A voice was heard in Ramah, lamentation, weeping, and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children, refusing to be comforted, because they are no more

 

 Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying, "Arise, take the young Child and His mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there until I bring you word; for Herod will seek the young Child to destroy Him."  When he arose, he took the young Child and His mother by night and departed for Egypt, and was there until the death of Herod, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying, "Out of Egypt I called My Son."

 

Then Herod, when he saw that he was deceived by the wise men, was exceedingly angry; and he sent forth and put to death all the male  children who were in Bethlehem and in all its districts, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had determined from the wise men.  Then was fulfilled what was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet, saying:

"A voice was heard in Ramah,

Lamentation, weeping, and great mourning,

 Rachel weeping for her children,

Refusing to be comforted,

Because they are no more." 

 Now when Herod was dead, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, saying, "Arise, take the young Child and His mother, and go to the land of Israel, for those who sought the young Child's life are dead."  Then he arose, took the young Child and His mother, and came into the land of Israel.  But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning over Judea instead of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there.  And being warned by God in a dream, he turned aside into the region of Galilee.  And he came and dwelt in a city called Nazareth, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophets, "He shall be called a Nazarene."

 

- Matthew 2:13-23  

 

Yesterday we read that after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, saying, "Where is He who has been born King of the Jews?  For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him."  When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.  And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born.  So they said to him, "In Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it is written by the prophet:  'But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah are not the least among the rulers of Judah;  For out of you shall come a Ruler Who will shepherd My people Israel.'"  Then Herod, when he had secretly called the wise men, determined from them what time the star appeared.  And he sent them to Bethlehem and said, "Go and search carefully for the young Child, and when you have found Him, bring back word to me, that I may come and worship Him also."  When they heard the king, they departed; and behold, the star which they had seen in the East went before them, till it came and stood over where the young Child was.  When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy.  And when they had come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him.  And when they had opened their treasures, they presented gifts to Him:  gold, frankincense, and myrrh.  Then, being divinely warned in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed for their own country another way.

 

  Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying, "Arise, take the young Child and His mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there until I bring you word; for Herod will seek the young Child to destroy Him."  My study Bible points out that Egypt is where Israel once took refuge; as Joseph of the Old Testament once saved God's people by bringing them to Egypt (Genesis 39 - 47), now Christ's stepfather Joseph finds safety for the Savior in Egypt.  It is probable, it adds, that the gifts of the magi paid for this journey.  

 

 When he arose, he took the young Child and His mother by night and departed for Egypt, and was there until the death of Herod, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying, "Out of Egypt I called My Son."   This quotation is from the prophet Hosea (Hosea 11:1).  It refers first to Israel being brought out of captivity.  In the Old Testament, my study Bible explains, "son" can refer to the whole nation of Israel.  Here Jesus fulfills this calling as the true Son of God by coming out of Egypt.  

 

 Then Herod, when he saw that he was deceived by the wise men, was exceedingly angry; and he sent forth and put to death all the male children who were in Bethlehem and in all its districts, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had determined from the wise men.   My study Bible tells us that the cruelty of Herod was prefigured by Pharaoh, who, in an attempt to destroy the power of Israel, commanded the death of all the newborn Jewish boys (Exodus 1:16, 22).  

 

 Then was fulfilled what was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet, saying:  "A voice was heard in Ramah, lamentation, weeping, and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children, refusing to be comforted, because they are no more."   The prophet Jeremiah recorded the people of Jerusalem being led away into exile (Jeremiah 31:15).  On their way to captivity, my study Bible says, they passed Ramah, which was near Bethlehem, where Jacob's wife Rachel lay buried.  In his prophecy, Jeremiah saw Rachel, even from the grave, moved with compassion for the fate that had come to her descendants.  St. Matthew writes that Rachel once again is weeping for her children, and according to my study Bible, it shows that the saints in heaven have awareness and compassion for those yet on earth.  These slaughtered children are regarded as saints and martyrs in the Church and are known as the Holy Innocents.  Just as Rachel was told that her children would return from exile in Babylon (Jeremiah 31:16-17), so Jesus will return from His exile in Egypt.

 

 Now when Herod was dead, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, saying, "Arise, take the young Child and His mother, and go to the land of Israel, for those who sought the young Child's life are dead."  Then he arose, took the young Child and His mother, and came into the land of Israel.  According to historical records reported by my study Bible, Herod the Great died in 4 BC.  So, the date of Christ's birth on our current AD (Anno Domini, Latin for "year of the Lord") calendar is based is off by four years.

 

 But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning over Judea instead of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there.  And being warned by God in a dream, he turned aside into the region of Galilee.  My study Bible cites Augustus Caesar having banished Archelaus for his cruelty in AD 6.  This cruelty, it says, was revealed as a warning to Joseph, hence the detour to Nazareth.  This town was in Galilee, and governed by a different son of Herod the Great, whose name was Herod Antipas (see Luke 3:1). 

 

 And he came and dwelt in a city called Nazareth, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophets, "He shall be called a Nazarene."  My study Bible tells us that this prophecy cannot be precisely identified.  It has been taken as a reference to the rod (Hebrew neser) in Isaiah 11:1, and to the Nazritie (Hebrew Nazir) of Judges 13:5.   It says that St. Matthew might also have been alluding to passages in which the Messiah was despised, since Nazareth did not have a good reputation (John 1:46).  

 

