Joy In The Darkness
Scripture References
Isaiah 63:7-14
The Lord’s Mercy Remembered
7 I will recount the steadfast love of the Lord, the praises of the Lord, according to all that the Lord has granted us, and the great goodness to the house of Israel that he has granted them according to his compassion, according to the abundance of his steadfast love. 8 For he said, “Surely they are my people, children who will not deal falsely.” And he became their Savior. 9 In all their affliction he was afflicted, and the angel of his presence saved them; in his love and in his pity he redeemed them; he lifted them up and carried them all the days of old. 10 But they rebelled and grieved his Holy Spirit; therefore he turned to be their enemy, and himself fought against them. 11 Then he remembered the days of old, of Moses and his people. Where is he who brought them up out of the sea with the shepherds of his flock? Where is he who put in the midst of them his Holy Spirit, 12 who caused his glorious arm to go at the right hand of Moses, who divided the waters before them to make for himself an everlasting name, 13 who led them through the depths? Like a horse in the desert, they did not stumble. 14 Like livestock that go down into the valley, the Spirit of the Lord gave them rest. So you led your people, to make for yourself a glorious name.
Galatians 4:4-7
Sons and Heirs
4 But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, 5 to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. 6 And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” 7 So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God.
Matthew 2:13-23
The Flight to Egypt
13 Now when they 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.” 14 And he rose and took the child and his mother by night and departed to Egypt 15 and remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet, “Out of Egypt I called my son.”
Herod Kills the Children
16 Then Herod, when he saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, became furious, and he sent and killed all the male children in Bethlehem and in all that region who were two years old or under, according to the time that he had ascertained from the wise men. 17 Then was fulfilled what was spoken by the prophet Jeremiah: 18 “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.”
The Return to Nazareth
19 But when Herod died, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, 20 saying, “Rise, take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel, for those who sought the child’s life are dead.” 21 And he rose and took the child and his mother and went to the land of Israel. 22 But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning over Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there, and being warned in a dream he withdrew to the district of Galilee. 23 And he went and lived in a city called Nazareth, so that what was spoken by the prophets might be fulfilled, that he would be called a Nazarene.
Magical Joy
What did you get for Christmas? If you ask a child this question, you will probably hear magical joy. That same joy we feel as we get older and make that transition into a harmony of giving. Finding value through cherished traditions, creating memories and finding wonder in the joy and peace of loved ones.
During the weeks leading up to Christmas we also talked about the great joy and peace found in Advent hope. Giving us magical joy which offers reassurance that our eternal light will prevail amidst darkness. But now that the presents are unwrapped, and the carols have faded into quiet evenings… that magical joy inadvertently ever so slowly can turn into holiday blues. Like waking up and suddenly realizing on this 4th day of Christmas… my true love gives to me… 4 calling birds, three French hens, two turtle doves, and a partridge in a pair tree… are you kidding me?
Christmas Blues
It happens each year it seems, that the spirits dampen somewhat after the rush of Christmas is gone…
The twelve days after Christmas is supposed to be jubilant but can seem somewhat empty for various reasons. A time of year where the story of Jesus’ birth fade into old routines and challenging moments.
Matthew, in our Gospel lesson today, gives us something that may add to our gloom as he pulls us back to earth from the warm fuzzy scenes of Christmas… by sharing with us the martyrdom of the Holy Innocents… But there is a reason for us to hear about this Herodian madness on this 1st Sunday after Christmas. In fact, if you look in the front of your hymnal on page roman numeral 11, you will find this feast when that day of the Church year lands on a Sunday.
Thus, on this post Christmas Sunday, I uphold the task to transform this tragedy and subsequent Christmas blues, back into “Joy.”
The Grinch That Stole Christmas
When I first read this account of how Herod wanted to spoil Christmas joy, I couldn’t help but compare this mad man to the Grinch who wanted to steal Christmas. That green furry creature that lived just north of Who-ville did not like Christmas at all. No one quite knows the reason… it could be his head wasn’t screwed on just right… It could be, perhaps, that his shoes were too tight… But I think that the most likely reason of all may have been that his heart was two sizes too small…
Matthew doesn’t quite describe Herod in this manner, but you might agree that a comparison is quite fitting.
You see, there was a child that was born in a stable that first Christmas night… a new King that give Herod quite a fright… Then he thought of something he hadn’t before! What if Christmas give people a new King to adore. What if Christmas…perhaps…means a little bit more! Thus, he sent out his soldiers late at night… with orders to kill the Christ child, thus steal our delight…
Ok, that is enough of that… But it does leave us with questions. How can I find joy in this dark world? How can I extend my Christmas joy a little bit more?
Magi Followed A Star
I think it will help to review the verses in Matthew chapter 2 leading up to today’s text. From there we learn that the wise men come to Jerusalem from the east and asked this following question in verse 2, “Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.” This infuriated Herod because he wants to be the only king. Nothing will stand in his path to keep it that way. This is proven by the fact that he even killed three of his own sons who threatened to take over his reign.
So, Herod told the wise men in verse 8, “Go and search diligently for the child, and when you have found him, bring me word, that I too may come and worship him.” Therefore, the Magi set out, followed the star, and found Jesus. Then we read in verse 12, “and being warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed to their own country by another way.”
Flight To Egypt
Continuing in our text that was shared with you a moment ago, we learn that God sent an angel who told Joseph in a dream, “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.”
