Get Real November 16 Devotional
November 16, 2024
MATTHEW 2:17-18 | 17 Then was fulfilled what had been spoken through the prophet Jeremiah: 18 “A voice was heard in Ramah, wailing and loud lamentation, Rachel weeping for her children; she refused to be consoled, because they are no more.”
Matthew quotes Jeremiah, who described Rachel, the matriarch, mourning over the losses of the Babylonian captivity. What does Jeremiah mean and why does Matthew quote him? Rachel was a symbol of suffering, she died in childbirth. For Jeremiah and Matthew, we never grieve alone. Rachel expresses, like the mourning women in Jeremiah 29 who lead the expression of national grief, the pain of a community that spans eras and includes ancestors. She also stands for the broken heart of God. Underneath injustice and persecution, in sympathy with victims, stands God, along with His prophets, evangelists, and leaders.
Jesus too mourned with the suffering, raised dead children to life, and condemned in harsh ways anyone who harmed God’s little ones. God’s son was also an innocent victim, identifying with all those unjustly hurt by evil and tyranny.
Why does Jesus say, “Blessed are those who mourn?"