In these early "chapters" of Christ's life, we see that His entry into the world as Human Being was anything but simple and easy.  First of all, His pregnant mother and Joseph had to travel to Bethlehem for Caesar's census.  This cannot by any means have been an easy journey.  Then, for the Savior of the world, there was no place -- no place to stay and to be born.  So He was born in a cave, used as a barn for animals, where the shepherds, informed by angels, came to adore Him (see Luke 2:1-20).  As we have read so far in St. Matthew's Gospel, the wise men have made their way from Persia to find this Child born under a star which foretold a tremendous identity and destiny.  In Bethlehem they are brought before Herod to tell him about the Child, but they manage to escape Herod when leaving through divine warning in a dream.  This is after they bring Christ their gifts of gold for a King of the ages, frankincense for the God of all, and myrrh for One who is Immortal and yet will be three days dead.  Shortly after, based upon the information he was given by the wise men (or magi), Herod orders the death of all male infants under the age of two years.  But Joseph -- similarly to the wise men -- has been divinely warned in a dream to take the Child to Egypt, and so they must live in exile until King Herod is dead.  Then this holy family returns, but the fear of Archelaus, new ruler of Judea, keeps them from going to Bethlehem, so they turn to Galilee to establish themselves there, where Jesus will be raised.  As my study Bible points out, Jesus will meet with disapproval and suspicion, even contempt, because it will be known that He is from Nazareth, a town which holds little importance in terms of prophesy and spiritual history.  But that, of course, will come from people who do not know that He was born in Bethlehem, the city of King David.  So let us start here, with all of these difficulties, present in simply the first few years of Christ's life.  We should note, too, that they are difficulties for His parents, His mother and earthly guardian Joseph, who take all precautions and take on hardships to protect this Child.  What does it say about the Incarnation story?  If you and I were writing a story about the King of all, the Lord of the universe, come into the world and born on planet earth in the form of a helpless baby, what would we write?  Could we even imagine these difficulties?  Would we write such a story of exile, of being despised and being hunted?  Would we invent a story of the wise men who come to honor Him but who are also in mortal danger for doing so, and must leave the country by evading King Herod?  I hardly think so, for our ideas about majesty and grandeur are not compatible with God's plans and the truth of the Gospels, and indeed, of the whole Bible.  One thing we can say is that most certainly, in His Incarnation, Christ most definitely experiences the dangers of life that we are subject to -- and maybe even more so than most.  Even as an Infant, He's subject to the hatred and envy of those in power and who wish to simply kill Him because He is already a perceived threat.  There are those who come to adore and worship Him, and even His mother knows not simply to marvel, but that she "kept all these things and pondered them in her heart" (Luke 2:19), the way a loving mother pores repeatedly over pictures at various ages of her child, and landmarks in his childhood kept in a scrapbook.  Mary kept them all in her heart to ponder.   We can only imagine her distress to come after Jesus begins His public ministry.  But this is the story of our Lord.  This is the way that God has sent His Son into the world -- not to have an easy, simple, or comfortable life, but to share our fears, our dangers, our woes, our worries.  He shares our vulnerability to abusive power, to coercive military might, to cruelty, and to death.  He shares everything we share in a world beset by the effects of sin with which we cope every day, and the ongoing hatreds, lies, envy, injustice, and vicious behaviors we know and may experience.  He is also born into a world beset by temptations and the malice of demons, but that will become a special hallmark of His presence -- effects that will become immediately discernible to people once His public ministry starts.  But as we go on to read about Christ's life, let us first take a minute to consider these dangers and fears that we all experience that are already borne in upon Christ, even as a little Child.  Let us consider the sacrifices and love of His parents, and know that God's plan was not for worldly greatness, but for something quite different.  And in this inclusion in our subjection to the same difficulties and dangers, let us know that this is shared with us so that we are also born into a mission if we are His followers.  He did not come to be treated "like a King" but to show courage against the adversary, to teach us His way, give us His light and the Holy Spirit, so that we bring in a Kingdom into this world that is His together with the Father and the Holy Spirit.  We are invited to share in a mission with Him.  And when we face a world shaken by senseless violence, malicious hatreds, cruelty that we can't imagine, and a host of evils and effects that frighten and terrify, He has been here with us and this is somehow, in ways we can't imagine, a part of the plan.  Midst all this strife and even senseless things to our minds, we  have a role to play, something important to do, and the salvation of the world even perhaps depends upon it.  There have been countless saints, martyrs, confessors, and unknown faithful who have lost their lives and faced perils for the sake of His name and His gospel.  Let us take up His mission and know the power of His Cross, the courage that He gives, the strength of His truth, and the meaning even in His suffering and that of those who follow.  For God's ways are not our ways, nor God's thoughts our thoughts, but His Kingdom is ours when we meet Him at His Cross, and carry our own His way. Nothing we know of in history has had the impact of Christ and His followers upon the world; let us continue to seek His way with prayer and through the living faith He teaches.  And remember that even the sparrows are known to Him, even the hairs of our head (Matthew 10:29-31).

 

 

 

Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?

 

 Now they were on the road, going up to Jerusalem, and Jesus was going before them; and they were amazed.  And as they followed they were afraid.  Then He took the twelve aside again and began to tell them the things that would happen to Him:  "Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and to the scribes; and they will condemn Him to death and deliver Him to the Gentiles; and they will mock Him, and scourge Him, and spit on Him, and kill Him.  And the third day He will rise again."

 

Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to Him, saying, "Teacher, we want You to do for us whatever we ask."   And He said to them, "What do you want Me to do for you?"  They said to Him, "Grant us that we may sit, one on Your right hand and the other on Your left, in Your glory."  But Jesus said to them, "You do not know what you ask.  Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?"  They said to Him, "We are able."  So Jesus said to them, "You will indeed drink the cup that I drink, and with the baptism I am baptized with you will be baptized; but to sit on My right hand and on My left is not Mine to give, but it is for those for whom it is prepared."  And when the ten heard it, they began to be greatly displeased with James and John.  But Jesus called them to Himself and said to them, "You know that those who are considered rulers over the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them.  Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you shall be your servant.  And whoever of you desires to be first shall be slave of all.  For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many."

 

- Mark 10:32–45

 

Yesterday we read that, as Jesus was going out on the road toward Jerusalem, one came running, knelt before Him, and asked Him, "Good Teacher, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?"  So Jesus said to him, "Why do you call Me good?  No one is good but One, that is, God.  You know the commandments:  'Do not commit adultery,' 'Do not murder,' 'Do not steal,' 'Do not bear false witness,' 'Do not defraud,' 'Honor your father and mother.'"  And he answered and said to Him, "Teacher, all these things I have kept from my youth."  Then Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, "One thing you lack:  Go your way, sell whatever you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, take up the cross, and follow Me."  But he was sad at this word, and went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions. Then Jesus looked around and said to His disciples, "How hard it is for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God!"  And the disciples were astonished at His words.  But Jesus answered again and said to them, "Children, how hard it is for those who trust in riches to enter the kingdom of God!  It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God."  And they were greatly astonished, saying among themselves, "Who then can be saved?"  But Jesus looked at them and said, "With men it is impossible, but not with God; for with God all things are possible."  Then Peter began to say to Him, "See, we have left all and followed You."  So Jesus answered and said, "Assuredly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for My sake and the gospel's, who shall not receive a hundredfold now in this time -- houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions -- and in the age to come, eternal life.  But many who are first will be last, and the last first."

 

 Now they were on the road, going up to Jerusalem, and Jesus was going before them; and they were amazed.  And as they followed they were afraid.  Then He took the twelve aside again and began to tell them the things that would happen to Him:  "Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and to the scribes; and they will condemn Him to death and deliver Him to the Gentiles; and they will mock Him, and scourge Him, and spit on Him, and kill Him.  And the third day He will rise again."  My study Bible comments that Christ's repeated predictions of His Passion were intended to encourage and strengthen the disciples for the terrifying events they would face.  They also confirm that Christ was going to His death of His own will and choosing.  This is the third time Jesus has warned the disciples of what will happen at Jerusalem.   

