Such Innocence Lost
Herod the king, in his raging,
Charged he hath this day
His men of might in his own sight
All young children to slay.
Today is a gruesome reminder of the fact that Jesus Christ is not accepted by all. When the Magi told Herod that they were searching for a newborn king, I am sure the only thing Herod thought was, “King?!” In his eyes, Jesus was a threat to his sovereignty. Herod would deal with Him the way that he dealt with all perceived threats: put Him to death.
Thus, since Herod could not ascertain exactly who this newborn king was, he ordered the slaughter of all male children under the age of two. Casting such a global net, he would ensure that the threat would be one of those killed.
Joseph had already been warned in a dream that Herod was after the child and he took Mary and Jesus to Egypt so that he could keep Jesus safe. Jesus was preserved; but, all the other children were killed by Herod’s forces.
There is still a slaughter of innocents that takes place to this day. Abortion has taken the lives of over sixty-four million children since its legalization in the United States. In many countries, children perish because of famine. Still others die because of violence perpetrated against them. Our world is far from perfect and we need the love of God now more than ever.
FAITH ACTION: Pray for all who lose their lives to acts of violence and hatred perpetrated against them. Pray, as well, for peace to come to our world.