Jesus loves little children - and the enemy hates them

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As I read Matthew 2, this particular aspect of the Christmas story- one that never gets much attention during the beauty of our Christmas celebrations- jumped off the page this morning. In the middle of the wonder of the Christ-child’s long awaited coming, in the middle of magi traveling from afar to present lavish gifts and worship to this child-King, Herod is senselessly slaughtering children in his fury.

If there’s something I’ve seen vividly in foster care, it’s that Jesus loves little children - and the enemy hates them. You cannot enter in to a ministry of loving and caring for vulnerable ones without being roughed up in the fight. It feels senseless. And evil. Because it is.

But Jesus still came. He comes to us. He came into the midst of this brokenness. He is still redeeming and restoring and His presence is all the more wonderful because our world is so very broken.

Jesus, we are aching in the midst of this broken evil system today. But we know You are good. You are able. You are with us. You are trustworthy. You are the Risen One who conquered sin and death and will one day make all things new. How we long for that day. We know You love these little children more than we ever could. Give us faith and strength in this hard middle between Your first coming and the one day.

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