The Reason for the Season

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.” (Matthew 2:16-18) 

Today is a memorial day in the church year, the Day of the Holy Innocents. Even as we continue to celebrate with joy the gift of God’s Son, born to be our Savior, we take a day to remember why we needed one. King Herod, known both inside and outside of the Bible for ruthless devotion to his own interests, thought nothing of killing innocent children in an attempt to protect his position. In a country that has sacrificed more children through abortion than through all of its wars combined, it’s hard to argue that the world has improved. Yet Matthew records the incident, and even sees it as the fulfillment of Jeremiah’s prophetic word, to remind us that God cares about every innocent life sacrificed to self-interest and always shares in our grief.  That was, after all, the reason that He sent His Son into the world: to redeem us from all such evil. 

“Heavenly Father, thank You for sending Your Son to redeem us. Give us hearts of compassion and selfless devotion to Your Kingdom, in Jesus, amen."
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THE 7 DEADLY SINS IN THE NEWS (By Andy Simmons):

Lust: When their pet tortoise, Boris, escaped through a fence, the frantic owners searched YouTube for tortoise pornography. The mating noise is loud, startling, and evidently quite seductive, since Boris lumbered home soon after hearing the videos play. theweek.co.uk

Greed: A North Carolina college student was arrested for using counterfeit money. What gave her away was the signature on the bill. It’s supposed to be the name of the secretary of the Treasury. Instead, it was signed “Moe Money.” myfox8.com

Anger: A Miami Beach thief snatched a necklace from a tourist and took off. He was arrested when he returned to berate the victim over his “fake” jewelry. nbcmiami.com

Sloth: When a British woman texted a baker to make a cake for her daughter’s 21st birthday, she requested a “wee blond figure” on top, but failed to proof read her message. Thanks to autocorrect, the figure adorning the cake was a wee blind girl.  telegraph.co.uk

Pride: A thief on the lam was arrested soon after liking a copy of his Wanted poster on a Crime Stoppers Facebook page. Great Falls Tribune

Envy: After spotting the car of their dreams, two Houston teens pointed a gun at the owner and made him hand over the keys. One problem—the car had a manual transmission, and neither teen knew how to drive a stick, which made it a lot easier for the cops to catch them. Associated Press

Gluttony: A burglar broke into a house in Petaluma, California. He might have gotten away with it except for the fact that he stopped to heat up some Tater Tots. That’s not all. When the homeowner returned, she found him snoozing on the couch. Associated Press

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The Lord give you joy in His redemption this week! 

In Jesus,

Pastor Kirk