Reflections – On the Nativity
Reflections – On the Nativity
The world rejoiced at the birth of Christ,
but the Jews were troubled and sought to kill Him as a child…
The birth of Christ was a cause of joy for the world, because He came for their salvation and redemption. Therefore, when the angel announced His birth to the shepherds, he said to them:
“Behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people: For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord” (Luke 2:11).
In the midst of this joy, King Herod was sorrowful… The Scripture says that when he heard of the birth of Christ the King, “he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him” (Matthew 2:3)… He did not think about humanity and its salvation, but rather thought about himself and his kingdom… Is this Christ truly a king?! And how can I allow Him to reign?
Poor Herod thought that Christ, the King of kings and Lord of lords, had come to compete with him for an earthly kingdom!! So he feared, while Christ later declared, “My kingdom is not of this world” (John 18:36).
It would have been more fitting for Herod to rejoice at the coming of Christ, if he had been thinking about the salvation of his own soul.
Or at least he could have rejoiced that the prophecies were fulfilled in his days. Yet instead of going to receive the blessing of this newborn, we see that he was troubled and sorrowful. And it did not stop at his disturbance, but he thought to kill the Child!!
Kill Him?! What horror!! Do you kill the One in whose hand are the keys of life and death?! Your entire life is suspended by His finger; indeed, it is suspended merely by His will…
What is astonishing is that Herod did not think to kill Christ out of ignorance, but out of knowledge! He gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people and asked them where the Christ would be born. They told him, in Bethlehem of Judea, and they presented to him the prophecy. Herod believed the prophecy, and yet thought to kill Christ! How strange this is from you, O Herod. If this prophecy is true as you have known, are you able to stand against God?! And what is the meaning of this madness of fear that drives you to kill one hundred and forty-four thousand innocent children, perhaps Christ might be one of them!!
Herod was not able to rejoice in the Nativity, because he was centered around himself. All his thinking was: how to exalt himself, how to become the sole king, how to get rid of a rival in the kingdom, even if it were Christ! Even if the prophecies supported this rival and said that there would be no end to His kingdom!
And you, my brother, are you—like Herod—centered around yourself, or do you think about Christ and rejoice in His coming?
In contrast to Herod’s موقف toward Christ was the موقف of John the Baptist. The Baptist was at the peak of his glory and greatness. Then Christ appeared. John said, “He must increase, but I must decrease” (John 3:30). John was disappearing so that Christ might appear. But Herod wanted Christ to disappear so that he might appear!! Poor man, his self was the cause of his troubles. The saying of the Lord applied to him: “He who finds his life will lose it” (Matthew 10:39). But the other half of the verse, “and he who loses his life for My sake will find it,” applies to John.
Many do not rejoice in the coming of Christ because they are not prepared to meet Him. If they knew that Christ had come, they would fear and tremble. They fear that He might expose them, or catch them in sin, or deprive them of preoccupations that delight them.
What would we do if we were told, “Behold, Christ has come”? I fear we might say, “We are not able to prepare to meet Him; it is better to kill Him.”
No, my brother, do not do so. But be like the watchful shepherds who were keeping watch over their flock by night, and thus were worthy of that great joy which the angel proclaimed to them. Or be like the five wise virgins who were watchful and prepared to meet the Bridegroom.
For better translation support, please contact the center.
