By Rev. Stephen Ruten,
Parkland Evangelical Free Church, Kamsack
The Monster of Syria; that's what Bashar Al Assad has been called. A couple years ago a British newspaper said in an article that 鈥渁s the authoritarian leader of troubled Syria, this mild-mannered man has been the architect of some of the most merciless massacres in recent times.鈥� At that time he was held responsible for 70,000 deaths, and the making of a million refugees.
Now, of course, the numbers are much higher in deaths and displacements, and in players in his 鈥済ame.鈥�
The same article commented that 鈥渨ith his neatly cropped hair and plain black suit鈥� he could easily be taken for a bank worker. In actual fact, he was studying to be an ophthalmologist鈥攁n eye doctor鈥攚hen his brother, heir to the presidency, was killed in a car crash, and Bashar ended up the 鈥渁ccidental鈥� ruler of Syria. Eye doctors, in my experience, have not been evil or dangerous people. But this Syrian eye doctor has become something else.
Hannah Arendt reported on Adolf Eichmann's trial that 鈥淭he sad truth is that most evil is done by people who never make up their minds to be good or evil.鈥� I am sure that Bashar Al Assad did not have childhood dreams of becoming the 鈥渕onster鈥� many now consider him.
Nick Taranto, a Harvard University student at the time, had a students' meeting with Assad, and wrote a report headlined: 鈥淚 Met Bashar Al Assad. He Was Pretty Cool.鈥� This 鈥渃ool鈥� man is the one who now bears central responsibility for the deaths of hundreds of thousands, and has helped to make millions of refugees.
A few of those are coming to our country. I have been in touch with an organization in Regina, and we may get a Syrian family coming to our town. It turns out that what Assad has done in creating millions of refugees has a bearing on our lives, too.
King Herod in Jerusalem made Jesus a 鈥渞efugee鈥� to Egypt soon after He was born in Bethlehem. Eichmann, Assad and Herod all remind us that evil can perpetrate monstrous deeds dressed in a business suit, looking 鈥渃ool,鈥� and with an attitude that says, 鈥淚'm just doing my job, and looking after myself.鈥�
Herod 鈥渄id his job,鈥� and accomplished many good things for the Jewish people, including his multi-decade project of rebuilding the temple at Jerusalem. The 鈥淲ailing Wall鈥� survives from that project.
On Herod's 鈥減sychopathic鈥� side, these are some facts: he murdered his wife, then her mother, then one of his sons, and another, and a third son鈥攁ll because he thought they were plotting his removal. Augustus Caesar cynically commented that it was safer to be Herod's pig than his son. Herod hated Jesus and wanted Him dead, even though he'd never seen the Baby.
C.S. Lewis wrote something I often think about and quote: 鈥淭here is no neutral ground in the universe. Every square inch, every split second is claimed by God, and counterclaimed by Satan.鈥�
Herod tried to kill Baby Jesus, the Saviour of the World, and it was just like Herod to do that. His horrific deeds came out of petty motives of self-preservation. This Baby seemed a threat. Foreigners had arrived asking, 鈥淲here is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw His star in the east and have come to worship Him鈥� (Matthew 2:2).
鈥淜ing of the Jews?--That's my role! Who is this threatening me?鈥� Herod killed many infants to try and get at this 鈥淜ing,鈥� but the Baby slipped away to become a refugee in a foreign country.
The Book of Revelation sets the Christmas story in the larger framework of spiritual forces at work in the universe, hinted at in the C.S. Lewis quote above.
Herod, in his hatred for this Child and determination to preserve his position by any and all violent means, became a handy instrument for the devil to use in his hatred for Jesus. Revelation 12 says, 鈥淭he dragon (identified in the same passage as 鈥渢he devil or Satan, who leads the whole world astray鈥�) stood in front of the woman who was about to give birth, so that he might devour her child the moment it was born. She gave birth to a son, a male child, who will rule all the nations with an iron sceptre鈥� (Revelation 12:4-5, and 12:9).
鈥淭he devil hates Jesus Christ. The Book of Revelation does not explain why the devil hates Jesus鈥攂ut it's there, spilling over鈥� (Darrell Johnson in his commentary on Revelation.)
The end result was that Jesus had to flee in the arms of His mother to a foreign country. He became a refugee. It is so strange that the most Innocent One, the One who so loved the world, 鈥渢he Son of God, who loved me and sacrificed Himself for me鈥� (Galatians 2:20), should have been forced to flee soon after His arrival.
Jesus' story, called the Gospel or 鈥淕ood News,鈥� has a close bearing on my life. This 鈥淩efugee鈥� has changed me, transformed me. By His death on the cross, He opened the way for me to be forgiven of all my sins, including the burning hate for someone that nearly consumed me.
By His rising from death, He opened the way for me to live a new life, in His resurrection, strength. Herod acted in a way that said, 鈥淕o away!鈥� when Jesus arrived, and made Him a refugee; I said, 鈥淲elcome, Jesus, into my heart,鈥� and was born again, made new.
A blessed Christmas to all!
