I am new to Christianity, I was brought up in an Atheist household so never learnt about any religion. What advice would you give?

What do you think of the Shroud of Turin?

Legitimately real or fake?

This is such an important topic for believers. We're establishing churches here in South America. Look at this video... What the church is not about...

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A girl can dream, can't she?

I was chrismated August 19, 2006 in an OCA parish. I was sixteen at the time. I won't rehash me entire conversion story because it's somewhere in the sticky thread (I think I posted it in 2007? 2011? who knows). Needless to say, I've been Orthodox for a while. I've been serving in the US military for the last ten years and in that time I've had nineteen addresses across seven US states, visited close to 70 parishes of (almost) every jurisdiction, and have been a tithing member of four different jurisdictions, on both US coasts and the Deep South. Suffice to say, I've experienced a few different flavors of Orthodoxy across different parts of the USA.

Like anyone else, my faith has had some highs and lows in that time. I always knew exactly who I am: I am an American, and I am an Orthodox Christian. My family has been on this continent as far back as the 1680s, so I am as American as anyone in the Old World is Russian, Greek, Arab, whatever. Where I grew up in the Pacific Northwest, pan-Orthodoxy was the norm. Whenever Archbishop Benjamin (OCA) visited my parish in Washington state, the visiting priests were not strictly OCA priests, but also included the Greek, Antiochian, Serbian, and after 2007, ROCOR priests. At least one from each jurisdiction in the state. Likewise whenever their bishops were in town (rarely) we also sent a priest or two to represent us. We had pan-Orthodox vespers on every Sunday in Lent from Sunday of Orthodoxy through Palm Sunday. It was also normal to visit other parishes throughout the Puget Sound and the great benefit of the pan-Orthodox vespers was that whenever you visited a parish you had a friend that you could meet; someone to introduce you to the rest of the parish and ensure that you were treated like family. Despite the current schism between the Russians and Constantinople, I was told that last year's Sunday of Orthodoxy vespers was attended by both ROCOR and Greek priests, but neither one concelebrated because they did not want the other to feel excluded. They were both there because they knew that we as Orthodox are a very small minority in this country and it is more important to keep the channels of communication open, rather then closed. The Orthodoxy of the Pacific Northwest when I left for the Navy in 2012 was a region-wide family affair. In fact, when the OCA had their All-American Council in Seattle back in 2011, every single parish in the Puget Sound volunteered to help in some way. We had chalices that were lent out from every parish of every jurisdiction. A Romanian man donated his limo service to pick up bishops. A Ukrainian family donated their trucking business to bring liturgical items from the East Coast. Some of the Greeks helped cover the hotel costs. ROCOR opened up their cathedral so people could venerate the place where St John of Shanghai reposed. The Serbs, Antiochians, Greeks, ROCOR, and OCA all got together to create a Pacific Northwest Pan-Orthodox choir just for the Council.


And then I came to the Mid-Atlantic DC area a year and a half ago on military orders. Finding a parish home here has been exceedingly difficult. No longer is Orthodoxy a family affair here. Instead, one's ethnicity and job are what "matter" in order to be welcomed into a parish by the laity. No longer are there good relations here even for parishes of the same jurisdiction. No longer is Orthodoxy one big tribe, instead being Orthodox comes second to being Russian, Greek, Arab, Romanian, or convert (because God forbid we call people American and Orthodox in the same sentence). This place has been a huge test of my faith because of the ethnic chauvinism and constant one-up-man-ship of "my people suffered more then you" or "you celebrate Christmas on December 25th? Heretic" or "you celebrate Christmas on January 7th? Backward barbarian." Or my personal favorite "I can't ever attend a parish of X jurisdiction because of something that Bishop Y did even though he's been dead for years". This place is completely devoid of any sense of compassion for other traditions or sense of belonging to a greater Church beyond the local parish and it is driving me up a wall. There are 25 Orthodox parishes and missions in the greater DC area (not including Baltimore) and each and every one of them acts as if the other 24 do not even exist - with the exception of the mission I attend.


