Christian Reflection and Prayer

Advent

Read Matthew 2:7-8; 13-16.
... he became furious, and he sent and killed all the male children
in Bethlehem and in all that region who were two years old or under.
Matthew 2:16B

Simeon had warned Mary that Jesus would be a sign spoken
against. Here is the first proof. King Herod is so fearful of this new
King, and so enraged when the wise men do not report back His
location, that he orders the deaths of all male children two years
old and under. He is confident the new King will be caught up and
swept away in the process. Of course, God warned Joseph in a
dream, and Joseph fled in the middle of the night with Mary and
Jesus to find safety in Egypt (Matthew 2:13-15).

It is hard to read this passage without wondering why God would
permit King Herod to have heard the prophecy of Micah, especially
knowing what Herod would do. But in grace and mercy God was
reaching out with the saving Gospel to Herod just as He was
reaching out to the wise men. It is not God's fault. Rather, it is
Herod's fault alone that he chose to abuse his God-given authority
and murder those innocent boys in and around Bethlehem.

Of course, Herod failed to kill the Christ child, and ended up killing
those innocent boys instead. As his soldiers completed their
bloody mission in Bethlehem and its vicinity, Jesus was safely on
His way to Egypt. Jesus survived Herod's murderous attempt
because He did not come into this world to die as a baby. Nor did
He come to become a political ruler or king over the region of Israel.
He came to offer His life as a God-pleasing sacrifice to save the
world from its sin.

God is merciful to you and me too. If you have read each of these
devotions through the Advent and Christmas seasons, then you
have heard the marvelous story of God's love and salvation offered
to you freely through Jesus' life, death, and resurrection. God calls
you to faith, trust, and eternal life through His Word. Yet He won't
force you to believe anymore than He forced Herod.

Too often, like Herod, we set our minds on our earthly kingdom and
reject the peace God offers us. But thankfully God continues to
stretch out His hand as He calls us, His own sons and daughters,
to be citizens of His Kingdom. He gives us church homes in which
He gathers us to hear His Word and celebrate the Sacraments. Both
of these He has provided to create and nurture faith within us
throughout our lives. And in the end, He will gather us into His eternal
home.

God grant that we may respond to the news as the wise men did,
rejoicing to find our Savior and offer Him our praise and thanksgiving
eternally.

THE PRAYER:

 Heavenly Father, You have been so merciful to all of us. Cleanse
me from my sins for Jesus' sake, and make me strong to walk before
You and share my Savior's Name with all people. In Jesus' Name.
Amen.

(Lutheran Hour Ministries)

Advent Devotions

Read Matthew 2:4-6.
Assembling all the chief priests and scribes of the people,
he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born.
Matthew 2:4

Apparently, Herod was aware of the prophecy of a Messiah --
 a King to be born to the Jews. Since he was not Jewish
himself, but rather a descendant of Jacob's brother Esau, he
consulted the Jewish scholars who would know the prophecy.
The chief priests and scribes quickly revealed the birthplace to
the king and the wise men, "In Bethlehem of Judea, for so it is
written by the prophet, 'And you, O Bethlehem, in the land of
Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for
from you shall come a ruler who will shepherd My people Israel'"
(Matthew 2: 5-6).

Up to now, the wise men had simply been following a silent star.
But now they heard the living Word of God. It told them this King
of the Jews was a ruler who would lead God's people as a
Shepherd. He would gently lead His people, protect them from
their enemies, and guide them to safe pasture. Here was God's
invitation for Herod and the wise men to follow Him as well.

Had Herod not closed his heart but responded with Spirit-given
faith as the wise men did, he would have known the peace and
rest His great King Jesus came to bring. He would know his
kingdom was secure, and he would be part of Christ's greater,
eternal Kingdom. But Herod was blinded by his own hunger for
power and prestige. The news of Christ's birth only amplified his
insecurity and doubt. No wonder all of Jerusalem was stirred up
and fearful when they knew Herod was upset by the news.

In reality, King Herod was a model of this world's ruler, Satan. In
desperation and rage Satan uses his forces to try to keep his
tight grasp on his earthly kingdom, but his end is coming rapidly.
On the cross Jesus Christ already delivered a fatal blow, undoing
Satan's devious work in the Garden of Eden. Now the devil awaits
the end of his reign and the beginning of his eternal torment in
hell when Christ comes again on the Last Day.

In the meantime, God sets these two rulers before us-His own
dear Son Jesus Christ and His bitter enemy the devil. We are not
the masters of our own fate, or kings of our own kingdom. You and
I will serve either Jesus or Satan. So would you rather serve a King
who is your loving Shepherd who laid down His life on the cross to
defeat the devil and save you from your enemies? Or would you
prefer submission to Satan the tyrant who engineered your
destruction and seeks your doom?

THE PRAYER:

Lord God, thank You for Your Word, which reveals all I need to
know about Jesus my Savior. Keep me faithfully trusting Your Word.
Defend me against Satan's devious plans and bring me safely to
Your eternal Kingdom. In Jesus' Name. Amen.

(Lutheran Hour Ministries)

"The Mysterious Visitors from the East"

Advent Devotions

Read Matthew 2:1-2.
Behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem, saying,
"Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we
saw His star when it rose and have come to worship Him."
Matthew 2:1B-2

Today is the ninth day of Christmas, and it's finally time to turn
our attention toward those wise men who are rounding the
bend and heading for home. One of my favorite Christmas
carols as a kid was "We Three Kings of Orient Are." It
always puzzled me that we never sang it in church until I
later realized the first line has three errors. First, they
weren't kings; they were scholars and astrologers who
advised kings. Second, they weren't from the Orient; they
probably came from Persia, Babylon, or Arabia. And third,
Matthew doesn't tell us there were three. He says there
were three gifts, but the number of wise men is unknown.
So that's a problem with the figures for my Nativity set.
There are three of them and they are all wearing crowns.
Oh, well ...

The intriguing thing about the wise men is that they followed
a star, and somehow they knew that star was indicating the
birth of a great king of the Jews. Perhaps God left them a hint
 through the great Jewish civil leader Daniel, and his friends
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego who made a huge impact
on the Babylonian and Persian empires (see the book of Daniel
in the Old Testament). Perhaps it had something to do with a
record Daniel left in the official government records of Babylon
and Persia (see Daniel 2:44-45).

But, however the wise men came to know a king had been born
of the Jews, the wise men doggedly followed that star as God
slowly guided them to His perfect Light.

God guides us today too. Having revealed our Savior through His
Word, Holy Baptism, and the Sacrament of the Altar, God
continues to use His means of grace to guide us through our life's
journey. That is one of the reasons weekly worship is so vitally
important for us. God guides us and protects us from the
distractions of this world, and keeps us in the true faith until we
fall down and worship before Him in heaven.

In the meantime, as we continue on our journey, may God shine
through us and lead many people through the long night of this
sinful world to our heavenly home.

THE PRAYER:

 Lord, let the light of Your Word and Sacraments continue to
guide, strengthen, and sustain us in our faith. And enable all of us,
Your children, to shine the light of Jesus our Savior to the ends of
the world. In Jesus' Name. Amen.

(Lutheran Hour Ministries)