Matthew
2:13-23
13 Now 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." 14 Then Joseph got up,
took the child and his mother by night, and went to Egypt, 15 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." 16
When Herod saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, he was infuriated, and
he sent and killed all the children in and around Bethlehem who were two years
old or under, according to the time that he had learned from the wise men. 17
Then was fulfilled what had been spoken through the prophet Jeremiah: 18
"A voice was heard in Ramah, wailing and loud lamentation, Rachel weeping
for her children; she refused to be consoled, because they are no more."
19 When Herod died, an angel of the Lord suddenly appeared in a dream to Joseph
in Egypt and said, 20 "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."
21 Then Joseph got up, took the child and his mother, and went to the land of
Israel. 22 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. 23 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."
"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."
· The Christmas story is not all sweetness and
light. The peace and light that fills our vision of the stable and manger is
shattered by this harsh reality of the family’s flight into Egypt and what’s
become known as ‘the slaughter of the innocents.’
· For this to happen so early in the Gospel
narrative shows that Jesus would be opposed all though his life. In his
infancy, the king of Judah, Herod, was so threatened even by the rumour a new
“king of Israel” that he sends death squads to deal with the child-king in the
way that power deals with any threat – by attacking it and attempting to
destroy it. Power neither recognized nor accepts rivals.
· During Jesus’ growing years, we hear very little
about him in the Gospels. He might have been growing and learning, but when he
begins his ministry, the opposition to his message begins as well.
· That opposition continued throughout his ministry.
Some thought he was possessed by a demon. Some thought he was insane. Any
number felt he was a sinner unworthy of their time but worthy of their scorn.
There were those who listened until they heard something that challenged them
too much and then they turned their backs on him. Jesus even had trouble with
his own disciples when they misunderstood what he was saying.
· What Jesus was saying was often so radical for
his time that the people in power or who saw themselves to be in power took it
as a challenge. His message – a message of grace and tremendous mercy as well
as a challenge to do what is right according to God’s mercy – upset the
powerful, so he eventually was crucified.
· The powerful in every age has been upset by the
Gospel. Such opposition continues to this day. We could fill so much time
simply listing the opposition to the Gospel message by those in power… so much
time that I won’t do it here.
· Externally, what some writers call “Empire”
stands in opposition to the message of Jesus and the in-breaking of the Kingdom
of God. It challenges all they are and all they do.
· Inside every person, the ‘Imperial self’ opposes
the Good News because we want our own way, the sin of Adam. We may have to
spend our lives in the middle of this struggle.
· We are not alone in this struggle. We stand with
the Word made Flesh. It really is his struggle and it is one struggle whose
final outcome is already determined.
· We find this in the Gospel of John: I
have said this to you, so that in me you may have peace. In the world you face
persecution. But take courage; I have conquered the world! (John 16:33)
· Jesus came out of Egypt, like the people of
Israel led by Moses, but we
are the ones who are freed by this one family’s Exodus.
"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."
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