Herod realized he had been tricked by the wise men, became enraged, and had all the little boys in Bethlehem and surrounding areas killed that were two years old and younger. Thus, the martyrdom of the Holy Innocents.
If you think about it, Herod’s heart might have been two sizes too small. His actions represent some of the gravest evil witnessed in history. If Matthew had not recorded these events in scripture, many might prefer to ignore this part of the Christmas story. Yet, even amidst such darkness, there is joy in hope: God does not shy away from confronting evil… He faces it directly and triumphs over it. As evidenced when He sent an angel to Joseph to protect the Christ child.
Evil World
You see, Herod’s failure to destroy Jesus ultimately led to Jesus submitting to an unjust death on the cross. Where He was despised and rejected. On that cross He bore our griefs and sorrows. He broke the power of sin. And won a victory He now shares with you and I… the answer to both the darkness within us… and to the world’s brokenness.
This is why an angel of the Lord said to those near Bethlehem that night Jesus was born, “I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all people.” Jesus came as a babe in swaddling clothes to redeem and restore this rebellious, broken, and as hard as it is to say… evil world.
Evidenced by Herod’s evil acts, the world we live is neither charming nor innocent. Its beauty then and now in its ugliness, is shattered like crystal hitting a tile floor or a masterpiece ruined by flames. It’s no wonder we get the blues…
Christmas Blues
Do you have a heavy heart due to any brokenness on this 1st Sunday after Christmas? Could it be you have the Christmas blues? If so, remember this… when the world felt especially dark and God’s people seemed small and overlooked, God arrived quietly and humbly, born in a manger. He displayed abundant mercy that day when He was born to Mary and cradled in her arms.
Like Isaiah, we see this mercy as a sign of hope for God’s compassionate actions today. The same Jesus who was born long ago has not left His humanity behind; instead, He has brought that human nature to heaven itself. The ruler of the universe understands with human perspective, experiences, emotions… and shares fully in our human condition. Our struggles are neither foreign nor unimportant to Him. This gives us profound hope for His mercy today.
I posed a question a moment ago… How can I find joy in this dark world and extend my Christmas joy a little bit more? Answers to these questions can be found in the “exceedingly great joy” the Magi felt seeing Jesus… when they used that star to find Him and recognized that He is the guiding Light… the Star even in our lives today… and letting that discovery lead to worship, generosity, humility… and sharing that divine light with others.
Joy In The Darkness
That’s how we need to turn our disappointments into avenues to find Him. Ensuring this deep, lasting joy is not just during the Christmastide but a daily life transformation through faith in Christ, the hope of the world.
My friends, we can find this joy in all darkness by proclaiming Jesus as the light of the World today, a light which shines even in our darkest night… that’s right, radiating from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
Yes, the babe of Bethlehem did not come because this world was OK, but because it was not OK, because it was evil. He ascended Calvary’s gruesome hill and died an evil and unjust death to bear its evil to destruction and unleash the healing of his mercy and grace.
With this truth, we can turn our Christmas blues into peace, hope and joy. Knowing no problem in our life is bigger than His solution. We can laugh amid our tears, and hope amid our sadness. The losses we have experienced over the past year, the difficult days of pain and sorrow are all met in the reality of that little babe in swaddling clothes.
Jesus can be found in the joy of all darkness. He has risen from death. Evil will continue, but it cannot win. Christ, our eternal Savior, has and always will prevail. The slaughtered children of Bethlehem and the slaughtered children of Roe v Wade, play today in God’s hands, and no Herod will ever take them from Him, because Jesus came and died for all of them…
Heart Of Joy In Jesus
That same gift is ours… Though evil may afflict us in this life, the light which Christ has shone in us cannot be dimmed and snuffed out by the most terrible act. Even if they take our lives too, that simply means He raises us from death. Leaving us with joy in the darkness………….
I think perhaps Herod never found joy. He simply seems to have died… and not so many years after Joseph, Mary, and Jesus moved away to Egypt. Then the evil seemed to continue as Archelaus picked up where Herod left off. However, there will always be those who’s heart is two sizes too small. But don’t give up hope… the Grinch even had a change of heart.
Yes, even that mean, bitter, green furry creature found joy. And it came without ribbons, it came without tags, it came without packages, boxes or bags… His heart grew three sizes when he found out where real joy comes from. He found the joy that comes with love. And all love comes through Jesus.
Turn Your Darkness Into Light
So, if you think your heart is becoming a size smaller as the twelve days of Christmas wind down… Remember there will always be a Herod or Grinch that will try to steel your Christmas. Truth to be told, all our Christmas stories will not be exempt from hardships or danger. But we must hold fast to the fact that joy in the darkness will arise from a God who is always there.
The flight into Egypt and the turmoil faced by the Holy Family show us that faith is sometimes forged in the fires of difficulty. When the Christmas blues creep in and darkness tries to overwhelm, the promise of light remains steadfast, encouraging us to seek comfort and purpose beyond the festivities, and each day thereafter going into a new year.
Now, the next time you hear that question… “What did you get for Christmas?” Look in your heart and find the light that overcomes all darkness. The source of all joy. The place where there is plenty of room for Jesus to dwell.
Brothers and Sisters in Christ, that gift is our Lord who overcomes evil. Boldly share that gift of mercy and grace, given to each one of us by our loving Lord and Savior. Who gives us this gift not only during the twelve days of Christmas, but throughout the entire new year. Merry Christmas to all, now go and rejoice in that gift.
Amen