When we examine the nativity stories, we discover certain people who were caught by surprise at the birth of Jesus. Imagine being a cold, cruel and despotic king like Herod. You fancy yourself a King of the Jews but is never truly accepted by your subjects. You are driven by paranoia and suspicion. You rule with an iron fist, tolerating no competition. You even execute your wife and sons on suspicion of sedition. Then one day, a group of Magi arrive at your court asking for the place where the new 'King of the Jews' has been born. What a surprise! What? About to be replaced? That's impossible! Your response is to order the massacre of all male children in Bethlehem who are 2 years and under. Herod's surprise produced a gruesome response. For me, the real surprise was that Herod's courtiers, priests and rabbis actually knew the answer (or at least they found one with a bit of research). That is simply tragic because none of these people took the time to check out the veracity of the Magi's message. What a missed opportunity! In a few days, another Christmas will be here. Will it catch you by surprise? Will it be a missed opportunity? Will it be an occasion of good will to all humanity as God intended it to be?
May God bless you this Christmas season.
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