Dec 28 2018 Mat 18:1-14

Feast of Holy Innocents

This morning's Gospel reading offers a wealth of things to think about.
- The disciples again asking, "Who is greatest in the kingdom?"
- Whoever becomes humble like a child, is the greatest in the kingdom
- Whoever welcomes a child in my name, welcomes me
- If your eye, hand or foot cause you to stumble, remove them.
-If a shepherd of a flock of 100 loses one, he leaves the 99 to find the one.

Each one of these have plenty to chew on, to think about, to wrestle with. A few of initial thoughts include:
. Why does it matter who's the greatest? And was the disciple just asking for their personal gain?
. I don't know many humble children. They haven't learned to be self-conscious. That deserves more research into what that word means in this context.
. As a foster parent/adoptive parent, I love the part about "whoever welcomes a child...". It was read at a liturgy at my church when our then-foster daughter joined our family.
. I'd rather learn to not stumble, to train my eye, hand or foot to pay attention better, rather than to take them out. Again, more thought is needed here.
. What about the 99?

So each of those could take pages and pages, hours and hours of thought, prayer and writing. This morning I'm drawn to the rather gruesome feast of the Holy Innocents. This is the day where the church commemorates Herod ordering the death of all newborn children in Bethlehem to try to end the possible threat of a new Messiah. Joseph is warned of this, so he and the family head to Egypt before the genocide reaches them.

Why remember this bit? Horrible atrocities are still occurring throughout the world, with genocide, maniacal leaders, and families fleeing from one country to another to escape harm. And horrible things are happening in this country, or by this country.

We need to acknowledge them, know they're happening by us, and on our behalf. It is horrible. And like back then, Love will ultimately win. The collect (or collecting prayer) for today concludes with, "by your great might frustrate the designs of evil tyrants and establish your rule of justice, love, and peace".

May God fill us all with the power to help establish the rule of justice, love and peace.