Friday 28 December 2018

Psalm: Psalm 124

Background

Earlier in Matthew’s Gospel we hear how the wise men go to the palace to look for the newborn king – with hindsight they may not seem so wise as their action puts Jesus in danger. Herod does his best to trick them and makes a plan to find this new king that (in his mind) threatened his reign. Although when he does find him there’ll be no bowing in homage. Herod is out to kill the newborn king. He seems happy enough to trick these visitors from the East but he is livid when he finds out that he himself has been double-crossed by these wise men. They don’t return to the palace as instructed, which gives enough time for the young family to flee to relative safety in Egypt.

Herod’s reaction is extreme by anyone’s standards: all children under two years old to be killed. So much cruelty.

Most of us learn to control our temper in our early years. However, the news over the past year has told of various people, young and old, lashing out and attacking others out of anger, misplaced injustice, loyalty to a gang, or a sense of superiority. Anger and fear are close emotions. We can see that Herod in his fear of losing all he has leads him to make some extreme decisions.

People living in fear need hope and Christian disciples can be angel voices if they are in touch with God.

To Ponder:

•  When has anger led you to lash out in a ways you might live to regret?
• Who brings the angel voices in your life guiding you to do what is right? Have you given thanks for them recently?