After the wise men were gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. “Get up! Flee to Egypt with the child and his mother,” the angel said. “Stay there until I tell you to return, because Herod is going to search for the child to kill him.” That night Joseph left for Egypt with the child and Mary, his mother, and they stayed there until Herod’s death. This fulfilled what the Lord had spoken through the prophet: “I called my Son out of Egypt.” Herod was furious when he realized that the wise men had outwitted him. He sent soldiers to kill all the boys in and around Bethlehem who were two years old and under, based on the wise men’s report of the star’s first appearance. Herod’s brutal action fulfilled what God had spoken through the prophet Jeremiah: “A cry was heard in Ramah— weeping and great mourning. Rachel weeps for her children, refusing to be comforted, for they are dead.” When Herod died, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt. “Get up!” the angel said. “Take the child and his mother back to the land of Israel, because those who were trying to kill the child are dead.” So Joseph got up and returned to the land of Israel with Jesus and his mother. But when he learned that the new ruler of Judea was Herod’s son Archelaus, he was afraid to go there. Then, after being warned in a dream, he left for the region of Galilee. So the family went and lived in a town called Nazareth. This fulfilled what the prophets had said: “He will be called a Nazarene.”
Matthew 2:13-23 NLT
Herod was a ruthless ruler, paranoid about losing power. He even killed some of his own sons, so killing the innocent children of others would not trouble his conscience. Before you complain to Jesus, remember the hate He experienced. He was hunted as a child with a powerful king bent on killing Him. As a baby, Jesus lost His home, and His family had to live as refugees in another country. His parents had a rough life, but they constantly trusted God.
Jesus was not shielded from the pain and loss of this world. He saw people starve, He lost His earthly father, He knew constant rejection, and He experienced very real pain. Often, we cry out to God, “Why don’t You stop horrible things from happening?” God invites us to cry out to Him; it is OK to complain to Him. As you pour out your heart, make sure you remember the hate and injustice Jesus endured. He understands your pain, and He will give you strength. In our weakness, He is strong (2 Cor 12:9).
Jesus experienced the pain of the world but did not pass it on. Almost all the problems in the world come from human choices: we disobey God, act selfishly, and hurt others. Though He was hurt, He healed others. His heart was stronger than the hate. We can give our hurt to Him; He understands and can take the pain. In Him we can turn the other cheek, return love for hate, and do the hard work of justice.
What does it mean, practically, to “give your pain” to Jesus? What difference does that make?
