Light in the darkness
MATTHEW 2:16-18 | MIKE FERNANDEZ
‘When Herod realized that he had been outwitted by the Magi, he was furious, and he gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two years old and under, in accordance with the time he had learned from the Magi. Then what was said through the prophet Jeremiah was fulfilled:
“A voice is heard in Ramah,
weeping and great mourning,
Rachel weeping for her children
and refusing to be comforted,
because they are no more.”’
Christmas is often seen as a time of joy and celebration, yet Matthew’s account of Herod’s cruel massacre of innocent children reminds us of the darker realities of our world.
Wickedness and suffering are not distant from the Christmas story; they were present even in the earliest days of Jesus' life. Herod's rage led to unspeakable tragedy, fulfilling the lament of Jeremiah – Rachel weeping for her children, refusing to be comforted.
This prophecy from Jeremiah speaks not only to the grief of Israel’s past, but also to the tragedy in Bethlehem during Herod’s reign. Yet, in the midst of this sorrow, it also reminds us that God’s promises remain. God foresaw the brokenness and weeping, and His response was not indifference. He entered into our suffering by sending His Son. Jesus came as a light in the darkness, not to bypass suffering, but to confront and heal it. In the Christmas story, we find the answer to our deepest questions – God sees, God hears, and He acts to bring justice and hope in the midst of wickedness.
As we reflect on the reality of suffering in our own world today, especially in the lead up to Christmas, we can take comfort in knowing that God knows our pain. He is not distant or indifferent. In Jesus, we have the hope that wickedness will not have the final word, for God’s love and justice will prevail, and as Christmas draws near, we are reminded of this truth once again.
Heavenly Father, thank You for seeing our pain and for sending Your Son to bring justice and hope. As Christmas draws near, help us trust in Your promises and fill our hearts with the assurance that, in Christ, wickedness will not have the final word. Amen.
