Matthew 2:13-18
13 Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying, “Arise, take the young Child and His mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there until I bring you word; for Herod will seek the young Child to destroy Him.”
14 When he arose, he took the young Child and His mother by night and departed for Egypt, 15 and was there until the death of Herod, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying, “Out of Egypt I called My Son.”
16 Then Herod, when he saw that he was deceived by the wise men, was exceedingly angry; and he sent forth and put to death all the male children who were in Bethlehem and in all its districts, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had determined from the wise men. 17 Then was fulfilled what was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet, saying:
18 “A voice was heard in Ramah,
Lamentation, weeping, and great mourning,
Rachel weeping for her children,
Refusing to be comforted,
Because they are no more.”
Today the church commemorates the death of the Holy Innocents who died at the hands of Herod during the time of Jesus birth. It hardly gets more evil, crueler, or more heartbreaking than this event. “Rachel weeping for her children, Refusing to be comforted, Because they are no more.”
The skeptic (or we, in our weakness) will ask: “Could God not have saved them?” Certainly. “Then why didn’t He?” There are no easy answers that fully satisfy our hearts. This fallen world is full of evil, cruel, and heartbreaking events—any one of which or all of them—God could at any time prevent. Yet He does not. Why? Well, it does far better to speak of God’s use rather than His purpose. How does God use these events?
Tragically, King Herod has these innocent infants killed, but the infant Jesus escapes. In God’s plan for our salvation Jesus needs to escape death at this time because He is scheduled to die later. And as the death of these holy innocents happen in the stead of Jesus’ own death at this time, later Jesus’ death will be as a substitute for all mankind. He will suffer and die in the place of all sinful humanity. Anyone who receives this in faith is saved from their sin.
This does not somehow make the death of these innocent infants an “acceptable loss” or mere “collateral damage.” God desires that all people will be saved, and the death of His saints especially is precious in His sight. However, we walk by faith, not by sight. How can faith be strengthened if it is not tested, and how can it be tested if there is no opposition in this world? God uses these calamities in the world to test and strengthen our faith in Him. So, we trust Him and His promises despite all the evil we see, because we know that He “works all things for our good” and we know that He will eventually take us to be with Him in heaven. Until then, we focus on His Word and walk in faith.
Let us pray: Almighty God, grant that the new birth of your only Son in the flesh may set us free from our old slavery under sin; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