 

 Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to Him, saying, "Teacher, we want You to do for us whatever we ask."   And He said to them, "What do you want Me to do for you?"  They said to Him, "Grant us that we may sit, one on Your right hand and the other on Your left, in Your glory."  But Jesus said to them, "You do not know what you ask.  Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?"  They said to Him, "We are able."  So Jesus said to them, "You will indeed drink the cup that I drink, and with the baptism I am baptized with you will be baptized; but to sit on My right hand and on My left is not Mine to give, but it is for those for whom it is prepared."  And when the ten heard it, they began to be greatly displeased with James and John.  But Jesus called them to Himself and said to them, "You know that those who are considered rulers over the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them.  Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you shall be your servant.  And whoever of you desires to be first shall be slave of all."   Once again there is discussion among the disciples as to who would be appointed to positions of greatness (see also this reading).  My study Bible notes that this quest for temporal power and glory is unfitting for a disciple, and it shows an earthly misunderstanding of the Kingdom of God.  (Perhaps -- as with the previous dispute over who would be great -- now that they are headed toward Jerusalem, the disciples expect an earthly Kingdom to be established by Jesus.)  Christ calls is Crucifixion a cup and His death a baptism.  The Cross is a cup, my study Bible explains, because He drank it willingly (Hebrews 12:2).  His death is baptism, for He was completely immersed in it, but it cleansed the world (Romans 6:3-6).  Jesus' prophecy of John and James participating in this same cup and baptism shows the life of persecution and martyrdom they will lead after Pentecost.  My study Bible further explains that Christ declaring that the places of honor in the Kingdom are not His to give doesn't mean that He lacks authority.  It means, instead, that they are not His to give arbitrarily.  They will be given to those for whom God has prepared them.  Additionally, my study Bible asks us to note that with regard to sitting as equals on the right and left hand of Christ in His Kingdom, St. John Chrysostom teaches that no one could possibly occupy such a position.  Regarding the highest places of honor that human beings can be given, the icons of the Orthodox Church universally show the Virgin Mary (the most blessed among women; Luke 1:28) and John the Baptist (the greatest born of women; Matthew 11:11) holding these places.  Jesus repeats His teaching on greatness as linked with humility and service, and that the first shall be last.  

 

"For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many." My study Bible explains that for many is an Aramaic expression which means "for all."

 

As Jesus begins to go toward Jerusalem, He begins to prepare the disciples also for their road ahead.  At this stage, it is the disciples who bring problems to Him that He addresses in terms of their perspective on authority and "greatness."  Christ has already addressed this question of leadership in a previous reading (here), teaching them about graciousness in dealing with the "little ones" in the Church, as well as about service and humility.  This previous reading was followed by a staggering warning about abuses within His Church, and what the consequence to abuse of authority -- particularly with regard to those who are "least" in the Church.  Here in today's reading, Jesus once again emphasizes the responsibility of authority, that a "great" position is not given in order to "lord it over" others, but to serve.  It's most important that we understand that Christ Himself here indicates that He Himself will set the tone for those who follow in His footsteps.  He will sacrifice His life for the rest.  As my study Bible affirms, both John and James will follow with His cup and His baptism.  James will be the first disciple to die a martyr (Acts 12:1-2).  John will go on to a long life of service to the Church under persecution and himself in exile, giving us one Gospel, three Epistles, and the Revelation.  He will also be the one assigned by Christ to take His place as Mary's son (John 19:26), living with her and caring for her after Christ's death.  He is known also as the beloved disciple.  While in today's reading, their expectations are focused on their possible positions in a worldly kingdom, they would go on to become exemplary disciples and saints of the Church, truly serving "many" as did Christ.  Without them we would not have the Church that we have, nor the tremendous insights and understanding we know from John's works, as well as the beauty of the Light that is Christ, and possibly the most important foundation of Christian theology and our knowledge of God.  Let us keep in mind that these disciples would leave their own communities, so their expectations about the kingdom of the Messiah would be completely upended.  In persecution, in exile, in martyrdom, all the things they thought they wanted would be things they would sacrifice for Christ's Kingdom, and the new way it brought to the world.  

 

 

 

 

A voice was heard in Ramah, lamentation, weeping, and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children

 Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying, "Arise, take the young Child and His mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there until I bring you word; for Herod will seek the young Child to destroy Him."  When he arose, he took the young Child and His mother by night and departed for Egypt, and was there until the death of Herod, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying, "Out of Egypt I called My Son."

Then Herod, when he saw that he was deceived by the wise men, was exceedingly angry; and he sent forth and put to death all the male children who were in Bethlehem and in all its districts, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had determined from the wise men.  Then was fulfilled what was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet, saying:

"A voice was heard in Ramah,
Lamentation, weeping, and great mourning,
Rachel weeping for her children,
Refusing to be comforted,
Because they are no more."

Now when Herod was dead, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, saying, "Arise, take the young Child and His mother, and go to the land of Israel, for those who sought the young Child's life are dead."  Then he arose, took the young Child and His mother, and came into the land of Israel.  But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning over Judea instead of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there.  And being warned by God in a dream, he turned aside into the region of Galilee.  And he came and dwelt in a city called Nazareth, that it might be spoken by the prophets, "He shall be called a Nazarene."

- Matthew 2:13-23

Yesterday we read that after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, saying, "Where is He who has been born King of the Jews?  For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him."  When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.  And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born.  So they said to him, "In Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it is written by the prophet:  'But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are not the least among the rulers of Judah; for out of you shall come a Ruler who will shepherd My people Israel.'"  Then Herod, when he had secretly called the wise men, determined from them what time the star appeared.  And he sent them to Bethlehem and said, "Go and search carefully for the young Child, and when you have found Him, bring back word to me, that I may come and worship Him also."  When they heard the king, they departed; and behold, the star which they had seen in the East went before them, till it came and stood over where the young Child was.  When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy.  And when they had come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him.  And when they had opened their treasures, they presented gifts to Him:  gold, frankincense, and myrrh.  Then, being divinely warned in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed for their own country another way.

 Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying, "Arise, take the young Child and His mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there until I bring you word; for Herod will seek the young Child to destroy Him."  When he arose, he took the young Child and His mother by night and departed for Egypt, and was there until the death of Herod, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying, "Out of Egypt I called My Son."   Egypt is the place where Israel once took refuge.  My study bible says that as Joseph of the Old Testament once saved God's people by bringing them to Egypt (Genesis 39-47), now Christ's stepfather Joseph finds safety for the Savior in Egypt.  It is likely that the gifts of the magi paid for this journey.  "Out of Egypt I called My Son" (Hosea 11:1) refers first to Israel being brought out of captivity.  In the Old Testament, "son" can refer to the whole nation of Israel; Jesus fulfills this calling as the true Son of God by coming out of Egypt, His life in some sense bearing His people.

