“A voice is heard in Ramah,
    lamentation and bitter weeping.
Rachel is weeping for her children;
    she refuses to be comforted for her children,
    because they are no more.”

Jeremiah 31:15

Great sorrow attended the birth of Christ. In one day, several mothers were brought to tears when King Herod ordered all toddlers in Bethlehem to be slaughtered.

Why?

He learnt a new king had been born there, and he didn’t want a rival.

Years earlier, Jeremiah the prophet had described the sorrow felt when the Israelites were taken away in exile to Babylon. Matthew, one of the gospel writers, showed how that sorrow was a foretelling of the tragedy in Bethlehem (Matthew 2:16-18).

Here was a king seeking to kill another king. They were similar, yet so different.

Both kings were Jews, but one king transcended the limits of race. For he belonged to a realm where race, ethnicity, gender, and class have no meaning.

Here was one king taking away life from his people, the other king gave his life for his people.

One king desperately sought power, the other king paid no attention to it.

One king had no regard for his people, the other king served the poorest of his people.

One king was subject to Rome, the other king is subject to no one.

One king ruled by force, the other king won people over through love.

One king governed with deception. He told the wise men that he wanted to worship the newborn king. The other king is Truth; he never lies.

One king is gone the way of all other kings, the other king died, rose from the dead, and reigns forever.

I believe you know which king to serve.