One Parish Priest

The Holy Innocents

Yesterday, the church commemorated The Holy Innocents, the victims of Herod's infanticide chronicled in the Gospel according to Matthew. You remember the story? The wise men stopped by to as directions. Herod started feeling paranoid and ordered his soldiers to kill all male children two years old and younger.

OK - so there are some problems with the story. First, there is no historical record that corresponds to this incident. You'd think that if someone was killing babies in Bethlehem, there would have been some evidence of it. Second, if they were wise and they were men, why would they be asking directions? Really? I can believe the part about Herod feeling paranoid - there is evidence of this in history.

Matthew may have heard this story circulating. It certainly sets up the prophetic fulfillment of calling Jesus out of Egypt. Matthew's Gospel has a strong focus on Jesus being the fulfillment of prophecy. Who knows where the story came from, but it is part of the canon and so we continue to read/hear it.

I think the story is timeless. Whether it is historically-based or not doesn't change the effect of it. Innocent victims happen all around us and have since the beginning of history. I think Rene Girard's work developing the concept of mimetic rivalry as the origins of violence and competition are dead on. We fear what we do not understand and act against that which challenges us or of which we are jealous. The murder of Abel recounted in Genesis is the first biblical example of this that I know of.

Throughout human history, we have had slaughter of innocents. I think it's important that we retain and commemorate The Holy Innocents. They establish a baseline of atrocity and horror that we always remind us of our cruelty and fallen-ness as we consider the The Holy Innocents of modern time. Just consider the realities of the Holocaust, genocides happening around the world, suicide bombings, terrorist attacks, and mass shootings. We are broken, we fall short of God's desires for us. Even in our un-holy state, God still showers grace upon us. God still wants to be in relationship with us. God still loves us, even those who perpetrate such horrible and tragic events.

That even though we reject God's love and care for us, God still loves us and can forgive us is something that helps me to understand what love really is all about.