For the first time in my life I am considering just quitting Orthodoxy. I am tired of the hostility. I am tired of parishes hoarding their relics and miraculous icons to themselves like the man who buried his one talent. I am tired of the ethnic chauvinism, racism, and ethnocentric Orthodoxy here where St Paul's words to the Galatians fall on deaf ears, "For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise" (Galatians 3: 26-29).
I am tired of this ghetto mentality. I am tired of the paranoia. I am tired of the complete refusal to remotely identify with the land that your grandfathers willingly fled to three generations ago. I am tired of people calling English a barbarian language not worthy of being worshiped in. I am tired of the constant unending talk of politics. I am tired of Orthodox Christians basing their friendships on political party lines. I am tired of us acting like none of our neighboring Orthodox parishes exist just because the music is a little different. I am tired of being called some sort of ethnic-phobe just because I don't embrace some other ethnic group's ethnic-ness (remember, I'm an American and my family has been for 340 years). I am tired of people bashing American culture. I am tired of being told I need to learn about some other ethnic group's troubles when that same ethnic group refuses to learn mine. I am tired of the superior attitude we have about our own traditions. I am tired of people treating me like a second-class citizen just because my ancestors hailed from Western Europe. And I am tired of people acting like their jurisdiction has the monopoly on anything and everything that defines what is and isn't Orthodox and all others are "not real Orthodox like we are".
In the words of John Coffey from The Green Mile, "Mostly, I'm tired of people being ugly to each other".

Forgive me for the rant, but this is exactly why the perception of Orthodoxy is that of a regressive, oppressive Church. This is why people do not become Orthodox. And this is why Orthodoxy will always be viewed as a foreign institution in this country unwelcoming and uninviting to Americans.
There is a very short sermon that I believe was related to Metropolitan Anthony of Sourouzh, "Last night a woman came to vespers. She was a single mother and one of you ran her out because she was not wearing a headscarf. Whoever that was, her salvation is now on your soul."
How many people's salvation do we have on ours?

Forgive me.

Acts 4:15-17 ESV


Charged Not to Speak

Jesus put the old hymn in my mind, “Immanuel’s Land.” Since the language is old (not the English I speak today), I have difficulty understanding the meaning of some of these lyrics. So I decided to look for one of those “behind the hymn” stories which would help me understand what this hymn is saying. But I got a surprise when I found out the history behind the hymn. I will link it below this writing, but I will try to summarize what I learned because it fits perfectly with this passage of Scripture for today.

Evidently the hymn was written by Anne Ross Cousin in 1857, but it is “based on a collection of letters written by Samuel Rutherford (1600-1661), a Scottish pastor who was also from Roxburghshire. Many of the phrases and images from the hymn’s 19 verses come from these letters and provide a glimpse into Rutherford’s life and ministry.”

Now, as I read this, I immediately thought of the Apostle Paul and how he was frequently imprisoned for preaching the gospel, and how he wrote at least some of the epistles, which are in our New Testament, when he was imprisoned for preaching the gospel. So, in some ways, Samuel Rutherford’s life appears to parallel the life and ministry of the Apostle Paul.

Rutherford was a faithful evangelical preacher who loved his congregation dearly. He lost his wife to death in 1630 and his two children soon followed her in death, I am assuming from the same illness she had. At this time the Church of Scotland (a state church) began declining in doctrine and was seeking to impose many Anglican traditions on the Reformed churches. So Rutherford ended up being charged with non-conformity to these changes.

As the situation worsened, this led to him publishing a book in 1636 warning of the rising trend away from the truth of the Scriptures. The book offended several church leaders and Rutherford was immediately summoned to the High Commission Court at Edinburgh and charged with non-conformity and treason for his book. The court subsequently condemned and banished him, and he was forbidden to preach the gospel. And this reminds me of today’s passage of Scripture and what the apostles were facing.

Rutherford was provided with a home, which reminds me of some of Paul’s imprisonment, which was in a home, I believe. And so from Rutherford’s prison he wrote some 220 letters to friends, seeking to encourage them to persevere, just like Paul wrote to the church in various places for much of the same reasons. And eventually Rutherford was set free and he was asked to teach as Professor of Divinity at a school, and his influence grew.

Then, in 1660 he found himself again at odds with the state church and he was removed from church office, charged with treason, and summoned to appear before the British Parliament. By this time he was on his deathbed. And “in the final verse of the hymn he explains why he could not answer their summons – he had a more important call from his Lord!” Amen! And it was recorded that his dying words were, “Glory, glory dwelleth in Immanuel’s Land.” And the hymn that came from that is “a marvelous testimony of treasuring Christ above all else in this life and the next.” Amen!

A Present Reality

In America, much of what is called “church” today is the state church. Most churches, it appears, have incorporated under the state making them state churches (businesses, really). Most of them have turned their gatherings into businesses which are being marketed to the people of the world. And so most of them (across denominational boundaries) have followed and are following marketing schemes and objectives for how to grow their “churches” and how to attract the people of the world to their gatherings.

