Matthew 2:16-18

Matthew 2:16-18

Then after Herod saw that he was being tricked by the magi, he was being extremely angry.  After sending people out he executed all the young children in Bethlehem and in all of that region who were two years old and under – according to the time that he was able to determine precisely from the magi.  Then the words spoken by the prophet Jeremiah were being fulfilled: “A voice was being heard in Rama – weeping and great lamentation.  While Rachel weeps for her children she was not desiring to be encouraged because they are no more.”

Thoughts for Today

First Thought:

I think that this is one of the saddest stories in the whole of the Gospel of Matthew.  Even the death of Christ is not as sad as this story because there is so much purpose and hope granted through the cross.  But in this passage we have a senseless execution of innocent children unable to defend themselves.  I’d just like to stop a moment and let that sink in.  The Bible tells us that many young children in Bethlehem and the surrounding region senselessly lost their lives.  This is tragedy at its worst.

What does it say to you that the Bible records this event?  Do you think it was wise of Matthew to write this story in?  How might the inclusion of this story add credibility to the Gospel account?

Second Thought:

These innocent children die because of Herod.  Herod is angry because he is tricked.  He is angry because the magi outsmart him.  He is angry because he cannot execute his plan to remove the rival king.  Here in this story we can see the violently short-sighted nature of humanity.  Herod is angry because he did not get his way.  Many children die because Herod did not get his way.  What is the truly tragic thing?  Herod the Great – the Herod of this story – likely dies within a few years of Jesus’ birth.  Herod kills all of these babies because his reign is threatened.  Yet Herod won’t live long enough to see Jesus’ fifth birthday.  Herod violently kills scores of young children because in his anger he is vastly short-sighted.

How do you feel about Herod after reading the Biblical record that remembers him?  Do you think Herod was so great?  Do you know why Herod is called Herod the Great?  On a completely different note, has your anger ever blinded you from thinking logically?

Third Thought:

This passage shows the self-serving nature of the human heart, especially among those in power.  Herod doesn’t seem to be bothered by killing innocent babies.  He justifies the action completely because it is what he wants.  In the end, though, Herod isn’t conceptually different than the rest of us.  Sure, most of us won’t go to these lengths to get our way.  But most of us are in the habit of justifying and rationalizing our sinfulness because our heart desires our sin in the moment.  I’m not trying to justify Herod’s action.  Nor am I trying to say that from a human perspective we sin in as egregious manner as Herod does here.  I am simply lifting up the fact that we should all know what it is like to want something so bad that we don’t mind bending and breaking the rules in order to get it.

Where are you self-serving?  When have you been willing to compromise your belief and ethics for the sake of something that you want?

Passage for Tomorrow: Matthew 2:19-23