Then Herod, when he saw that he was deceived by the wise men, was exceedingly angry; and he sent forth and put to death all the male children who were in Bethlehem and in all its districts, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had determined from the wise men.  Then was fulfilled what was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet, saying:  "A voice was heard in Ramah, lamentation, weeping, and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children, refusing to be comforted, because they are no more."   Herod the Great was known as a cruel ruler even in times when rulers were routinely ruthless.  Here Herod's cruelty was prefigured by Pharoah, who in an attempt to destroy the power of Israel, my study bible says, commanded the death of all the newborn Jewish boys (Exodus 1:16, 22).  Jeremiah the prophet records the people of Jerusalem being led away into exile (Jeremiah 31:15).  On their way to captivity, the people passed Ramah near Bethelehem, where Jacob's wife Rachel was buried.  In Jeremiah's prophecy, he saw Rachel, moved with compassion from the grave, for the fate that had befallen her descendants ("her children").  Here Rachel is once again weeping for her children.  My study bible notes that this shows the saints in heaven have awareness and compassion for those yet on earth.  The slaughtered children (called the Holy Innocents) have been historically regarded as saints and martyrs in the Church.  Just as Rachel was told that her children would return from exile in Babylon (Jeremiah 31:16-17), so Jesus will also return from exile in Egypt.

Now when Herod was dead, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, saying, "Arise, take the young Child and His mother, and go to the land of Israel, for those who sought the young Child's life are dead."  Then he arose, took the young Child and His mother, and came into the land of Israel.  But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning over Judea instead of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there.  And being warned by God in a dream, he turned aside into the region of Galilee.  And he came and dwelt in a city called Nazareth, that it might be spoken by the prophets, "He shall be called a Nazarene."  Herod the Great died in 4 BC, according to historical records.  The date of Christ's birth by tradition begins the way we count years; our current AD (Anno Domini, or "year of the Lord" in Latin) or CE (Common Era) calendar is therefore off by four years.  My study bible says that Augustus Caesar banished Archelaus for his cruelty in AD 6.  This cruelty was revealed as a warning to Joseph in a dream; hence he detours to Nazareth in Galilee.  Galilee was governed at this time by Herod Antipas, another son of Herod the Great.  Herod Antipas is the one who will have John the Baptist killed, and will also confer with Pilate at the sentencing of Jesus.  The prophecy that is referred to here ("He shall be called a Nazarene") is difficult to identify.  It has historically been taken as a reference to the rod (Hebrew neser) in Isaiah 11:1, and to the Nazirite (Hebrew Nazir) of Judges 13:5.  It is possible that Matthew is alluding to passages in which the Messiah was despised, since Nazareth did not have a good reputation (John 1:46). 

And here we have the beginning of the life of the Messiah, the King, the one who is both human and divine, the baby boy Jesus who is also Lord.  It really doesn't sound like the story of the birth of a king as we might imagine the splendor and glory that should accompany the birth of a king!  It is an extraordinary story just taken from that one perspective, with the accompanying difficulties and dangers that set about this boy and His parents right from the start of His life.  The cruelty of kings and rulers accompanies His birth; exile and danger govern the lives of the parents and where they can live with Him in their care. Their reliance is on God; Joseph, His father or worldly guardian, is given intuitions in dreams, and warned about where they cannot go.  When Herod is dead, Joseph is given another dream that they may return to Israel.  He is warned that they cannot return to Bethlehem in Judea, so they turn to Galilee.  Everything about the beginning of this young boy's life is fraught with danger and menace, right from the start.  Even the wise men (in yesterday's reading, above) were threatened by Herod and were also warned in a dream not to return to him.  The parents do all they can to care for this special child, whom they clearly already know is special.  Again, reliance on God has told them so.  Everything in their lives -- right from the start -- is governed by faith.  These two, Joseph and Mary, are remarkable parents to Christ the baby.  From the start, they accept their roles and what it means for them.  Let us note that the truth about this birth must remain confined.  They do not shout about it from the rooftops.  The wise men come from the East, for they know Christ has been born -- and this is the one way that Herod became aware of the birth and aware of the Christ.  The religious rulers know nothing about the fulfillment of the prophecy of His birth.  With the danger present, moving into exile and coming to settle in a town that is not his own, Joseph clearly must keep this secret, just as he resolved, when he found that Mary was pregnant, that he would not make a public example of her, as he was a very just man (Matthew 1:19).  These parents live by their faith.  They do not have the "courage" that might come from a great public reception, or popular following or belief, or any of the comforts that might accompany such a tremendous occurrence.  They have their faith.  Sometimes our own faith lives demand that we keep something quiet.  We do not seek the fanfare of the world for an act or an achievement.  We keep quiet about even a blessing we may have received.  Life for Jesus will not be a simple affair of public acclaim, nor an easy one "fit for a king," as we might think in our imaginations.  It will not be "magical" as we think of magic in some popular understanding.  This, instead, is a life of faith.  It is one filled with the glory and blessings of God that will be shared with the world, but it demands quiet, and discipline, faith, and love.  These are the conditions we find with this Child.  Let us remember that as God may nurture our own faith lives, humility is the greatest asset.  We don't expect magic, but we do have faith and love.

A voice was heard in Ramah, lamentation, weeping, and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children, refusing to be comforted, because they are no more

 Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying, "Arise, take the young Child and His mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there until I bring you word; for Herod will seek the young Child to destroy Him."  When he arose, he took the young Child and His mother by night and departed for Egypt, and was there until the death of Herod, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying, "Out of Egypt I called My Son."

Then Herod, when he saw that he was deceived by the wise men, was exceedingly angry; and he sent forth and put to death all the male children who were in Bethlehem and in all its districts, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had determined from the wise men.  Then was fulfilled what was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet, saying:

"A voice was heard in Ramah,
Lamentation, weeping, and great mourning,
Rachel weeping for her children,
Refusing to be comforted,
Because they are no more."

Now when Herod was dead, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, saying, "Arise, take the young Child and His mother, and go to the land of Israel, for those who sought the young Child's life are dead."  Then he arose, took the young Child and His mother, and came into the land of Israel.  But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning over Judea instead of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there.  And being warned by God in a dream, he turned aside into the region of Galilee.  And he came and dwelt in a city called Nazareth, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophets, "He shall be called a Nazarene."

