The Gospel of Matthew 2: 1-12, 13-15,19-23
In the time of King Herod, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, asking, “Where is the child who has been born king of the Jews? For we observed his star at its rising, and have come to pay him homage.” When King Herod heard this, he was frightened, and all Jerusalem with him; and calling together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born. They told him, “In Bethlehem of Judea; for so it has been written by the prophet: And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for from you shall come a ruler who is to shepherd my people Israel.'” Then Herod secretly called for the wise men and learned from them the exact time when the star had appeared. Then he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, “Go and search diligently for the child; and when you have found him, bring me word so that I may also go and pay him homage.” When they had heard the king, they set out; and there, ahead of them, went the star that they had seen at its rising, until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw that the star had stopped, they were overwhelmed with joy. On entering the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother; and they knelt down and paid him homage. Then, opening their treasure chests, they offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they left for their own country by another road After the wise men had left, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Get up, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you; for Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy him.” Then Joseph got up, took the child and his mother by night, and went to Egypt, and remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet, “Out of Egypt I have called my son.” When Herod died, an angel of the Lord suddenly appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt and said, “Get up, take the child and his mother, and go to the land of Israel, for those who were seeking the child’s life are dead.” Then Joseph got up, took the child and his mother, and went to the land of Israel. But when he heard that Archelaus was ruling over Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. And after being warned in a dream, he went away to the district of Galilee. There he made his home in a town called Nazareth, so that what had been spoken through the prophets might be fulfilled, “He will be called a Nazorean.”
Let us Pray: Lord of Light and Revelation, as You once set a star in the heavens to guide the Magi to Your Son, set within us a light that cannot be dimmed— a longing for truth, a hunger for justice, a desire to seek You even when the road is long and uncertain. Amen
There were three choices of Gospels for this Sunday. Both Matthew Gospels are very relevant for the world today, so I combined them together as we needed the whole story. Our world today is faced with refugees fleeing danger. Mary, Joseph, and the Baby Jesus were refugees as they fled the danger of Herod. The holy family encountered what our current homeless, hungry, restless and refugees experience today. For the Holy Family the flight to Egypt was unexpected in so many ways. This picture is a beautiful illustration of Joseph watching over Mary and Jesus in the wilderness as they travel to Egypt. What a change in circumstances in such a short period of time they had to experience. Today in Ukraine, Gaza and many other countries torn by conflict people are fleeing for their very lives. They leave their own homeland to find a safe haven.What a change in circumstances in such a short period of time they had to experience. In today’s worldunfortunately our country has become not a refuge, but just the opposite deporting people just because they look like they don’t belong. It appears Herod has been reincarnated and exist in our government, Sending people back to countries where they face extreme dangers and even death, like Herod did in the killing of the innocents, When a person becomes paranoid and power hungry, they seem to go to extremes to protect their wealth and their supposed influence. It has become evident in many situations over the years from Hitler to other dictators and to politicians in our country.
We must sympathize with Mary having just given birth to travel to Egypt to protect her newborn son. It would be interesting to have the story retold from her perspective. Through the lens of her fears and hopes or through the lens of the fears and hopes of the millions of refugees and asylum seekers of our time. God is just as much at work in the lives of those who are threatened now as was the case in the life of the Holy family. God worked through Mary and Joseph and other wisdom figures to protect the child. It should be our job as Christians to help protect and provide some safety for todays refuges from the Herod types. We must first remember and acknowledge the darkness of our world. We are fortunate the Wise Men paid attention to their dreams and returned a different way avoiding Herod. Don’t be too anxious or distracted by Herod. Remember, neither God nor Joseph dealt directly with Herod. They didn’t give Herod time, attention, or effort. Maybe we shouldn’t either. That doesn’t mean we deny or ignore the Herods of our lives. It means, rather, that we gain more by nurturing, feeding, and growing the divine life. It means that our work is to cultivate deep relationships, a life of prayer, and love for all people. . God continues to work in our times through those who imagine or dream of a different future for the homeless and broken and act to achieve those dreams. As we move into a new year, we need to ensure we are among them. And let’s not forget the other than human families at risk on our planet. As this Christmas season comes to an end and decorations are packed away, the lights taken down and life returns to “normal” I wonder, how will we care for the gift of holiness, God’s presence in the world, in each other, in ourselves. Will we make the trip to Egypt? Will we be there to help those who are making that trip?
Let us Pray Guide us, O God, by paths we did not expect, by roads that lead us away from darkness and toward the peace of Your kingdom. May we become bearers of Your light to all who search, wander, or feel lost. We ask this through Christ, the Light for all nations. Amen.
Reflections by Bob 