Jesus was born into a “jungle,” a world that was (and is) a war zone between the forces of good and the forces of evil.
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The Age of Rage
• Greg Boyd
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There is a not-so-subtle irony in the fact that when Jesus, the Prince of Peace, was born, one result was that hundreds of young boys in and around Bethlehem were slaughtered (Matthew 2:16-18). Jesus was born into a “jungle”, a world that was (and is) a war zone between the forces of good and the forces of evil.
Many good intentions in the world today are aimed at trying to somehow fix this jungle. Now, working to help humanity is not a bad thing. But economic or political or social solutions will never bring about world peace, because the problem is rooted in the human heart.
Our citizenship is in heaven, so we should not grow to love the things of this world. We should never get too comfortable here.
We are to keep our eyes on Jesus, and to join the fight on behalf of Cod’s kingdom. Our ultimate hope must be in Him, for we can not tame this jungle we live in. Only Christ’s return someday will bring world peace.
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Focus Scripture:
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Matthew 2:16-18
When Herod realized that he had been outwitted by the Magi, he was furious, and he gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two years old and under, in accordance with the time he had learned from the Magi. Then what was said through the prophet Jeremiah was fulfilled:
“A voice is heard in Ramah,
weeping and great mourning,
Rachel weeping for her children
and refusing to be comforted,
because they are no more.” [a]
