The King of Glory (2)

The King of Glory

Matthew 2:9–13 “When they had heard the king, they departed; and, lo, the star, which they saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy. And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh. And being warned of God in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed into their own country another way. And when they were departed, behold, the angel of the Lord appeareth to Joseph in a dream, saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and flee into Egypt, and be thou there until I bring thee word: for Herod will seek the young child to destroy him.”

When a Dalai Lama dies – or even before their death – a successor is found rather than chosen. Traditionally, senior Tibetan monks conduct an elaborate quest to find a child who is the Dalai Lama’s next incarnation. The search involves consulting oracles, interpreting visions and reading spiritual signs.

The senior monks may find clues from the deceased body of the Dalai Lama, such as the direction it faces or its posture. If the body is cremated, the direction of the smoke is monitored as a potential indicator for the direction of rebirth. Once the child has been identified he is taken to a secured location where he can be educated, worshiped, and protected. Yet I ask if our children are our future what steps have we taken to secure and protect their future.

“Why fight the man when you can kill the boy.”

This is another installment in the King of Glory series, but we want to give this particular message a subtitle.

“Why fight the man when you can kill the boy?”

There are a few things I would like to unpack before I try to get to our happy points.

Let me catch us back up if you don’t mind. We established the virgin birth, and more importantly the necessity of a virgin birth. We previously stated it was not an impossibility but an anomaly, because of a woman having two XX chromosomes. A man having X and Y chromosomes and being the provider of the Y chromosome that creates the male child. So with a virgin birth you would have a female child, and because we have seen virgin births in nature, it’s an anomaly and not an impossibility.

I’m not here to preach a Marx’s black liberation theology type message, but I want to preach about the one true God that was born as a man to set the captives free.

I used to watch a show with my girls called Dora the explorer, and when she had need of something she would call on her backpack. Now the back pack had his own song. “I’m the back pack loaded up with things and knick knacks too and anything that you might need I’ve got inside for you. Back pack back pack. I watched a many episodes of Dora the explorer, but I never saw redemption get pulled out of that back pack. Yeah, yea, yeah my brothers and sisters of all he things found on the inside of her companion: salvation could not be found inside that back pack. Since man’s act of treason sin had left a crimson stain on the whole of man kind, and man could not pull himself out because of his fallen condition: due to inherited nature of sin, but there was hope on the horizon. The hope of a Blessed Redeemer that had been promised to God’s people by God Himself.

Catholicism states Mary's conception in the womb of her mother, St. Anne, was without the stain of original sin. 

It was an essential part of God's plan for Mary to be conceived free from original sin so that she would be a worthy vessel for the Son of God. 

The immaculate conception really refers Mary being conceived without copulation of her parents, but the fallacy is that the none copulation alone doesn’t mean free from sin. Correlation does not imply causation, and sin is deeper than just physical, inherited sin is like an Epigenetic marker. St Anne would have still had been born with inherited sin. The immaculate conception of Mary would not have made her sinless, because of inherited sin of her parents. Yet what made the birth of Jesus so incredible was that it was the first recorded birth from in vitro fertilization. In vitro which comes from the Latin term that means inside the glass, and refers to creation taking place outside the organism. Mary was a surrogate mother, and the X and the Y chromosomes were supplied by God Himself: any contribution from Mary would have resulted in the inheriting of sin. They would not been able to explain the concept in yesteryears, but we live in a time of test tube babies. With an understanding of the how, as if it was needed, because we know the why. We celebrate the sinless birth of our gentle Redeemer, but the Bible tells us that it wasn’t all rainbows and butterflies.

Matthew tells us that wise men stopped by to see Herod while seeking Jesus.

Why did the Angel not stop the wise men before they made it to the King? Just food for thought, and I don’t have time to deal with the fact that magic, religion, and science once all stood in the same esteem. Nevertheless sorcerers, diviners, magicians, wisemen, or whichever one of those terms you prefer came to worship him, and they brought gifts.

This is a question that sent shockwaves through the kingdom: the Magi asked Herod “where is He that was born King of the Jews” Could you imagine being Herod the great The king of Judea the Roman client king the great builder and the legitimacy of your reign and rule being called into question usurped your placement and position thwarted by astrologist in search of He who was born with the rightful claim to the throne

Why fight the man when you can just kill the boy, is the answer that we find throughout history. Matthew 2:7–8 “Then Herod, when he had privily called the wise men, inquired of them diligently what time the star appeared. And he sent them to Beth-lehem, and said, Go and search diligently for the young child; and when ye have found him, bring me word again, that I may come and worship him also.”

Herod tells them when you find Him come back and let me know so that, “I may worship Him also.” People will mask cruel intentions behind good and kind gestures. Beware of Greeks bearing gifts.

Why fight the man when you can kill the boy?I know you want a happy message leading up to Christmas, and I’m just laying a foundation we can stand on and cheer from.

Why fight the man when you can kill the boy: is a rhetorical question, because I’m not looking for an answer per se I’m seeking a response. We live in a society where our children are under constant attack by seen and unseen dangers. The question is hypothetical, yet it stares at us factually, theoretically, metaphorically, and is found allegorically in these passages of scriptures.

The mere thought of a king wanting to worship his birth born replacement is laughable. No one ever was excited about losing power. It would be a lot easier for him to take out this child that was at least 2 years old, according to the time line of the magi.

For instance I’m not that big roughly 5’11” 265lbs a short rotund fella, but to a child I’m a silverback. My combating in a pugilistic affair with a small boy is light work.

His mere challenge would be not just daunting, but insurmountable every advantage would belong to me. Skill will and sheer physicality, but I know your saying Mike Tyson in his prime was smaller than his opponents, and what about Tank Davis? I’ll give you that, but they had and have grown man strength, power, and skill that they have spent their lifetime honing. That’s why you never let someone bring you down to their level, because they will beat you with experience every time.

There is a deeper hidden message behind this story, but first and foremost as a parent we must make sure that we protect the blessings bestowed upon us.

Matthew 2:11 “And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh.”

The gifts of gold frankincense and myrrh were symbolic and spoke volumes. Gold was given to show He was the rightful King, frankincense was symbolic of His Deity, and myrrh used for embalming was symbolic of the price He would pay to redeem man.

Saint’s we must fight the to protect our children, we must fight to educate and prepare our children for a world that will chew them up and spit them out.

School teaches them how to pass a standardized test yet in a world full of hooks and crooks, predators and pariahs, pimps and pedophiles: there is no formal class on how to survive. I always heard if you can’t be safe then you better be careful.

Yet during the season let us not forget that they are a blessing from God

Oh God we lift up these kids of Yours as we prepare them, we ask that you guard them. As we educate them we ask that You enlighten them. Consecrate them and keep them in Your unchanging hand. Be a fence all around them, be a bridge over troubled water for them.