful than this because Pastor Pomeroy wasn’t just preaching it – he was living it.
Here is how evil is overcome – We choose to respond with love and forgiveness. We choose to be light.
Reflection Questions:
- God, who do you want me to forgive?
- God, what do you want me to do for the person I have hurt?
- God, who can I help?
- God, who can I pray for?
If you want to hear more, you can listen to a full sermon on this passage HERE.