- Matthew 2:13-23

Yesterday, we began readings in the Gospel of Matthew.  We read that after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, saying, "Where is He who has been born King of the Jews?  For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him."  When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.  And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born.  So they said to him, "In Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it is written by the prophet:  "But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are not the least among the rulers of Judah; for out of you shall come a Ruler Who will shepherd My people Israel.'"  Then Herod, when he had secretly called the wise men, determined from them what time the star appeared.  And he sent them to Bethlehem and said, "Go and search carefully for the young Child, and when you have found Him, bring back word to me, that I may come and worship Him also."  When they heard the king, they departed; and behold, the star which they had seen in the East went before them, till it came and stood over where the young Child was.  When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy.  And when they had come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him.  And when they had opened their treasures, they presented gifts to Him:  gold, frankincense, and myrrh.  Then, being divinely warned in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed for their own country another way.

Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying, "Arise, take the young Child and His mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there until I bring you word; for Herod will seek the young Child to destroy Him."   We look to Old Testament types, and the fulfillment of Israel's history from the beginning of Jesus' story.  Egypt is the place where Israel took refuge, as another Joseph, of the Old Testament, once saved God's people by bringing them to Egypt (Genesis 39-47).  Now it is Christ's earthly father (or perhaps we could call him stepfather) Joseph finds safety for Jesus in Egypt.  It is probable, says my study bible, that the gifts of the magi paid for this journey.

When he arose, he took the young Child and His mother by night and departed for Egypt, and was there until the death of Herod, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying, "Out of Egypt I called My Son."  "Out of Egypt I called my Son" is a quotation from Hosea 11:1, referring first to Israel being brought out of captivity.  My study bible tells us that in the Old Testament, "son" can refer to the whole nation of Israel.  Here, it says, Jesus fulfills His calling as true Son of God by coming out of Egypt.

Then Herod, when he saw that he was deceived by the wise men, was exceedingly angry; and he sent forth and put to death all the male children who were in Bethlehem and in all its districts, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had determined from the wise men.  Then was fulfilled what was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet, saying:  "A voice was heard in Ramah, lamentation, weeping, and great mourning,  Rachel weeping for her children, refusing to be comforted, because they are no more."  Again, the beginning of Jesus' life is filled with Old Testament types reflected in His very nascence.  The cruelty of Herod images that of Pharaoh, commanded the death of all newborn Jewish boys in order to destroy the power of Israel (Exodus 1:16, 22).  The reference to Jeremiah the prophet is that of a passage recording the people of Jerusalem being led away into exile (Jeremiah 31:15).   On their way to captivity, they passed Ramah, near Bethlehem, where Jacob's wife Rachel was buried.  In Jeremiah's prophecy, he saw Rachel crying, even from the grave, for her descendants and their hardship and misery as exiles from their land.  Rachel is again weeping for her children who are slaughtered by Herod.  My study bible says it shows us that the saints in heaven have awareness and compassion for those who are in this world.  These slaughtered children are traditionally considered saints and known as the Holy Innocents.  My study bible says that just as Rachel was told her children would return from exile in Babylon (Jeremiah 31:16-17), so Jesus will also return from His exile in Egypt.

Now when Herod was dead, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, saying, "Arise, take the young Child and His mother, and go to the land of Israel, for those who sought the young Child's life are dead."  Then he arose, took the young Child and His mother, and came into the land of Israel.  But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning over Judea instead of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there.  And being warned by God in a dream, he turned aside into the region of Galilee.   According to historical records, my study bible tells us, Herod the Great died in 4 BC.  Therefore the current dating system which we use as AD (or Anno Domini, Latin for "year of the Lord") is off by at least four years.  Archelaus was the son of Herod the Great, and a ruler also known for his cruelty.   In fact, he was banished by Augustus Caesar by reason of notorious cruelty in AD 6.  His cruelty was revealed to Joseph by a dream, and hence Jesus comes to live in Nazareth.  This is a town in Galilee, a province governed by another son of Herod the Great, named Herod Antipas.

And he came and dwelt in a city called Nazareth, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophets, "He shall be called a Nazarene."  This prophecy is somewhat mysterious, and can't be exactly identified.  It may be a reference to the rod or branch (Hebrew neser) in Isaiah 11:1,  and to the Nazirite of (Hebrew Nazir) of Judges 13:5.  My study bible also tells us that Matthew might have been alluding to passages in which the Messiah was despised, since Nazreth did not have a good reputation (John 1:46).

So many Old Testament references permeate the story of Jesus' birth and earliest childhood.  We have to understand that they are as much a part of this story as any of the "facts" of Jesus' life.  He is a fulfillment of promises and prophecies, and more than that.  He is a fulfillment of "type" - of the realities of Jewish spiritual history, the true history of Israel, of those who await the prophesied Messiah.   The Gospel tells us this story.  But we have to stop and think, that although this is earth-shattering news, long-awaited in prophecy, even understood by the wise men from an Eastern country, so few know it.  Herod knows it via the wise men and seeks to kill the Child born a King of Israel.  But this is one small family, in exile, without many resources (save the gifts of the magi, the wise men).  Jesus will preach later on, "He who has ears to hear, let him hear!" indicating to us that the gifts of mystery, of understanding the spiritual power that lives in everything around us, is something we need to work at, to open up to, to have particular ears and eyes for.  Not everybody knows or notices any of this.  It's just a handful of people who know this world-changing news, this reality born into the world, the spiritual truth of what looks like an ordinary family, an every day reality.  It is much later that the Evangelists will write the story, that the Church will proclaim it.  But the moment in time of spiritual presence isn't known by many at all.  This is the way we have to understand the power of the Spirit in our lives, how the holy may touch us.  We still need to have the proper eyes and ears for it.  We may have answers to our prayers and not quite recognize it, we may have the holy sitting in our midst and not know.  Perhaps wisdom is right in front of us but we can't hear or see it.  Jesus, the King, comes into the world as a babe, His parents sent soon into exile.  We can't get the message if we look or expect the spectacular; that comes only at the end, with His Return.  God is in our midst and the Kingdom of heaven is among us, within us, with us -- but we still must have mystical eyes and ears to know and understand.  Mary received an angel's word, Elizabeth understood and her babe leaped in her womb.  Joseph and the wise men listen to and understand warning dreams.  Rachel again weeps for her children, and a ruthless ruler seeks the Child's life.  The fulfillment of prophecy and expectation is all around in this story.  But how many people really know?

Out of Egypt I called My Son

 Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying, "Arise, take the young Child and His mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there until I bring you word; for Herod will seek the young Child to destroy Him."  When he arose, he took the young Child and His mother by night and departed for Egypt, and was there until the death of Herod, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying, "Out of Egypt I called My Son."

Then Herod, when he saw that he was deceived by the wise men, was exceedingly angry; and he sent forth and put to death all the male children who were in Bethlehem and in all its districts, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had determined from the wise men.  Then was fulfilled what was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet, saying:

"A voice was heard in Ramah,
Lamentation, weeping, and great mourning,
Rachel weeping for her children,
Refusing to be comforted,
Because they are no more."

