FOR THE First Sunday in Christmas, we hear of the ancient world’s reaction to the birth of Jesus, who was foretold as the infant “King of kings”. This jealous struggle continues for us yet today.
“Now when they (the wise men) had departed, behold, an
angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Rise, take the child
and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there till I tell you; for Herod
is about to search for the child, to destroy him.” And he rose
and took the child and his mother by night, and departed to Egypt, and remained
there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfil what the Lord had spoken by
the prophet, “Out of Egypt have I called my son.”
Then
Herod, when he saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, was in a furious
rage, and he sent and killed all the male children in Bethlehem and in all that
region who were two years old or under, according to the time which he had
ascertained from the wise men. Then was fulfilled what was spoken by the
prophet Jeremiah:
“A
voice was heard in Ramah,
wailing
and loud lamentation,
Rachel
weeping for her children;
she
refused to be consoled,
because
they were no more.”
But
when Herod died, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in
Egypt, saying, “Rise, take the child and his mother, and go to the land of
Israel, for those who sought the child’s life are dead.” And
he rose and took the child and his mother, and went to the land of Israel. But
when he heard that Archelaus reigned over Judea in place of his father Herod,
he was afraid to go there, and being warned in a dream he withdrew to the
district of Galilee. And he went and dwelt in a city called
Nazareth, that what was spoken by the prophets might be fulfilled, “He shall be
called a Nazarene.”
(Matthew 2:13-23)
Dire
Warning
Though the story of our Lord’s
birth written in Matthew is not all woven as bad on the political stage, since
the “magi” who were noted “kings” from the east had already prostrated
themselves (“proskonu” in the Greek)… we read that not all so-called powers
were happy about the good news. First were those who were on the seats of local
and regional government. Also included were leaders of religious realms. Many
worship entities and their denominational contenders were anchored to the
status quo.
We find that Herod reacted violently, as had
been his manner in past events of challenge. He ordered slaughter of any
possible contenders to his throne. This spurred a second appearance of divine
intervention as related in Matthews account. An angel warned the couple to
quickly pack and leave for Egypt.
Wrong
Neighborhood?
Rightly, many biblical authorities find the
place of refuge as problematic, for historically it was away from Egypt that
Moses fled into Midian. However, compared with the Moses tribulations, this is
a new… yet similar story.
Likely inspired by that earlier telling and
corresponding to it in a number of ways, in some of its details the story also
contradicts. To me the differences found point us to realize that even as
political reactions to the salvation offered by God through the birth and
sacrifice of his beloved Son center our attention… the situation serves also to
challenge us. The text subliminally teaches that the direction of flight and shelter
for the people of God may geographically differ according to time and place. We
as the Church in modern context need to give thought to this political trend as
we carry the Word into hostile fields of the world, whether the arena is domestic
or foreign.
However, we note also that just as Moses lived
in Midian and was taught by God in that place, he did eventually return to
Egypt. There driven, he engaged the politically powerful according to an
assigned mission. In similar manner, Jesus was carried by his parents who moved
by divine direction back into the nation of Israel.
Right
Time; God’s Time
Here in the reading the pronouncement that
Herod had died looms large. With that ruler’s venomous jealousy abated, the
Christ child returned to Israel and grew. In the same way, we of the Church may
find a period of quiet growth in faith beneath the tutelage of the Holy Spirit,
even after flight and back sliding. God will shelter the faithful from the
influences of corrupt governments, apostate denominations and false religions.
We clearly note that under the supposed
oversight of a new Herodian tyrant and established religious authorities, which
ignored the signs of his birth for reasons of retaining their established
power, Jesus achieved adulthood.
This last era as introduced in our reading
gives angelic echo to we who are now the Church. We often find our Lord’s
people humbly cradled amid threats of hatred and found retreating under
venomous evil progressive powers in Church and state to shelter in a modern Egypt-like darkness. Notwithstanding,
we in this text finally hear once again from God that there is restful hope available
and the promise for renewed evangelism efforts using the gospel rightly preached… even when we cannot see
daylight.
