Today, we come to the end of our series, “What Do You Fear?” that has led us through Advent and beyond. And we come to the end of the story of Jesus’ birth.

It’s the end of the story, and yet Herod is still in power.

Christ is born, yet it feels as if the world has not changed.

The Gospel of Matthew doesn’t give us a tidy ending—the magi leave quietly, warned by God to go home by another way. And when Herod discovers he’s been outwitted by them, his fury turns into devastating violence.

It’s yet another example of having a reason to hope for transformation—Jesus is born!—and then look around and think, “Nothing has really changed.”

The same systems still operate. The same people still hold power. The same fears linger.

And when fear lingers long enough, it can be tempting to give up. To grow numb. To shrink our expectations. To settle for survival instead of hope.

However, the reason Matthew tells this story it’s not to resolve our fear, but to show us how to move through it.