The Lord first made me aware of this back in 1999, and it was then I began to see what was going on, although it was something I learned a little bit at a time as the Lord began giving me more and more of the true picture. And so when I read the history of this hymn, and the story of this man, I saw many parallels between what he went through then and the situation with so much of what is called “church” in America, today, including parallel experiences in my own life to what he experienced.

And by 2004 the Lord let me know that the ministry he had for me was no longer within the boundaries of the institutional market-driven state church, where I had been rejected and cast aside and treated similarly to this man Rutherford whose writings were the basis for this hymn (which follows). And the Lord had a writing ministry for me, as well, and so he placed me on the internet where I could share the truth of the gospel and where I could refute the lies of the enemy and where I could encourage the body of Christ.

And according to the Scriptures, it is only going to get much worse. Already not too many people want to hear the truth of the gospel and not too many people are preaching the truth of the gospel. But most appear to be preaching a less offensive version of the gospel which is made to tickle itching ears and to pacify people in their flesh rather than demand death to sin and living to God and to his righteousness. And the truth of the gospel is seriously under attack by pastors and fellow professing Christians.

So, it isn’t that we can’t speak in the name of Jesus, for his name today in America has become a household word, and he has been popularized by many movies and TV programs which are altering his image and which are making him out to be more like us and as someone people loved. And the term “gospel” is also being reduced to a profession of faith in Jesus which then secures heaven for you when you die regardless of how you live your life on this earth. But that is not what the Scriptures teach in full context.

So, we can speak in the name of Jesus and we can share the gospel, as long as it is the false (watered down) Jesus and gospel we speak of and not the Jesus and gospel of the Scriptures. For the goal today in many or most of these “churches” is to attract the world to their gatherings and not to do or say anything that will offend anyone, except they will offend those of us who are teaching the truth by letting us know we are unwanted and that we should go someplace else where we will be a “better fit.”

So, whether directly after Jesus died and the church was under great persecution, or at various times in various places throughout history, or in our present day and time, the truth of the gospel was and is under fire, and the biblical image of Christ is not acceptable to the masses, nor is his gospel message. And so if you are sharing the truth of the gospel, and if you are opposing the lies and the distortions of truth going on in the institutional (state) church, you are going to be rejected and even persecuted.

[Matt 5:10-16; Matt 10:16-25; Matt 24:9-14; Matt 28:18-20; Lu 6:22-23; Lu 21:12-19; John 15:1-21; Jn 16:33; Acts 1:8; Acts 14:22; Acts 26:18; Rom 5:3-5; Rom 12:1-8; 1 Co 12:1-31; 2 Co 1:3-11; Eph 4:1-16; Eph 5:17-27; Phil 3:7-11; Col 3:16; 1 Thess 3:1-5; Jas 1:2-4; Heb 3:13; Heb 12:3-12; 1 Pet 1:6-7; 1 Pet 2:9; 1 Pet 4:12-17]

The Sands of Time are Sinking
a.k.a. Immanuel’s Land

by Anne R. Cousin, 1857

The sands of time are sinking,
The dawn of Heaven breaks;
The summer morn I’ve sighed for—
The fair, sweet morn awakes:
Dark, dark hath been the midnight,
But dayspring is at hand,
And glory, glory dwelleth
In Immanuel’s land.

O Christ, He is the fountain,
The deep, sweet well of love!
The streams on earth I’ve tasted
More deep I’ll drink above:
There to an ocean fullness
His mercy doth expand,
And glory, glory dwelleth
In Immanuel’s land.

The King there in His beauty,
Without a veil is seen:
It were a well spent journey,
Though seven deaths lay between:
The Lamb with His fair army,
Doth on Mount Zion stand,
And glory—glory dwelleth
In Immanuel’s land.

The bride eyes not her garment,
But her dear bridegroom’s face;
I will not gaze at glory
But on my king of grace.
Not at the crown He giveth
But on His pierced hand;
The Lamb is all the glory
Of Immanuel’s land.

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Hymn Story: Immanuel’s Land – Covenant Presbyterian Church

My mother is 81. I haven't spoken to her in 13 years--nor has she spoken to me or been there for me when I had surgery, when I learned my husband was cheating on me and spending us into extreme debt, when I got divorced and was left as a single parent to 6 kids still at home, when both my daughters were in surgery on the same day. Etc. She'll see me at the grocery store and turn her nose up and walk past me. Yet the family story is that I am not talking to her, that this is all one-sided. Early on, I invited her to a couple of parties for kids' events & she arrived and 'ate my meat and drank my wine' and ignored me the whole time. As a result, I quit inviting her.