Now when Herod was dead, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, saying, "Arise, take the young Child and His mother, and go to the land of Israel, for those who sought the young Child's life are dead."  Then he arose, took the young Child and His mother, and came into the land of Israel.  But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning over Judea instead of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there.  And being warned by God in a dream, he turned aside into the region of Galilee.  And he came and dwelt in a city called Nazareth, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophets, "He shall be called a Nazarene."

- Matthew 2:13-23

Yesterday, we read that after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, saying, "Where is He who has been born King of the Jews?  For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him."  When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.  And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born.  So they said to him, "In Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it is written by the prophet:  'But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judea, are not the least among the rulers of Judah;  For out of you shall come a Ruler who will shepherd My people Israel.'"  Then Herod, when he had secretly called the wise men, determined from them what time the star appeared.  And he sent them to Bethlehem and said, "Go and search carefully for the young Child, and when you have found Him, bring back word to me, that I may come and worship Him also."  When they heard the king, they departed; and behold, the star which they had seen in the East went before them, till it came and stood over where the young Child was.  When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy.   And when they had come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him.  And when they had opened their treasures, they presented gifts to Him:  gold, frankincense, and myrrh.  Then, being divinely warned in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed for their own country another way.

  Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying, "Arise, take the young Child and His mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there until I bring you word; for Herod will seek the young Child to destroy Him."  When he arose, he took the young Child and His mother by night and departed for Egypt, and was there until the death of Herod, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying, "Out of Egypt I called My Son."   We observe again the importance of dreams and messages at this time, the work of the Holy Spirit in the world, and the presence of angels.  Joseph is a man who has already heard and listened and taken to heart such messages in keeping Mary as his wife, in protecting the Child.  As Christ is born, we observe these gifts of the Spirit at work in the world to all those who are instrumental in the story, and even the signs of nature as indicative that all of creation participates in this birth.  My study bible says that Egypt is where Israel once took refuge; as Joseph of the Old Testament once saved God's people by bringing them to Egypt (Genesis 39-47), now Christ's stepfather Joseph finds safety for the Savior in Egypt.  It notes that it is probable that the gifts of the magi paid for this journey.   Out of Egypt I called my Son refers first to Hosea 11:1, and the call of Israel being brought out of captivity.  My study bible says that in the Old Testament, "son" can refer to the whole nation of Israel.  Here, it says, Jesus fulfills this calling as the true Son of God by coming out of Egypt. Christ as fulfillment of the spiritual history of Israel is already embodying the "types" in the Old Testament.

Then Herod, when he saw that he was deceived by the wise men, was exceedingly angry; and he sent forth and put to death all the male children who were in Bethlehem and in all its districts, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had determined from the wise men.   Again we see fulfilled the images from the history of Israel; Herod was prefigured by Pharaoh, who attempted to destroy the power of Israel by commanding the death of all the newborn Jewish boys (Exodus 1:16, 22).

Then was fulfilled what was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet, saying:  "A voice was heard in Ramah,
Lamentation, weeping, and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children, refusing to be comforted,  because they are no more."  My study bible says here:  "Jeremiah recorded the people of Jerusalem being led away to exile (Jeremiah 38:15).  On their way to captivity, they passed Ramah, which was near Bethlehem, where Jacob's wife Rachel lay buried.  In his prophecy, Jeremiah saw Rachel, even from the grave, moved with compassion for the fate that had befallen her descendants.  Here Rachel is again weeping for her children, showing that the saints in heaven have awareness and compassion for those yet on earth.  These slaughtered children are regarded as saints and martyrs in the Church and are known as the Holy Innocents.  Just as Rachel was told that her children would return from exile in Babylon (Jeremiah 38:16-17), so Jesus will return from His exile in Egypt."

 Now when Herod was dead, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, saying, "Arise, take the young Child and His mother, and go to the land of Israel, for those who sought the young Child's life are dead."  Then he arose, took the young Child and His mother, and came into the land of Israel.  Again, a prophetic dream in which an angel appeared is given to Joseph in order to protect the Child.  My study bible says that Herod the Great died in 4 BC.  The date of Christ's birth on which our "AD" or (Anno Domini, Latin for "year of the Lord") calendar is based is off by four years. 

Then he arose, took the young Child and His mother, and came into the land of Israel.  But when he hard that Archelaus was reigning over Judea instead of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there.  And being warned by God in a dream, he turned aside into the region of Galilee.   And again a warning comes to Joseph in a dream.  Archelaus, named here, was banished by Augustus Caesar for his cruelty, in AD 6.  My study bible says that this cruelty was revealed as a warning to Joseph; hence, the detour to Nazareth of Galilee.  Galilee was governed by another son of Herod the Great, called Herod Antipas, who will play a great role in the lives and deaths of both John the Baptist and Jesus. 

  And he came and dwelt in a city called Nazareth, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophets, "He shall be called a Nazarene."   This prophecy, according to my study bible, cannot be exactly identified.  It has been taken as a reference to the rod (Hebrew neser) in Isaiah 11:1, and to the Nazirite (Hebrew Nazir) of Judges 13:5.   It's possible that Matthew is alluding to passages in which the Messiah was despised, since Nazareth did not have a good reputation (see John 1:46).

In the story of Jesus, the wondrous continues to accompany His birth and His infanthood.  His human "step-father" Joseph continues to be the protector who is able to hear the warnings given in dreams, the angel who appears to guide and protect this family.  We don't get a lot of information about Mary in Matthew; instead, here the focus has been more on Joseph, that necessary protector for both Mary and Jesus.  And despite the fact that all of creation participates in this birth, in this story (yesterday's reading was about the star that guided the wise men who came to worship Jesus), we also find in this plan the adversity between the "worldly" and the holy.  Jesus is not born into a world of perfect human life.  He's born into a world where power is abused and abused harshly.  It's a world where foreigners sit on the thrones that rule Judea and the Jewish people here also in Galilee where they settle; but the most ruthless are those of the region of Judea, where Jesus was born in Bethlehem, making it impossible for the Child to continue there -- almost immediately so from His birth.  So why, we have to ask, is this the story of God coming into the world in human form?  It's a great mistake to equate somehow the "perfect life" (on our terms) with the work of God.  This Savior or Redeemer comes into the world with a purpose, with a mission, and it's not to be welcomed by everyone, with perfect vision and the ability to receive messages of angels.  There is hostility to the good in this world, hostility to what is holy.  It comes in so many forms, as antagonism to peace, destruction of joy, vilifying good news.  Jesus is here born into a struggle, even as an infant.  It is a spiritual struggle in which He will grow as liberator, as One who has come to "set the captives free."  All we can do is admire the beauty of this birth and its associations with the beautiful and the splendid, with the wise men who are guided by a star and also by dreams, with the wise Joseph and also Mary, so young but so full of the gifts of God and the knowledge she takes to heart.  John the Baptist has been born to the pious Elizabeth and Zacharias, and we have heard also prophecy from the elderly who may depart in peace having seen the birth of the Savior to which they are enlightened (Simeon and Anna).  Let us not forget the glory that shone around the shepherds in the field, giving them the good news that absolutely had to be shared, inviting them also to participate in the scene of this birth in Bethlehem.  Jesus brings into the world joy and beauty, wondrous prophecy, spontaneous song and poetry, and this good news is shared with those who can accept it and who will be a part of it coming and growing in the world.  But we still have the "worldly business" of power, of ruthlessness and expediency, of opportunism, of every struggle we face in ourselves between our own selfish or "worldly" motives and the voice that calls us with a message to take a different route.  He has been born into this world to give us everything, and a pouring out of the Spirit upon all, every single one of us.  How do we receive it?  How does this struggle continue, mirrored in the world around us?  How is His peace and joy a part of our lives in the midst of it all?  How does His joy infuse even the worst of times in the place of the heart, with Him?  Can we hear the good news, even midst the bad?

