Herod – a reflection
Herod
Jesus was born in the time of King Herod, says Matthew – and this context links Jesus to every time and every place where there has been political tyranny and where rulers have used genocide to protect and consolidate their power.
In Matthew’s gospel we see Rachel weeping for her children, refusing to be consoled.
Her cry has been echoed in Srebrenica and Cambodia,
Rwanda and India,
Indonesia and China,
Bali and New York,
Indonesian Ambon and Iraq
and Myanmar.
This horrific tale almost seems to bleed into the sanitised Christmas story of angels and shepherds and the gurgling babe in the manger, destroying the innocence of Christmas.
We don’t want to read about it – not at this time of year.
Maybe in the deep darkness or January of February, distanced from the Christmas tale.
But not now.
Not when the strains of Silent Night and Joy to the World are soothing our Christmas busyness.
Not now.
Not when all we want to see are children dressed in the nativity costumes, tea towels on the heads of shepherds and cardboard crowns for the kings.
But the wailing of Rachel pierces the air and she will not be silenced.
Matthew’s story of Christmas reminds us that Jesus came into a real world of pain and sorrow, where Herod rules and the innocents suffer. God with us, in the midst of our suffering is a more comforting story than Rachel’s or Herod’s.
There will always be ‘Herods’, seeking power and prestige,
there will always be ‘Rachels’, weeping for their children,
but
there will always be Emmanuel, God with us, in all that life has to bring.
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