I have just learned she has tongue cancer. My first thought was, if I were a writer I couldn't come up with more perfect karma. My mother TALKS. Talking is what she does. She trash talks other people. She has spent my 50+ years trash-talking my grandmother, my father's entire side of the family, the way her mother was unfair to her 65 years ago. She has trash-talked me to many other people since I was 4 or 5 (I believe because she was covering up inappropriate behavior on my father's part, making sure no on believed me) and there are people who will always think badly of me as a result, not based on who I am but on who they think I am as a result of her lies about me. She has trash-talked me literally to my high-school friends when I was in high school and walked out of the room, to my new mother-in-law the first time she met her (and I saw the permanent change that day in how my MIL treated me), to my siblings, to her friends, to people in my/our church.

She has spent hours and hours talking at me about how angry she is with the world, how much she dislikes other people. And never in those hours of her talking at me has she ever shown the slightest interest in who I am or what I think...yet she goes on to tell other people what I really think, or why I really did something, despite what I actually told her.

I give this much detail to say: she has spent her life demonstrating the Biblical principles about the power of the tongue and the evil use of the tongue, using the tongue to hurt others, to turn people against each other, to tear people down, to drive wedges between people, to break down relationships, to damage other people.

My first thought on finding she cancer of the tongue, was: KARMA. If I were an author this is how I would have written the story of someone who has continually gossipped and turned people against each other with lies and gossip.

But I also need to ask myself: What is the CHRISTIAN response to learning (from a third party because your parents won't tell you themselves) that your mother has cancer? My personal response is: Thank God maybe her gossiping and turning people against each other is finally coming to an end.

What should be the Christian response? I don't necessarily think it's evil or wrong or unloving to see the strong correlation between how she has used her TONGUE for 7 decades to divide people and having tongue cancer. But I also seek the Christian response on my own part.

"The woman told Melugin that after they failed to get into her house, which she has spent $13,000 upgrading after previous break in attempts, they successfully entered her neighbor's home, but fled by the time Border Patrol responded. "

Do not add comments to posts once the thread has been closed for review. A closed thread means there should not be any further comment. Commenting in closed threads can result in a ban.

Aside from an investigation by federal and Long Island prosecutors, at least one fellow Republican feels he may be investigated by the House Ethics Committee when the GOP assumes the majority:

A fellow Long Island Republican, Rep.-elect Nick LaLota, said he was troubled by the revelations.

"I believe a full investigation by the House Ethics Committee and, if necessary, law enforcement, is required," LaLota said Tuesday.

N.Y. Rep.-elect George Santos is being investigated for lying about his past

He's in trouble. And it looks like it's getting deeper.

Hello, I live in Colorado Springs. I have been trying to find a good local church. I want one that has sound doctrin. I want one that has a good comunity. I want one where they have life groups and/or programs. I desire friendships and hopefully to one day find a partner out of the congregation.

Now so far localy I have round extremes. I don't want to go to a mega church or a small congregation either, so this eliminates many. Also I do not want a place that is heretical or a cult and this seems to be a bad issue here as well. Any suggestions?

Science and religion… everyone seems to have an opinion. They’re at war. They’re at peace. They don’t overlap. It’s complicated. Take the Science and Religion Quiz and work out where you stand… and why it matters!

Welcome to the Science and Religion Quiz​

How the questions work​

I've been working remote for my job since July, I'm a video editor for a global TV network and if editors work remote we use TeamViewer to control our editing workstation in the office. Surprisingly there are no drawbacks or issues with this setup and I'm able to do my job just as well as if I were in my editing suite.

That being said, my goal is to move my family back to my home state on the opposite coast from my job if they'll let me continue working remote from there. Among other things I'm thinking about is that there are pockets of my town where AT&T's 5gig fiber internet is available. If we're able to get a place in one of those areas that's what I'd like to do. I know my office upgraded the internet to at least gigabit infrastructure. It has me wondering whether I could realistically build a new editing rig and use it as a workstation in my home rather than using TeamViewer to use my office workstation.

