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Moses – Exodus 2:6 “She… saw the baby. He was crying, and she felt sorry for him. ‘This is one of the Hebrew babies,’ she said.” 

The Israelites are being ruthlessly oppressed by the Egyptians. Yet Pharaoh, the Egyptian king, is worried that if they keep multiplying, they will overthrow him. He tells his people to throw every baby boy born to the Israelites into the Nile.  

A certain baby boy is born to a certain Israelite woman, but she manages to hide him for 3 months. When she can no longer hide him, she makes a tiny bassinet-boat, lays him in it, and puts it among the reeds at the river’s shore. Pharaoh’s daughter finds the baby in the basket among the reeds, and as he starts to cry, her heart melts, even though she recognizes him as one of the very babies that her father wants killed. 

That moment. That moment Pharaoh’s daughter felt something pure and good with her heart, but understood something dark and dreadful with her mind…what was that like? Was she conflicted about what to do? Have you ever had this kind of conflict within yourself? Isn’t it interesting how God used someone who didn’t even seem to know him, who came from a family that actively worked against him, to achieve his purpose? God used a compassionate heart to save Moses and in that very moment, continued his great story. Years later, this story would continue with a baby born in Bethlehem who would eventually teach us compassion in a new way, even in the midst of violence and brokenness.  

Can he use your compassion?

 

*stay tuned for tomorrow’s advent reflection* 

(advent reflections have been prepared by a variety of writers from Peace Church)