He shall be called a Nazarene

 Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying, "Arise, take the young Child and His mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there until I bring you word, for Herod will seek the young Child to destroy Him."  When he arose, he took the young Child and His mother by night and departed for Egypt, and was there until the death of Herod, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying, "Out of Egypt I called My Son."

Then Herod, when he saw that he was deceived by the wise men, was exceedingly angry; and he sent forth and put to death all the male children who were in Bethlehem and in all his its districts, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had determined from the wise men.  Then was fulfilled what was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet, saying:

"A voice was heard in Ramah,
Lamentation, weeping, and great mourning,
Rachel weeping for her children,
Refusing to be comforted,
Because they are no more."

Now when Herod was dead, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, saying, "Arise, take the young Child and His mother, and go to the land of Israel, for those who sought the young Child's life are dead."  Then he arose, took the young Child and His mother, and came into the land of Israel.  But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning over Judea instead of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there.  And being warned by God in a dream, he turned aside into the region of Galilee.  And he came and dwelt in a city called Nazareth, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophets, "He shall be called a Nazarene."

- Matthew 2:13-23

In yesterday's reading, we were told that after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, saying, "Where is He who has been born King of the Jews?  For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him."  When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.  And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born.  So they said to him, "In Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it is written by the prophet:  'But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are not least among the rulers of Judah;  For out of you shall come a Ruler Who will shepherd My people Israel.'"  Then Herod, when he had secretly called the wise men, determined from them what time the star appeared.  And he sent them to Bethlehem and said, "Go and search carefully for the young Child, and when you have found Him, bring back word to me, that I may come and worship Him also."  When they heard the king, they departed; and behold, the star which they had seen in the East went before them, till it came and stood over where the young Child was.  When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy.  And when they had come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him.  And when they had opened their treasures, they presented gifts to Him:  gold, frankincense, and myrrh.  Then, being divinely warned in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed for their own country another way.

Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying, "Arise, take the young Child and His mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there until I bring you word, for Herod will seek the young Child to destroy Him."  My study bible tells us:  "Egypt is where Israel once took refuge and was made captive.  As the Israelites fled from Egypt (Ex. 12:31-42), so Joseph flees into Egypt, by night.  It is probable the gifts of the Magi paid for this journey.  Some of the first steps of Jesus are taken in exile.  This is one of a number of instances in Scripture where God's people must elude civil power in order to do His will."

 When he arose, he took the young Child and His mother by night and departed for Egypt, and was there until the death of Herod, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying, "Out of Egypt I called My Son."  This saying refers to Israel in Hosea 11:1.  My study bible also cites several other verses, and adds, "In the Old Testament the son of God is Israel; here Jesus is the true Israel.  He reenacts in His own life the history of Israel, without falling into sin."

Then Herod, when he saw that he was deceived by the wise men, was exceedingly angry; and he sent forth and put to death all the male children who were in Bethlehem and in all his its districts, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had determined from the wise men.  Then was fulfilled what was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet, saying:  "A voice was heard in Ramah, lamentation, weeping, and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children, refusing to be comforted, because they are no more."  Herod's ruthless cruelty is a sort of mirror image (a type) of action from the Old Testament, in which Pharaoh tried to kill all the male children of Israel when Moses was born (Ex. 1:16, 22).   The quotation is from the prophet Jeremiah.  My study bible says, "Jeremiah recorded the people of Jerusalem being led away to exile (Jer. 31:15).  On their sad pilgrimage to an alien land, they passed Ramah, where Rachel, wife of Jacob lay buried (1 Sam. 10:2).  In his prophecy Jeremiah pictures Rachel, who had long been dead, weeping even in her tomb for the fate that had befallen the people, her children.  Now, the mothers of Bethlehem weep for the slaughter of their children, the Holy Innocents . . . As Rachel was told her children would return from exile in Babylon (Jer. 31:16-17), so Jesus will return from His exile in Egypt."

Now when Herod was dead, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, saying, "Arise, take the young Child and His mother, and go to the land of Israel, for those who sought the young Child's life are dead."  Then he arose, took the young Child and His mother, and came into the land of Israel.  But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning over Judea instead of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there.   Herod the Great (also known as a builder, who rebuilt the Jerusalem Temple to its magnificent proportions) died in 4 B.C.  My study bible concludes that the dating of the A.D. (Anno Domini, Latin for "in the year of the Lord") calendar was based was off by several years.  It says that "Archelaus was banished by Augustus Caesar to Gaul in A.D. 6, when the Jews, protesting the cruelty of Archelaus' rule, petitioned his removal.  That very cruelty is foretold by the Lord as a warning to Joseph; hence the detour to Nazareth, a town in Galilee governed by another son of Herod, called Herod Antipas."

And being warned by God in a dream, he turned aside into the region of Galilee.  And he came and dwelt in a city called Nazareth, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophets, "He shall be called a Nazarene."  A note here says, "This prophecy cannot be conclusively identified.  It has been taken variously as a reference to the Branch (Hebrew neser) of Isaiah (Is. 11:1) or to the Nazirite (Hebrew nazir) of Judges (Judges 13:7; see also Numbers 6:1-21).  Or Matthew may be alluding to passages which speak of the Messiah as despised, since Nazareth did not have a good reputation among the Jews (John 1:46).  Nazarene later became a designation for followers of Jesus, especially in the Semitic world, although 'Christian' was the more common name."  Many Church Fathers comment that the words "spoken by the prophets" indicate a general saying, and not necessarily a canonical single reference from Scripture (quoting one prophet); thus they generally interpret the sense that a Nazarene is a holy one, set apart; an alternative meaning is a "branch" or "flower" of Jesse -- also of the holy ones.

