Matthew 2:13-23

A New Exodus

            This past week, the Church always commemorates three different feast days. These are days that we remember faithful saints of the church past and are encouraged by their witness of faith. However, there’s one feast that falls just three days after Christmas that isn’t like any of the others: The feast of the Holy Innocents. It’s the one feast that doesn’t focus on just one individual or especially name any particular individual. Rather, this is our day to remember a tragedy done to such lowly humans. The feast of the Holy Innocents is the day we remember those little children killed by Herod after the birth of Jesus. Herod had heard the reports of one who was born “King of the Jews” and felt threatened by him. Thus, he sent out his army to squash this so-called ruler but couldn’t find him. Instead of killing the Christ-child, Herod has his army kill every small child age 2 and younger. We’re never told how many were killed, but such a massacre is abominable no matter the number. The church has sought to remember the death of such children and even called them the first martyrs of the church. For these children are truly martyrs by deed… that is, they were made martyrs when Herod had them killed. There are martyrs who are martyrs by will, that is, those who boldly profess Christ throughout their life and face death at the end of life. And there are martyrs who are martyrs by will and by deed, that is those who are put to death for their confession of Christ. Yet, all who are martyred for Christ, by will or by deed, show us the true hope and comfort of the Christian life.

            For today, we read about the Holy Innocents even as we hear of God’s protection of the Christ child by his earthly father, Joseph. Among such tragic events, we must look towards the child to find any comfort. For so we learn today:  

COMFORT YE MY PEOPLE THAT THE CHRIST SHALL DELIVER YOU FROM DEATH!

I.

            Let us not get lost in asking such questions like “Why did God protect Jesus and not these small children?” or “Why did God allow Herod to carry out such an atrocity?” For we must maintain a tension in this reading. We must maintain a disdain for the death of such helpless, innocent children at the hands of Herod, while also rejoicing in the deliverance given to Jesus through his earthly father, Joseph. Herod, for all his evil, is a lesson to us. He teaches us the lengths and lack of rationale for the actions of evil. For just as we read, “When [the wise men] had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Rise, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you, for Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy him,” Matthew 2:13. Herod was simply fearful that this small child, baby Jesus, was a threat to his power and rule. He got in his mind that killing this supposed opponent was the only way to solve his dilemma. For such is the evil in our world. It’s not afraid of thrusting martyrdom upon us for little to no reason, regardless of age, career, or health. 

            Due to the evil in our world, the holy family is forced into their own Exodus. Jesus is carried by his parents down to Egypt like Israel of Old. For think about the original exodus and compare with these events. The twelve sons of Jacob went down to Egypt to avoid famine in the land of Israel. After several generations, Pharoah felt threatened by the strength of the Israelites within his kingdom and put to death the newborns among the Hebrews, those two years old and younger because God had given Israel a deliverer, baby Moses. The Exodus has always been an image, a prefigurement of the deliverance of God’s people, but it reminds us that God’s deliverance comes among the tragedies and abominations of this world. We can’t find comfort in the things of this world, but rather must look towards the Christ child. Only in him can we be comforted and have hope. Just as we heard from the prophecy of Jeremiah, “A voice was heard in Ramah, weeping and loud lamentation, Rachel weeping for her children; she refused to be comforted, because they are no more,” Matthew 2:18. Evil will make sure there’s always a reason for us to weep and lament, but we’re not to let it consume us. Rather, we must look for God’s deliverance, God’s new exodus.

II.

            Just as God’s people had done over a thousand years prior, Jesus returns with his family to the promised land. He had to go down to Egypt and he had to be called up, as was quoted, “Out of Egypt I called my son,” Matthew 2:15. God called his people out of Egypt that they may be his children, though they rebelled. Now, we see Israel boiled down to just one… Jesus. Jesus is Israel made perfect, perfectly obedient. For while the world was trying to destroy Israel, destroy Jesus, God was working his salvation. Joseph took Jesus to live in Nazareth, which literally means a branch... that is… the branch of Jesse. Jesus shall be called the branch who fulfills the line from Jesse, through David that shall bring life back to Israel. While Herod gave the world much reason for weeping and lamentation, God had given his world it’s savior. He would be their comfort amidst death, for he would deliver them from death. Jesus would speak comfort to his people because he would go on his own exodus. He would go to the cross that God’s people may be brought through the sea of death and rise to new life!

            This is the image of the Christian life too. We must go through an exodus… that is, we must go down to death in Egypt, putting to death our sinful flesh. We must weep and lament the holy innocents claimed by Satan. Even more so, we must pass through the waters of holy baptism, being washed of our sins in Christ’s blood, that we may rise and continue to the promised land, even New Creation! For you see, this is the importance of Baptism. It works for us not just forgiveness, but is our entrance into eternal life. This is why we insist on baptizing babies. This is why I’ll tell you, don’t delay in bringing children to the font. For let us look to the Christ child, look to his baptism where we find comfort in this life and the next, lest we weep and lament the evil in our world. 

            So, let us commemorate the holy innocents today as they point us to the only comfort we have, to their savior and ours. For Jesus goes on his exodus to the cross that we may pass through the waters of baptism and come with him into the eternal promised land, paradise unending. In Jesus’ name! Amen!