I forgot to mention a nifty little part of yesterday’s passage to you guys!! (if you haven’t been reading EVERY DAY)
12 And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route. (Matthew 2:12)
Here’s what I missed: God spoke to the Magi, who weren’t even Jewish, (so in no way “clean”) likely not even of the same faith! Yet we see they had faith enough to follow the star, and worship a toddler when they arrived at the home. That’s a lot of faith! And so God speaks to them as well, because even before Christ’s death, things were changing. Just with his BIRTH people could somehow connect with God on an individual basis. Wow! (I just had to point that out before moving on, since I kind-of glossed over that verse yesterday)
Today we are looking at the family’s flight to Egypt.
13 When they had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. “Get up,” he said, “take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him.”
14 So he got up, took the child and his mother during the night and left for Egypt, 15 where he stayed until the death of Herod. And so was fulfilled what the Lord had said through the prophet: “Out of Egypt I called my son.”[a]
16 When Herod realized that he had been outwitted by the Magi, he was furious, and he gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two years old and under, in accordance with the time he had learned from the Magi. 17 Then what was said through the prophet Jeremiah was fulfilled:
18 “A voice is heard in Ramah,
weeping and great mourning,
Rachel weeping for her children
and refusing to be comforted,
because they are no more.” (Matthew 2:13-18)
weeping and great mourning,
Rachel weeping for her children
and refusing to be comforted,
because they are no more.” (Matthew 2:13-18)
So we also see once again, that Joseph wakes up, and immediately acts on his faith in the angel. Not only did they move, Joseph would have been giving up his livelihood at home, no one said goodbye to family, they just fled in the middle of the night after Joseph’s dream. Wow! Talk about faith. I doubt they packed much other than some cloths for diapers, and maybe some food... leaving home and possessions, traveling to a far off land... (this is where my speculation about how the Magi’s gifts were used, comes into play from yesterday).
After they leave, we learn about Herod’s plans... It is sad, that his response to the Magi’s lack-of-return is death. We have to wonder if he simply had anger issues and wanted to demonstrate his power/make the magi feel guilty for the deaths of all those infants. But of course it likely was strategic, yet not really thought-through. Did he think himself as powerful as pharaoh in Egypt, that he could just kill a whole generation of infants? Why didn’t he try a little harder to just find the one child? Whatever the case, we know, sadly that this too was prophesied over the time of Christ’s birth, As Matthew throws it in there as well from Jeremiah 31:15.
What a grief-filled time for God’s people... But we see that God too, mourned the loss of these little babes... he began mourning their loss back in the days of Jeremiah, until the time of Christ, when it came to fruition... Our God truly does sympathize with our tragedies. This is kind-of a side point, but for some people this Christmas, it is probably a main focus, and so I really do want to emphasize this. We see that God planned for his son to be safe, yet for the other infants to fall victim to the fate of Herod’s wrath. We cannot know why this was... Only God knows why, but we do know that they would have gone to be with God in paradise. As sad as it is for the thousands of parents left mourning their children, these babes were now perfect, lacking nothing, and at peace in their father’s arms...
This part of the story doesn’t get nearly enough attention really, considering how terrible the event was. This was worse than a plague. Beautiful healthy boys were slaughtered. Think of how that would have affected that generation! Think of how many single female followers Jesus had in his ministry. Do you ever wonder why? Families grew up without sons! Their sons were murdered. There WERE NO men for the young women to marry of that age group... I am sure many of them made due, marrying older or younger men, but the truth is, heirs were lost. Family businesses would have ended with no heirs. Family lines ceased. And souls mourned for a lifetime that was lost... This deserves a somber moment of our time. If God mourned this event from the time of Jeremiah until the time of Christ, then we too can pay the event a little more respect than we generally do at Christmas.
The truth is, Christmas was a very sad time for many many people that year, even if they didn’t know it as Christmas yet... and today, Christmas is also a very sad time for many people. If this is you, take comfort in knowing your God and your savior grieves with you, and is very close and present, to comfort you. Instead of running from God, run to him, and ask him to hold you with comfort during this season... Its okay to cry and be full of grief, because that is exactly what God feels for your situation. He loves you dearly and wishes to be your comfort and healing.
If you are more-so full of life this Christmas, I encourage you, when you see this part of the Christmas story, to acknowledge it dearly, by praying for those around you who may also be grieving during this season. Pray for the people who dread the coming of Christmas every year, because of what life has thrown their way. Genuinely and sincerely lift them up in prayer. And if God places it on your heart, then do something for them during this season that will bring them a thread of hope or a smile. Do not “sing songs to a heavy heart” because proverbs 25:20 says “Like one who takes away a garment on a cold day, or like vinegar poured on a wound, is one who sings songs to a heavy heart.”. And this is VERY true if you ask anyone in grief who has been told to “buck up” or “it’s time to move on”... So be sensitive and if the Lord leads you, act on your convictions. Act on what you are drawn to do, with FAITH. Maybe it is something that doesn’t make sense to you (like giving someone a pair of socks or something random) but maybe it’s exactly what God knows they need right now.
...This was not at all where I planned to go with this passage! But clearly this is what someone needs to hear today. So I will leave it at that. I think you can draw from the situation the moments of faith on Joseph’s part, and I feel this is a point that has been driven home several times during this advent season. So today, l want us to just spend time reflecting on the heavier side of this season for us or others. We ought not to over-look this part, since it was a reality back then, and tragedy continues to be a reality today. Spend time in prayer today for those around you, or for yourself. If you are in grief, praying over yourself is in NO WAY selfish... you need time with God too.
Dear God, we thank you for sending your son this season, so that we can be close to you and approach you today. God we want to approach you for those around us who are hurting and grieving this season. There are so many un-answered questions, that we often try to blame you for...God we pray that these questions would soften this time of year, and that instead you would be pulling peoples hearts close to your wide-open arms and tear-stained face. Lord, bring the grieving comfort. Bring the hurting some healing-of-heart. Lord, we pray overwhelming peace over these people this season. If their situation can allow for it lord, we also pray for some Joy in their hearts over even something small. But mostly lord, we just want to pray for comfort and that the grieving will see you are near to them during this season. Lord we pray for miracles. We ask that those who are angry and running from you, would pause and turn around to see your face as you pursue them. Lord, be near to the broken-hearted whether they have asked you to be near or not. Lord we ask for your incredible grace that you showed that first Christmas to flood the lives of the hurting during this season. We leave them in your hands God.
In Jesus Name,
Amen.
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