Not knowing how to find the Christ Child

"The soldiers sent by Herod killed 14,000 children" under orders so that Jesus would no longer be a threat to Herod. While Christians focus on the gifts to buy at Christmas, this is pushed out of our minds because it is evil beyond comprehension.

9. The Flight into Egypt and Return to Nazareth.
When all was fulfilled according to the Law concerning Jesus in the Temple in Jerusalem, and the wise men were already on the road to their home, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, "Arise, and take the young Child and His Mother, and flee into Egypt, and lie thou there until I bring thee word, for Herod will seek the young Child to destroy Him."

Joseph immediately arose, saddled his donkey, quickly gathered the necessary things, took the young Child and His Mother, and the same night went into Egypt. According to tradition, James, son of Joseph, accompanied them on this journey.

In the meantime, Herod impatiently awaited the return of the wise men. When the wise men did not return from Bethlehem, he concluded that the wise men, not finding a newborn king, were ashamed to return to Jerusalem. For the time being, Herod was tranquil.

But after forty days the news spread throughout Jerusalem that Mary had presented in the Temple Her newborn Son, and that the aged Simeon had come to the Temple to meet this Child and had prophesied that He was the Christ. Then, Herod realized that the wise men had figured out his evil intent and had purposely avoided returning to him. He was exceedingly angry.

Not knowing how to find the Christ Child, King Herod gave the disastrous order to kill all the children that were in Bethlehem and its surroundings from two years old and under. He hoped that among these children would be killed the Christ. Thus he calculated according to the time when he had diligently questioned the wise men. The soldiers sent by Herod killed 14,000 children. Everywhere were heard the howls and screams of the mothers whose crying for their children, innocent children, killed by the order of the brutal King would never have been comforted. They were the first martyrs to spill their blood for Christ.

Soon after this, Herod was punished for his cruelty. He came down with a terrible illness. His body rotted alive and was eaten by worms, and he died in terrible torment.

After the death of Herod, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in Egypt and said, "Arise, and take the young Child and His mother, and go into the land of Israel; for they are dead which sought the young Child’s life." Joseph did as he was told and took his family into the land of Israel. But when he heard that Archelaus reigned in Judea in the place of Herod, his father, and that he was just as much cruel, Joseph was afraid to go there. Being warned of God in a dream, Joseph turned aside into the parts of Galilee, into his native city Nazareth. There Joseph dwelt with the child Jesus and His Mother.

The child Jesus grew and became strong in spirit and filled with wisdom; and the grace of God was upon Him. From the earliest years of His childhood, Jesus Christ exhibited unusual intelligence and remarkable sanctity in all His actions.

You can find more about Christ here
The Flight into Egypt and Return to Nazareth

But there was a history of this kind of warfare when innocent people were killed and there were no limits to what soldiers were ordered to do.

Joshua 6


The Fall of Jericho
15On the seventh day they rose early, at the dawn of day, and marched around the city in the same manner seven times. It was only on that day that they marched around the city seven times. 16And at the seventh time, when the priests had blown the trumpets, Joshua said to the people, "Shout, for the LORD has given you the city. 17And the city and all that is within it shall be(H) devoted to the LORD for destruction.[b] Only Rahab the prostitute and all who are with her in her house shall live, because she(I) hid the messengers whom we sent. 18But you, keep yourselves from the things devoted to destruction, lest when you have devoted them you take any of the devoted things and make the camp of Israel(J) a thing for destruction and(K) bring trouble upon it. 19But all silver and gold, and every vessel of bronze and iron, are holy to the LORD; they shall go into the treasury of the LORD." 20So the people shouted, and the trumpets were blown. As soon as the people heard the sound of the trumpet, the people shouted a great shout, and(L) the wall fell down flat, so that the people went up into the city, every man straight before him, and they captured the city. 21Then they(M) devoted all in the city to destruction, both men and women, young and old, oxen, sheep, and donkeys, with the edge of the sword.

There are many accounts in the Bible that can be translated into what we call Post Traumatic Stress Disorder today when soldiers had to cope with what was allowed in rules of warfare. Back then it was whatever they were ordered to do. The troops today are not ordered to destroy all people who live there but because innocent people do get killed in war, they grieve deeply for them. Roman soldiers during the time Christ lived were ordered to kill men and women as well as children as we read in the account of Herod's orders yet Christ took pity on a Roman Centurion, healing his servant but members of the clergy will not point this out to those who served and felt abandoned by God or no longer worthy of the love of Christ any more than they point out the fact that God created a warrior angel named Michael long before He created man. Churches neglect veterans all the time when they ignore the spiritual crisis they go through after war and the let them along with their families suffer because they refuse to do anything to help. These same churches will adorn their walls and windows with decorations with more loving care than they see fit to provide for a veteran in need of spiritual healing. The Holy Child they call others to honor has been lost when His life means so little and they refuse to take care of those in need. If Christ had so much compassion for a Roman when they were willing to follow orders to kill women and children, why can't the clergy have compassion for soldiers today when they grieve for what they had to do or for a fallen friend? These men and women were willing to do what Christ said was the greatest love.

John 15
13 Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.

They are willing to do it for their friends and for total strangers yet they are allowed to feel as if they have become evil? Why? Because members of the clergy take no interest in them except on Memorial Day when they "honor" the fallen or say a passing prayer for those who serve?

