Bible Study: 1st John 1, 5 to 2, 2. Matthew 2, 13 to 18.
Today we celebrate a rather painful episode of the Christmas story; the
great massacre of innocent children by King Herod. Today’s feast calls to mind
a lot of questions about God and why he sometimes allows bad people to do
certain things. Our questions no matter how many can be summed up in one: “Where
is God when bad things happen?” And when we talk of bad things, we mean really
really bad things such as the death of hundreds of innocent children.
Looking at the story again and again, one thing is obvious, that God
knew beforehand what Herod was planning to do. He was the one who told the Wise
Men through an angel not to return to Herod but to go home through another
route. He was the one who also warned Joseph through an angel to rise and
escape with the baby Jesus in the middle of the night. But then, he did not
send an angel to appear to Herod warning him not to kill these innocent
children. When Joseph was planning to do divorce Mary, God sent an angel in a
dream to stop his plan but God allowed Herod to proceed with his evil plan.
That bad things happen to good and innocent persons should not make us
lose faith in God or assume that he does not care or that he is powerless. God
is there, he sees everything, he knows everything and he has never stopped
being God. There is absolutely nothing impossible for God to do and he has the
power to stop all the evil going on in the world. All he demands from us especially
when things get really rough with us is TRUST. Trust that he is still there,
trust that he still loves us and cares for us even when we have to go through fire.
The kind of trust God desires from us is an absolute trust. One that
does not depend on whether or not things go well for us. This trust is different
from that we bestow on fellow human beings. For instance, if your friend refuses
to show up when things are bad for you or let’s say, you get to discover that
your friend was aware of an evil plot against you but refused to warn you
beforehand, you may stop seeing that person as your friend. Isn’t it? That may
be the end of your relationship because you will feel betrayed and you will
never draw that person close anymore. God does not want us to treat him like we
do our fellow human beings. He wants all of our trust, he wants us to worship
him not because of the good things he gives to us but simply because he is God.
Our relationship with God should not depend on what we stand to gain, or the
extent to which our prayers are answered, or the fact that bad things don’t happen
to us.
On the other hand, let us put ourselves in the shoes of Herod and try to
find out what let him to this disastrous act. What Herod did to be honest is
not different from what you and I may do if we find ourselves threatened. If you
hear for instance that somebody is coming to take over your position as the
Managing Director of a multi-national company for instance, would you just sit
there and fold your hands? If as a wife, you see that your husband begins to give
too much attention to another lady outside the house, would you sit there and
fold your hands? If you were told that everything you have worked for and all that
your family possesses which you have inherited would be taken away from you and
given to somebody else, would you do nothing?
At times, we pray the worst prayers over the people who seem to threaten
our position, our wealth, our children or our most precious possessions. Little
do we realise that each time, we are trying to fight our so called “enemy”,
each time we send arrows to them, to prevent them from ever succeeding, We are
simply being Herods. I am sure if you ask Herod, he would tell you, he didn’t do
anything wrong. He would tell you that he acted in self-defence. He would even
quote instances when countries go to war with other countries just because they
feel that those other countries possess or intend to possess certain arms that
may be of threat to them later on. So for Herod, the killing of the innocent
children was an act of war, a means of protection against the possibility of
another king rising over a territory which was rightfully his.
Haven’t we killed so many innocent people with our lips by speaking ill
of them simply because they were a threat to us?
This is why our first reading this morning from the letter of St. John says:
“If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in
us. If we confess our sins, he who is faithful and just will forgive us our
sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not
sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.” 1 John 1, 8 to 10.
Today is not a day to feel hatred for Herod over what he did, neither is
it a day to recount the people who have committed similar atrocities against their
fellow man. It is not a day to ask God why he allows bad things happen. Today is
a day for us to look inwards and ask ourselves how well we have fed the Herod
that is in us. Today is a day for us to examine ourselves and recount bad
things we may have done to people to the extent that even our victims had to
cry to God to also ask him why he allowed us do such evil things to them.
Today is a day for us to examine our fears and ask ourselves what is it
that we are trying to hold on to. That is, what are we afraid of losing for
which we are prepared to kill? What is it that we have become so attached to
that we would rather slaughter a hundred persons that give such away? Did we
bring anything to this life? Are we going to take anything with us when we die?
So why are we so scared of losing the things that we must lose eventually? Did Herod
not eventually die and leave the throne for another person? Was he thinking that
by killing the innocent children, he would reign for ever? Does he know whether
the throne went to his son or someone else?
Imagine, despite his “successful” campaign to stop another king from
growing in his kingdom, did Jesus not eventually become a King? There is
something about destiny and competition. At times, we engage in very useless
competition with people forgetting that who God has said he will be, he must
be. We try to stop people from outshining us and we waste a lot of time and
energy, we even have sleepless nights just to prevent others from overtaking
us, yet after everything, we cannot stop the will of God from happening. A little
boy you brought up may eventually become your master tomorrow and if that is
how God want it, there is nothing you can do about it. Your driver, your house-help,
that “useless thing” may eventually become your saviour tomorrow so why being a
Herod today.
I have so much to say but I will have to stop here so the homily does
not become too long. Dear friends, let us cast away our fears and live by the
Golden rule. Never do to anyone what you do not want done to you.
Let us Pray:
Lord Jesus, teach me to trust you even thing are hard. Amen. In a
special way, I pray for the repose of the twenty two children who died in a
ghastly motor accident on their way to attend my diaconate ordination on December
17, 2011. These were innocent children who wanted to see for the first time how
people are ordained, they did not attend the ceremony physically but were there
in spirit. Have mercy on them and grant them a place in your kingdom O Lord. Amen.
God bless you. Good Morning. Be Happy. Live Positive. Have Faith. It is
well with you. Happy new week.
No comments:
Post a Comment