“When Herod saw that he had been tricked by the magi, he was infuriated, and he sent and killed all the children in and around Bethlehem who were two years old or under, according to the time that he had learned from the magi. Then what had been spoken through the prophet Jeremiah was fulfilled:

The blessing of the Magi’s visit is brief for the young family.  Soon after the Magi’s gifts are given to Jesus,  Joseph is warned in a dream to flee, for Herod is searching to kill the child. This is no small threat, with Herod’s history of killing even family members to protect his position.

Mary and Joseph with the child Jesus, quickly head towards Egypt, searching for safety.    What they most need for Jesus is  a safe place to raise him.  A place where he will be protected from those who would do him injury and harm. 

Today, the search for safety is recreated throughout Gaza, as bombs rain down on that small strip of land . . . where safe zones constantly change, and often are not safe at all.   Rev. Munther  Isaac, of Bethlehem Christmas Lutheran Church, powerfully spoke of Jesus in the rubble during his Christmas service.

“In these last two months, the psalms of lament have become a precious companion to us. We cried out, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken Gaza? Why do you hide your face from Gaza?”

In our pain, anguish and lament, we have searched for God and found him under the rubble in Gaza. Jesus himself became the victim of the very same violence of the empire when he was in our land. He was tortured, crucified. He bled out as others watched. He was killed and cried out in pain, “My God, where are you?”

In Gaza today, God is under the rubble. And in this Christmas season, as we search for Jesus, he is not to be found on the side of Rome, but our side of the wall. He’s in a cave, with a simple family, an occupied family. He’s vulnerable, barely and miraculously surviving a massacre himself. He’s among the refugees, among a refugee family. This is where Jesus is to be found today.”

The trauma visited upon Gaza’s children will have sweeping repercussions in the years ahead. The world is aghast at the number of children dying in this horrific war. There have been no winners, neither in Israel or in Gaza.

I continue to pray for a just and lasting peace.  I pray there may one day be a place of freedom, justice, safety and security for all people, who live in a land we call Holy. I pray for a day, when Rachel no longer weeps for her lost children, but finds joy as her children live in harmony, with each of her neighbors.

Daily Devotions and other Christmas resources can be found at this Link – Devotions for Advent to Epiphany

The full story of the Magi’s visit to Mary and Joseph is found in the 2nd chapter of the Biblical book of Matthew, beginning with chapter 2, verse 1.