Our workflow involves editing multiple sequences per day on Avid Media Composer with dozens of raw footage clips contained on a media server that we access through Avid's "Production Management" window. We also deliver several completed video files ranging from 1-8GB in size to the control room server. Since AT&T's fiber is symmetrical, that means I'd have probably ~4,700mbit/sec upload speeds. That'd obviously meet a bottleneck in the office where AFAIK they have around 900mbit max download speed but that could still mean a 200MB/sec transfer to the server right? Assuming no significant bottlenecks in transit.

I'm just curious if it'd even be feasible to set things up this way or if I'd be better off continuing with TeamViewer.

Any recommendations on books about Prayer?

I learned about something last night for the first time. We are familiar with Yahweh, god of the Israelites, Chemosh, god of the Moabites, Milcom, god of the Ammonites, Asherah, goddess of the Sidonians, but little do we know about the god of the Edomites: Qōs. One reason we are not familiar with Qōs is that he is never mentioned at all in the biblical accounts except in the personal name of a man named Barqōs ("son of Qōs) in Ezra 2:53 and Nehemiah 7:55, an alternative to Benaiah which means "son of Yah". But based on the material record we currently do have and some written information outside the scriptures, Qōs was the Idumean structural parallel to Yahweh. They were almost identical. He had his own class of priests as well. It is believed that the name 'Qōs' means bow, and this probably refers to his role as a war deity. It may be of no coincidence if the ancestor of the Edomites was declared in Genesis 25:27 "a skillful hunter, a man of the field".

Herod the Great was of Edomite lineage, but interestingly, an associate and brother-in-law of his, Costobarus I's personal name means "Qōs is mighty", suggesting that Qōs was still recognized during the first century. It may be that the Edomites and Israelites had two different names for the same god post-exile (thus Herod's temple in Jerusalem).

Ironically, they say that Qōs has been identified with Quzah, a pre-Islamic god of weather, and may have been introduced into northern Arabian pantheon, which may have been one of the deities Muhammad despised as pagan. If true, the irony of its historical background up to its rejection by a monotheist group is funny.

I'm really curious about this god, and wonder if any of you know about this? I would be happy to learn more tbh.

So I was reading the book of Numbers the other day and came across a verse about God dwelling in darkness, and remembered other verses about God being in the darkness.

However, in the NT, I think in 1Timothy it says that God dwells in unapproachable light and i recall singing a line in a song 'he wraps himself in light'.

Forgive me, I'm struggling with typing today and haven't the references to hand, but hopefully someone will be familiar with a few of those verses.

This totally confused me. Is anyone able to explain this?

...

I just thought I should introduce myself.
I guess God wanted everyone to know.
I also wanted to share how I have faith.
I have faith in and on and around Yahshua.
I have been saved many times by Yahshua.
I learned you can have faith in a different way.
Like you can have faith in and on and around Yahshua name.
It may benefit you so much it may change everything for you.
If your are struggling with faith like I was.
I implore you to try having faith like me.
Amen.

But evidently not any more. Just when you think they couldn't possibly get any stupider, they pull something like this. I mean, come on.

This is a long episode (over 2hrs) but if you got time and/or can still glean stuff from something playing in the background while you do other stuff I think it's a really conversation what these three guys have. Check it out if you'd like.

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I came to faith in the Charismatic Renewal.
After moving to another country it was through the grace of the Lord that I found the Quakers.
I belong to an un-programmed, Christ-centered meeting.
I was very happy that I could leave all the religious clutter behind and that Jesus Christ became more and more clear.
I was very moved when another Quaker called me Friend for the first time.

Any more Friends on this Forum?

Juanquin
(Johnny or Little John)

COMMENTARY: ‘A Christian knows when it is time to speak of God,’ says Benedict XVI, ‘and when it is better to say nothing and to let love alone speak.’

I live in a country in which euthanasia has run amok. Compassion has been replaced by killing. It’s become normal.

A few of us tried to stop it. But the odds, as it turned out, were against us.

I was a career journalist. I watched and reported on our descent into madness. It was depressing to realize that friends and colleagues thought state-sanctioned death was progressive.

I soon realized the only thing I could do was to accompany those who had chosen a natural death on their journey home to God. It was the answer to quell the frustration of living in a society in which some lives are considered disposable. It was also a way to exercise my faith. So a few years ago I became a hospice volunteer. It was the last thing I ever expected to do but it turned out to be one of the great blessings of my life. I believe it was also a blessing to those who were dying.

Continued below.

