First Week of Advent – Kings’ misinterpretation of His Coming

Not everyone was thrilled at the news of the birth of Jesus. Many were worried about the news of his birth. King Herod was unhappy with the news that a new king was coming to take over what he considered his own. He was furious and premeditatively unleashed a massive execution of infants to ensure that the newborn King was killed. That was how he understood the birth of Jesus, a King coming to take his place.

If Herod interpreted his birth as that, imagine what it meant to hundreds of women who lost their children at the hands of Herod. The angels shout 'Glory to God in the highest heaven and on earth peace among those whom he favours!' How much peace did those women know when their children were brutally murdered by Herod?

Ironically, the Wise men from the east considered the newborn child as king and brought gold, frankincense and myrrh. Unbeknownst to them, one of their gifts, myrrh would be used first in the burial of the children murdered by Herod. His coming brought peace, joy and hope to many. I wondered what the reactions of those women or families would be, who lost their beautiful children. The prophet Jeremiah stated the conditions of those women:

A voice was heard in Ramah, wailing and loud lamentation, Rachel weeping for her children; she refused to be consoled, because they are no more.

His peace is still with all he favours. Some will begin to ask: Has God favourites? What makes one his favourite? How can anyone be his favourite? Does God choose and pick among his creatures? Were those children killed by Herod not his favourites? If those children, innocent as they, were not his favourites, who else is qualified to be his favoured one?

To attempt some answers: We can say that Mary earned God's favour. Elizabeth too was favoured by God. This was before the birth of Jesus. At his birth, the shepherds, the wise men from the east and other unsung people (including the holy innocents) were favoured by the king. In his lifetime, many favourites will be made and many more will merit it. The massacre of the innocents at his birth is reversed when he was leaving this world. Through his death, many are drawn to him. The many are you and I: The Mary Magdalene, Zacchaeus, the thieves, the sinners, all the good and bad people of this world. He draws all to himself. On this first week of Advent, let us think and imagine how the commemoration of his birth will affect (me, you, us), the people around (me, you, us), (our, my, your) community, and the world in general.

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