I don't know about you, but I don't like this story. It spoils the sentimentality of the birth story of Jesus. But, at a more primal level of truth, this story of Herod's brutal paranoia shocks us awake, and helps us understand why Jesus had to come. Without a reverence for God and his Word, we human beings have shown a remarkable propensity for brutality, as culture loses sight of the preciousness of each person created in the image of God. The slaying of the innocents reminds us of how easily we slip into a mentality that puts personal protection, reputation, and position above the rights of those who are vulnerable and powerless. Just because Jesus is Immanuel, God with us, doesn't mean he came to a safe and pristine world, or was somehow insulated from the realities of evil unleashed among us. This brutal world awaited him. That's the core of the story. Even the innocents are not protected, even if that Innocent is God among us—as later events in Jesus life will reveal.