Thursday after the First Sunday after the Feast of the Nativity of our Lord
Posted on January 2, 2020 by under
Scripture: St. Matthew 2:16-18 (NKJV)
2:16 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.”
Devotion
Here we see one of the first manifestations of the severe hatred of the world toward God’s Son and the Gospel proclamation He brings into the world. Herod desires the destruction of Jesus so greatly that he strikes at all who have any possibility of being God’s promised Redeemer. Many struggle to make sense of this slaughter of infants which has become known in the Church’s liturgical calendar as the Feast of the Holy Innocents.
The purpose of this being recorded by the Apostle is not to mark the passage of time, but to understand more fully the entire mystery of Jesus Christ, from His incarnation and birth until His ascension, to the day of Pentecost, and the expectation of His return in glory. In that purpose Scripture must interpret Scripture, as Saint Matthew points to this horrific event fulfilling the prophecy of Jeremiah. In Jeremiah’s prophecy this terrible lamenting of Ramah foreshadows the Lord bringing forth a New Covenant of grace and mercy which will be a source of great joy throughout time for His elect. It also points to the reality that throughout time the New Testament Church will always be at odds with the fallen world, sinful man, and the devil. She will always be pursued and persecuted by the world, man, and the devil—but she, like her Lord, will not be destroyed, because God protects and guides her.
We pray: Lord, through the witness of Your holy Word and the working of Your Holy Spirit may we always be guided and comforted in this world, and finally be graciously received into Your holy kingdom to come. Amen.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