No matter what, we allow people like the Westboro group follow families to funerals for the fallen soldiers, carrying hateful signs and shouting at the mourners just because they claim to be a Christian Church operating under free speech and not paying taxes as a church because they think homosexuals are evil and thank God for the soldier's death, no matter if he/she was gay or not. We allow soldiers to be pushed out of the military under all kinds of false reasons to avoid having to take responsibility for them after they risked their lives. We allow them to become homeless. We allow them to suffer, judging them as turning into something they never would have become had they not faced the brutal nature of war.

We do not know when Christ was born and experts cannot even agree on the year, but Christians celebrate the birth of Christ on the 25th of December. This date was adopted by the early Christian church from a pagan celebration connected to the Winter Solstice. We put up tress in our homes, decorated with lights and stuff the bottom of it with gifts. When we explain to our children why they get gifts we tell them it is because the Wise Men traveled to Bethlehem to give gifts to Christ. Most Christians do not know why we have trees, wreaths, string lights or have feasts unless they know the history of it but even with that, it has become more tradition than anything else. Santa replaced Christ, shopping malls replaced church and greed replaced charity.

Some give to charities this time of year between Thanksgiving and Christmas more than they do during the year but when you look at the luxuries they obtain for themselves the rest of the year, it shows what they value more leaving the poor and needy the rest of the year to wait for donations and guilt to awaken again. If Christ lived in their hearts, they would not be able to deny help the rest of the year, judge the needy complaining about them not taking care of themselves any more than they would be able to speak out against those in need the rest of the year.

The health insurance debate this nation had was about what? People were screaming they didn't want to take care of the sick who couldn't afford it? Are these people celebrating Christmas after that? Most of the people shouting the loudest carry a Medicare card provided by other tax payers paying into the system. Some of them carry a VA card because other tax payers believe they earned it just by risking their lives for the sake of this nation. Both government run health coverage. Yet poor people in this same country without the ability to pay the insurance premiums along with rent, food and clothing should do without? In other words they should just die an early death that could have been prevented had they received the medical care they needed? The really odd thing no one is talking about is the fact members of congress, their families and staff receive health insurance coverage from the government even though they didn't want citizens to receive it as well. Yet again, they make speeches on how evil "socialized" medicine is. Taking "care of the poor and needy" the way Christ talked about was replaced by "let them take care of themselves" by the same people who no longer have to take care of themselves because of government run programs doing it for them.

These same "followers of Christ" calling themselves Christian, getting on the TV sets screaming about the "war on Christmas" act is if Christ mattered to them but the rest of the year they show how much against what Christ taught they truly are. Do they really think Christ cares if someone says "Merry Christmas" instead of "Happy Holidays" when these same people want others to suffer because they cannot afford to see a doctor? Do they think He cares if people go to a "Holiday Party" instead of a "Christmas Party" when the rest of the year there are millions of people in this country with no food to eat and no place to call home living on the streets?

There is no account in the Bible about Christ getting a birthday party but there are many accounts of what He preached to all willing to listen to Him. He talked about all that would be good in the world and preached against all that was evil in the world. When someone says they follow Him one day but fight for the sake of all He said was evil, no one trusts them with anything else they say.  We push out of our minds anything that is evil we do the rest of the year as long as we have this holiday to enjoy ourselves and feel "good" about giving to others stuff they don't need but we have no problem buying what we cannot afford just to say we gave a gift to someone else.  Makes no sense at all anymore.

Tomorrow night churches will be filling up to hear about the Christ Child being born. They will hear songs like Oh Holy Night when the stars were brightly shining and when the weary heart rejoiced when the soul felt its worth.

Oh Holy Night

O Holy Night! The stars are brightly shining,

It is the night of the dear Saviour's birth.

Long lay the world in sin and error pining.

Till He appeared and the Spirit felt its worth.

A thrill of hope the weary world rejoices,

For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn.

Fall on your knees! Oh, hear the angel voices!

O night divine, the night when Christ was born;

O night, O Holy Night , O night divine!

O night, O Holy Night , O night divine!

Led by the light of faith serenely beaming,

With glowing hearts by His cradle we stand.

O'er the world a star is sweetly gleaming,

Now come the wisemen from out of the Orient land.

The King of kings lay thus lowly manger;

In all our trials born to be our friends.

He knows our need, our weakness is no stranger,

Behold your King! Before him lowly bend!

Behold your King! Before him lowly bend!

Truly He taught us to love one another,

His law is love and His gospel is peace.

Chains he shall break, for the slave is our brother.

And in his name all oppression shall cease.

Sweet hymns of joy in grateful chorus raise we,

With all our hearts we praise His holy name.

Christ is the Lord! Then ever, ever praise we,

His power and glory ever more proclaim!

His power and glory ever more proclaim!

Yet with these songs and the box for donated toys gone, the next service will be a return to the what happens all during the rest of the year when the life of Christ is talked about but not something to live by. People will go back to their normal lives forgetting about the poor and needy the rest of the year because they took care of them for Christmas. A mom who cannot afford to feed and shelter her kids the rest of the year will still be on her own to make it one day to the next. The homeless fed for Christmas and Thanksgiving will still find little to be found to eat everyday or shelters to keep them from freezing to death now that winter has begun. The soul will return to not feeling its worth when they are forgotten about by everyone the rest of the time between the day after Christmas and Thanksgiving the following year when people care again. We don't know how to find the Christ Child because we have forgotten all about the MAN he was and still IS.