I ask that you give me, my people(Ha-young, Ye-young, Ui-seop, Jung-won, Hye-ok, Yul-bin, Suzy, Eun-tae, In-sook, Im-hak, Tan-ae), and all who read it and pray revelation by the will of God’s son and let us know the true father God. Please send us workers for the harvest. I desire for what you wish to gather as the following recorded Word be gathered through our lives, so Jesus, please come to us quickly with your sovereign power and take away all the armament of those who stole from us all this time and let us divide the spoil.


-


"But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you. Or how can anyone enter the strong man’s house and carry off his property, unless he first binds the strong man? And then he will plunder his house. He who is not with Me is against Me; and he who does not gather with Me scatters.”


Matthew 12:28-30

Now when they had gone, behold, an angel of the Lord *appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Get up! Take the Child and His mother and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you; for Herod is going to search for the Child to destroy Him.” So Joseph got up and took the Child and His mother while it was still night, and left for Egypt. He remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet: “OUT OF EGYPT I CALLED MY SON.” Then when Herod saw that he had been tricked by the magi, he became very enraged, and sent and slew all the male children who were in Bethlehem and all its vicinity, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had determined from the magi. Then what had been spoken through Jeremiah the prophet was fulfilled: “A VOICE WAS HEARD IN RAMAH, WEEPING AND GREAT MOURNING, RACHEL WEEPING FOR HER CHILDREN; AND SHE REFUSED TO BE COMFORTED, BECAUSE THEY WERE NO MORE.” But when Herod died, behold, an angel of the Lord *appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, and said, “Get up, take the Child and His mother, and go into the land of Israel; for those who sought the Child’s life are dead.” So Joseph got up, took the Child and His mother, and came into the land of Israel. But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning over Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. Then after being warned by God in a dream, he left for the regions of Galilee, and came and lived in a city called Nazareth. This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophets: “He shall be called a Nazarene.”

This passage combines an account of God's protection of Jesus, prophecy, and the pain of those in the Bethlehem area as Herod massacres their children.

The early childhood of Jesus was characterized by a lot of moving around, on the run from people who saw him as a threat to their own pretensions and status.

Woven into this is the guidance of angels. It seems that Joseph was a man who listened to God and was receptive to his guidance through angels who usually appeared to him in dreams. First, he accepts a pregnant Mary as his wife even though he knows that he did not father the child. Second, he moves his family into Egypt to protect them against Herod, and then when the time is right he brings them back into Israel but to Galilee rather than Judea. The center of the Jewish world and his own tribal roots and networks appear to have been in the Bethlehem area but with Herod and then Archalaeus ruling there he prioritizes the safety of his family

It is not a small thing to move country. There was a community of Jews in Egypt and many of them were exiled from the Kingdom of Herod the Great.

Included in this story is a typological echo of Israel's time in Egypt. He who was the representative of Israel echoed their history in his own childhood. Then after Herod dies there is a fulfillment of the prophecy given to Hosea 11:1

When Israel was a youth I loved him,
And out of Egypt I called My son.

The terrible tragedy of the massacre of the babies in Bethlehem is a reminder of the brutality of worldly power and its indifference to the value of human life. Herod's reputation for brutality is perfectly demonstrated in this inexcusable genocide. He exhibits all the paranoia of a dictator keen to preserve his power, whatever the cost to those around him.

Again prophecy is fulfilled in this act of unspeakable evil.

A VOICE WAS HEARD IN RAMAH, WEEPING AND GREAT MOURNING, RACHEL WEEPING FOR HER CHILDREN; AND SHE REFUSED TO BE COMFORTED, BECAUSE THEY WERE NO MORE Jer 31:15

It is clear that the powers of this world were not overjoyed at the arrival of Jesus. While he had been welcomed and acclaimed by the wise men he was not so by the indigenous rulers of Israel. Herod's family were not even Jews but rather Idumaean. Also, he was little more than a puppet king for Augustus Caesar Emperor of Rome. He accomplished great works like the temple and the port of Caesarea Maritima. But his paranoia compelled actions of unspeakable evil.

I was also intrigued by the reference to a nonbiblical prophecy here - that Jesus would be called a Nazarene. Clearly, it was in common parlance at the time but it cannot be found in the scripture itself.

I am wondering how to focus a sermon on this passage. There is the fulfillment of prophecy, God's protection from the brutal evil empire of this world and then there is Joseph listening to God and acting in faithful obedience. There is the sense that the triumph of good has never been an easy thing having to overcome all sorts of hurdles to that. The evil plans and paranoia of one king are overcome by the loving protection of God of His Son, another greater King who will become the King of all Kings.


What strikes you in this passage?