Day 2, Thursday—Early Opposition
Matthew 2:16: When Herod saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, he was infuriated, and he sent and killed all the children in and around Bethlehem who were two years old or under, according to the time that he had learned from the wise men.
Context: King Herod the Great, supported by Rome to keep the peace in Jewish territory, was in no mood to allow the newborn “king of the Jews” to get in line for the throne. To eliminate the competition, he resorted to a scorched-earth slaughter of babies. Joseph, Jesus’ father, was warned about the danger in a dream, and escaped with Jesus to Egypt.
Meditation: Babies are vulnerable: SIDS, genetic malformations, colds that turn fatal, domestic accidents, famine, war—we have seen and read about all these disasters and more, and we know they are real. Jesus began his human experience in a vulnerable way and at a bad time: as a baby and in the midst of political turmoil.
This is an ugly story, full of unconscionable violence, motivated by corruption, oppression, selfishness, and deceit. It’s the kind of story we still hear. Every day. The gospel reporting on the beginning of Jesus’ mission should include the now familiar warning—“viewer discretion is advised.”
The message is clear. Jesus is the Christ—God’s “assigned one” to be the king of God’s people. The unholy alliance of Roman power and its political lackey in Palestine will have none of it. Herod takes immediate and dramatic measures to attempt to remove Jesus, the Christ, permanently from the scene.
Rather than try to overlook or forget this murderous attack on Jesus and God’s will, isn’t this a moment to decide? Do I accept citizenship in Herod’s kind of kingdom, or do I hold out for the kind of kingdom Jesus came to proclaim, to model, and to live and die for?
Prayer: Thank you, Lord, for coming to us by running risks that we would never be able to run to get to you. Amen.
Today: Is there something concrete I can do for small children facing the cruelties of a political world?
Day 3, Friday—Dying in Peace
Luke 2:26–31: It had been revealed to [Simeon] by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Messiah. (27) Guided by the Spirit, Simeon came into the temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him what was customary under the law, (28) Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying, (29) Master, now you are dismissing your servant in peace, according to your word; (30) for my eyes have seen your salvation, (31) which you have prepared in the presence of all peoples . . .
Context: Jesus’ parents fulfill the law by presenting their newborn (and appropriate offerings) at the temple. Simeon had long been in regular attendance, hoping for the coming of the promised Messiah.
Meditation: We have heard stories of terminally ill people tenaciously clinging to life in order to live long enough to attend a wedding, see the birth of a grandchild, or experience one more Christmas. They are in that “moment” in which they are alive but dying. They are living in hope.
Simeon was one of those folks, and his main hope was to see “the Lord’s Christ.” If he could see that hope realized, his dying might be one of peace—what we might call a “good dying.” He may not have known the where or when of his hope’s fulfillment, or that it would come in the form of a baby. But he knew what that Messiah would be about: “salvation . . . [for] all peoples.”
Physical life for each of us has a “use-by” date; that is certain, but the “exactly when” part is not necessarily known. In such a trajectory, we can share something in common with Simeon—we can know what it is for which we hope, look for, live for, and long for. We can have clarity about that biggest of all “bucket list” items. If we hope for the best of all things, our dying can be a good one. We too can depart in peace.
Prayer: Help me to know the peace that comes with knowing that Jesus is present in our lives. Amen.
Today: Review (and revise?) my bucket list or my Five Wishes.
Day 4, Saturday—Hometown Boy Makes . . . Enemies
Luke 4:18–29: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, (19) to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” . . . (21) Then he began to say to them, “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.” . . . (28) When they heard this, all in the synagogue were filled with rage. (29) They got up, drove him out of the town, and led him to the brow of the hill on which their town was built, so that they might hurl him off the cliff.
Context: In his hometown synagogue, Jesus offers himself as the fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy of a compassionate Messiah.
Meditation: Betrayal. Hasn’t it happened to each of us? Jesus would get a lot of it: rejection by political hacks and religious bureaucrats. They were somehow distant, at “city hall,” or far off in the seats of power. But back home?
Here is Jesus, virtually at the start of his mission on earth, given a terminal diagnosis by so many of those around him. Threatened with an ugly death by popular opinion. Though the immediate riot fails in its intent, we are getting a clear picture that Jesus’ future promises to be fraught with danger.
Why are the people and the authorities focused on killing Jesus? Many of us “grew up” with Jesus—at church, or even in popular culture’s lite version of Christianity. Have we been complicit with this hometown mob who would throw him and his message over a cliff or under the bus?
He brings what sounds like good news. It is new; it means change; obviously it is news that his hometown folks don’t like. Are we a part of that? This Scripture demands close reading to see what Jesus has claimed and why that should have called for a lynching.
Prayer: Help me to hear hope in Jesus’ prophecy-fulfilling vocation and keep me close to him as he navigates these rough seas. Amen.
Today: Would this be a good day to start undoing a betrayal?
Day 5, Sunday—Thrill Killing at Court
Matthew 14:6–11: When Herod’s birthday came, the daughter of Herodias danced before the company, and she pleased Herod (7) so much that he promised on oath to grant her whatever she might ask. (8) Prompted by her mother, she said, “Give me the head of John the Baptist here on a platter.” (9) The king was grieved; yet out of regard for his oaths and for the guests, he commanded it to be given; (10) he sent and had John beheaded in the prison. (11) The head was brought on a platter and given to the girl, who brought it to her mother.
Context: John had been imprisoned since just before Jesus began his public ministry. The king had it in for John for criticizing his immoral relationship with his former sister-in-law Herodias. She liked John even less and saw an opportunity to avenge herself. Her daughter went along with the “thrill killing.”
Meditation: Things quickly spin out of control at Herod’s birthday party when Herodia, formerly Herod’s sister-in-law and now his wife, prompts her daughter to ask the king (besotted with her dancing) for a human head. Needing to keep face before his guests, he approves the request. The disgusting scene concludes on an even sicker note—with the girl bringing the freshly decapitated head, on a platter, to her mother.
In the previous chapter, Matthew had introduced seven of Jesus’ parables describing the kingdom of heaven. It is like: an extravagant yet wasteful sower; the sower of good seed; a mustard seed; leaven; treasure in a field; a merchant in search of fine pearls; a net gathering fish of every kind. In contrast, Herod’s kingdom in this world is like . . . an out-of-control drunken mob decapitating someone just for fun.
The good news is that even the killing of the man who had effectively set the