Devotion at LoveX2 Conference
***The below was given as a devotion at a conference held at the Museum of the Bible in January 2020
Matthew 2:13-18
Prayer:
Let us pray: Almighty God, the martyred innocents of Bethlehem showed forth Your praise not by speaking but by dying. Put to death in us all that is in conflict with Your will that our lives may bear witness to the faith we profess with our lips, through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
In my tradition, December 28th is observed as a feast day in the church year. The feast is that of the Holy Innocents. The feast of Holy Innocents is the third feast in the first three days of Christmas. The first is on December 26th, St. Stephen, who was martyred in both will and deed. On December 27th, St. John is observed, he is a martyr in will, but not in deed. Lastly, on December 28th, the Holy Innocents are martyred not in will, but in deed. It's not the beginning of the Christmas season you would expect, but it has a purpose in preparing the Church for the Christian life.
The feast of Holy Innocents is the day in the church year when the Church has appointed time to remember the slaughter of the innocent boys in Bethlehem. As we read a moment ago, King Herod was a jealous man, even killing his own family members if he thought they conspired against him. When Jesus was born, and word of a new King came by the magi, Herod could have nothing of the new king and sent his soldiers to murder all male children under the age of two. It was Herod's hope that by exterminating these children, he would rid the world of Jesus and further fortify his way of life, his reign as king. So, on December 28th, the Church marks time and remembers these innocent children who died not in will, but in deed.
The date of the first March for Life, January 22, 1974, was not chosen by us. It was given by the Supreme Court ruling. In many ways, I agree with a former professor of mine and believe it would be helpful for the feast of Holy Innocents and the March for Life to be on the same day. But there is a purpose for each observance on their particular day in time.
The three feasts that range from December 26th through December 28th remind the Christian that this life is brief, but more importantly, Jesus has come. In Jesus, we are always being prepared through His Word for the trials and tribulations of this life. We are always looking forward to the day when we will be brought into His eternal presence. For now, this life becomes a life of suffering, bearing one another burdens, and carrying undesirable crosses. The innocent boys who died at the hand of Herod could not defend themselves, but they received the weight of martyrdom, the crosses they carried brought them death. In this way, as we remember the prayer we prayed a moment ago, the holy innocents offered their praise "not by speaking, but by dying." And for our ears and our hearts, this is absolutely not fair and absolutely cruel.
The feast of Holy Innocents continues to be painful still today, children that never saw or experienced life as you or I have. They would not run around and chase one another or learn to use their voices to speak or sing for joy. Instead, these children were ruthlessly put to death for the purposes of power and lordship. What we see in Herod is a conflict that continues today in all mankind. The conflict resides in the heart. It is the conflict of the will of man, good and evil, saint and sinner.
The March for Life is painful, first because we still must march. But it is also painful because we continue to see the old battle and conflict of the will of man raging against the will of God. It is the conflict that first began in the Garden of Eden as the serpent led Adam and Eve into temptation. In the Garden, our first parents placed their will above God's and were led into the belief that they too could be like God. This conflict and desire for power to be like God continues beyond the Garden and beyond the rule of Herod. This past year, news reports from Indiana and Illinois reported another Gosnell discovery of thousands of human remains from abortions in years gone by, children that will never be identified but known only to God. Dr. Ulrich Klopfer was the one at the center of this tragedy. But, for those children that died at the hands of Dr. Klopfer, a conflict already resided in the hearts of the mothers and fathers to be. These mothers and fathers brought what they saw as the troubles of their life, the crosses placed upon them, and their conflict to the hands of Dr. Klopfer. This is a struggle for me to understand. But it also causes me to examine the conflicts within my own life and whether I turn for power and control over them or whether I pray that God would put to death all in my life that is against His will.
The Feast of Holy Innocents gives us hope because of Jesus. He is the Savior promised to Mary, the One who would be born of a virgin and save his people from their sins. Jesus is the One who would take on the flesh of the innocent children that would never speak, yet praise their God by their deaths. Jesus is the Savior whose death would put an end to death and give life and forgiveness to those trapped in the conflict of sin, joy to the downtrodden, and hope to those who are hopeless in this life.
For Jesus, death will come. But His death will be upon the cross, it is not in the manger or the tender years of His youth. We know little of Joseph from the Gospels, but in the Scripture read today, Joseph is the Lord's earthly protector. The angel of the Lord appears to Joseph and warns him to protect the child and flee to Egypt. Joseph is not the Savior, he not a king, and for the great work God gives to him, the protection of your Lord, His name is, for the most part, silent within Scripture.
The world we live in lacks silence. Noise surrounds us, it consumes us. The sounds of the innocents will never break into this world. Yet, by the leaping of John the Baptist in the womb of Elizabeth proclaims to me that the unborn still hear the great promises of Jesus. While they will not praise the Christ child by words, they will praise Him by their deaths. However, the weeping and lamentation of mothers, fathers, grandmothers, and grandfathers will continue in the silent corners of this world, lamentation and weeping that joins the voice of Rachel at the end of our reading, "Because they are no more."
Today, Joseph provides an image to the Christian Church on earth as the Church is called to protect those who are unable to give voice to their needs. The Church is called to care for those suffering from the earthly wants and demands of this world. It's the supplication of the Church that "our lives may bear witness to the faith we profess with our lips." Pray that our life and our faith confess Jesus Christ, "Who is the resurrection and the life." (John 11:25)
As we discuss issues and ideas today, as we ready ourselves to march again this year, let our voices be united in confessing Jesus Christ to those who suffer from conflict within their lives. Let us confess with our lips Christ and His forgiveness to the mothers that will never hold or hush their sweet children to sleep. Let us confess Jesus Christ to the fathers that will never walk with their children and instill the Christian faith upon their hearts. Let us confess Christ to the grandparent that never had the opportunity to share stories of their parents and pass down their heritage. Let us confess Christ to the Herods of this world, those who seek fleeting power and purpose.
The day of Holy Innocents and the March for Life are regrettably, and sadly yearly dates etched onto our calendars. These dates are days of remembrance, but also opportunities for us to confess Jesus Christ to those in conflict and darkness. So, let it be our prayer that God would "put to death in us all that is in conflict with His will that we may bear witness to the faith we profess with our lips." Faith that in Jesus, there is forgiveness. Faith that in Jesus, there is hope. Faith in Jesus for He is our Savior and our Life. +INJ+
Let us Pray: Heavenly father, creator of all that is good. Put to death in us all that is in conflict with your will, enliven us with the Gospel of your Son, Jesus Christ, so that we are prepared in both will and deed to live as your true children on earth. We ask this through your Son Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, ever one God. Amen.
