Weird scripture is what we get tonight. Right smack dab in the middle of our Christmas celebration. Oh all the right characters are present. It just turns all dark and black very quickly.
The 12 days of Christmas…I love it, from now until January 6th. 12 days worthy of celebration. 12 days of peacefulness and contentedness. 12 days of blessings.
We get to hear again about Joseph, Mary, baby Jesus and a vision of angels…it is so Christmasy…so perfect.
But it turns ugly – real fast.
Just the other day it was all about the manger, the crèche, the nativity. This year we were blessed to have three different babies, lying in our manger bed.
They were all so perfect. They are all so beautiful. They added so much to each individual liturgy. We were and are very blessed, indeed.
It makes you want to hover…you want to hang out at the manger for a while longer…it is God coming to the world in love.
You want to witness the event and see them kick…and place their feet in the mouth…as their hands and arms are flailing all around them.
It is about as close as we can come to the actual event.
God really does love us…he really does like us too, and wants us to “get that.” Don’t be afraid. God doesn’t want to scar us or scare us; God wants to cuddle. Cuddle and snuggle and coo. And reconcile the entire world to himself and bring eternal life and end all suffering and sorrow and wipe every tear from every single eye.
One thing you have to say, the early church did not sweep things under the carpeting. They put it out there.
Good and bad are side-by-side. I guess they always have been.
If we had paid more attention, we would have seen it in the eyes… of Melchior, Balthazar and Casper…or, in their body language. They knew something. They saw something. Or they sensed something. They looked and acted a little uneasy.
You do realize that they had to lie to King Herod, to keep him away, to keep the baby safe – for as long as possible.
But there is something more…something not being stated or said.
And then Joseph has yet another one of his visions. It was as if, an angel had whispered into his ear and had just spoken to him.
“Look you guys have to get out of here and fast.” You “have to” flee. The clock is ticking and Herod has other plans…if you stay – the baby dies.
Caspar, Melchior and Balthazar agree…the sooner the better. Go now, please!
It seems so unreal. This story of love and hope goes dark so quickly.
Who would ever want to hurt a little baby, we say. But as soon as those words come out of our mouths, we know better. It happens every day. It happens world-wide.
Evil and suffering does not take a break from Christmas or from any other holiday for that matter.
Just when I wanted to be reminded once again about all the beauty and the serenity, the fellowship of all people, just when I wanted to hear again about us being loved and that we are worth loving, and that there continues to be good in our world…
Herod’s soldiers are seen off in the sunset…they come with the darkness that they bear.
The wise men go in one direction. The holy family departs in another direction.
Egypt in the Bible is the place of refuge. It is far enough away. There is safety there, sometimes. It is the “go-to” place, where hopefully no one would ever look.
This is the same Herod who murdered the entire Sanhedrin of 70 elders. The same Herod, who murdered two of his sons…and who ordered the death of more than 300 people at his death, so that a lot of tears might be shed…
And now…Herod felt mocked, tricked or “made a fool of” – by the wise men. He was enraged…and an enraged Herod is never a good thing. Nothing good will come of this…
And now little baby boys are ripped from their mother’s unsuspecting arms. They are slain, because Herod will tolerate no rivals.
And in Ramah, the “mother of the nation” is awakened from her “sleep of death” and she cries again, as more of her children are taken.
And a shroud of darkness is forever cast over the season of joy and happiness…even as a baby – Jesus posed a threat. And Mary pondered…