Again the events of mystery and paradox surround and shape Jesus' life.  We note His father, Joseph, who responds to warnings from dreams (as did the wise men), and departs with Jesus and His mother Mary, to exile in Egypt.  Of course, as my study bible points out, this exile is a kind of type of the exile of the Israelites in Egypt.  But we get a deeper sense, once again, of the conflict from the start between worldly power and the power of the Holy One.  And, once again, as my study bible notes, this is a parallel to Old Testament Scripture:  "God's people must elude civil power in order to do His will."  Again, in a parallel to Old Testament Scripture, all the male children are slaughtered, the Holy Innocents, by the ruthless power of Herod in order to make sure there is no threat to his throne.  In many traditions of the Church, these children are considered martyrs and saints.   Again, Joseph takes heed from an angel in a dream to return to Israel; yet another dream warns him not to return to Bethlehem.  And so Jesus is raised in Nazareth of Galilee, fulfilling a prophecy of holiness -- and yet this contains a paradox, a kind of mystery in its double meaning of the town's reputation among the Jews.  From the beginning, the Messiah's story is complex, shadowed by evil intent and harm from the official worldly powers, the hardship imposed on His parents to care for Him through flight and exile, the first martyrs are the children who are killed for His sake, and Joseph's final settling not in his hometown but rather in Nazareth in Galilee.  God's plan takes many people, many forms, a struggle and a kind of shadowy pursuit of Jesus from His birth:  there are those who also come from a foreign land to worship Him (the wise men of yesterday's reading), who are also outsiders.  Exile, the pursuit of evil forces, death, and still another type of exile in Nazareth, the outsiders who recognize Him (the wise men in Matthew's Gospel, the poor shepherds of Luke's), these are the elements that surround Jesus' birth, His advent into the world.  And then there are the dreams, and we understand that His protectors and those who recognize Him are the ones who are capable of being warned by God, who heed the voice of the angels, who have the capacity for this kind of discernment and understanding.  The world is populated in these stories not by miraculous perfection, but in the reality of Jesus' picture of weeds and wheat which He will use in His parables (later on in Matthew's Gospel).  From the beginning, our Savior's life is shadowed by evil and forces which malign Him, making His journey difficult and His parents' one of sacrifice and hardship.  There is slaughter and death, and a kind of homelessness which shadows Jesus all of His life, in which He remains in a kind of exile, even rejected by those in His hometown (recorded as Jesus' saying in all four of the Gospels).  This is a story that gives us the reality of the world, populated by those who would use and abuse power and position, who harm the good, and by those who can heed the voice of the good that calls them in all kinds of ways, and suffer for that good.  Can we see our world in His story?  Can we make the sacrifices we may be called to do for the good, for the reality of that Word that calls us in all kinds of ways?  Where does our loyalty lie, and how do we discern where it calls us in ways that no one else hears or knows?  Can we have that kind of faith?

An angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying, "Arise, take the young Child and His mother, flee to Egypt"

Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying, "Arise, take the young Child and His mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there until I bring you word; for Herod will seek the young Child to destroy Him." When he arose, he took the young Child and His mother by night and departed for Egypt, and was there until the death of Herod, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying, "Out of Egypt I called My Son."

Then Herod, when he saw that he was deceived by the wise men, was exceedingly angry; and he sent forth and put to death all the male children who were in Bethlehem and in all its districts, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had determined from the wise men. Then was fulfilled what was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet, saying:

"A voice was heard in Ramah,

Lamentation, weeping, and great mourning,

Rachel weeping for her children,

Refusing to be comforted,

Because they are no more."

Now when Herod was dead, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, saying, "Arise, take the young Child and His mother, and go to the land of Israel, for those who sought the young Child's life are dead." Then he arose, took the young Child and His mother, and came into the land of Israel. But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning over Judea instead of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. And being warned by God in a dream, he turned aside into the region of Galilee. And he came and dwelt in a city called Nazareth, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophets, "He shall be called a Nazarene."

- Matthew 2:13-23

In yesterday's reading, we read about the three wise men who came from the East, looking for the Child. They came to Jerusalem, the center of Jewish life and worship, and asked, "Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him." King Herod was disturbed when he heard about this, and consulted the experts on prophecy about the Messiah, the chief priests and scribes. They told him that the Messiah was to be born in Bethlehem. Herod told the wise men to search for the Child in Bethlehem, and then to return to tell him about the Child. The wise men found Jesus with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him. And when they had opened their treasures, they presented gifts to Him: gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Then, being divinely warned in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed for their own country another way.

Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying, "Arise, take the young Child and His mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there until I bring you word; for Herod will seek the young Child to destroy Him." When he arose, he took the young Child and His mother by night and departed for Egypt, and was there until the death of Herod, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying, "Out of Egypt I called My Son." My study bible notes that "Egypt is where Israel once took refuge and was made captive. As the Israelites fled from Egypt (Ex. 12:31-42), so Joseph flees into Egypt, by night. It is probable the gifts of the Magi paid for this journey. Some of the first steps of Jesus are taken in exile. This is one of a number of instances in Scripture where God's people must elude civil power in order to do His will." Let us think about what it is to live in exile. We recall that Moses named his child Gershom, meaning stranger or exile, saying, "I have been a stranger in a strange land." The quotation here is from Hosea 11:1. To live in faith in exile, away from community and familiar surroundings, is in some sense to depend solely on God, even to be tried in one's faith, as the early Christian monastics in the desert. Joseph is also a holy person, illumined as were the wise men by a dream.

Then Herod, when he saw that he was deceived by the wise men, was exceedingly angry; and he sent forth and put to death all the male children who were in Bethlehem and in all its districts, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had determined from the wise men. Then was fulfilled what was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet, saying: "A voice was heard in Ramah, lamentation, weeping, and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children, refusing to be comforted, because they are no more." My study bible notes that the cruelty of Herod was prefigured at Moses' birth, when Pharoah attempted to kill all the male children in order to destroy the first Israel (Ex. 1:16, 22). This attempt by Herod is referred to by the Church as the slaughter of the Holy Innocents. The quotation from Jeremiah records the people of Jerusalem being led away into exile (Jer. 31:15). Says my study bible, "On their sad pilgrimage to an alien land, they passed Ramah, where Rachel, wife of Jacob, lay buried (1 Sam. 10:2). In his prophecy, Jeremiah pictures Rachel, who had long been dead, weeping even in her tomb for the fate that had befallen the people, her children. Now, the mothers of Bethlehem weep for the slaughter of their children, the Holy Innocents." These children have been regarded historically by the Church as saints and martyrs. "As Rachel was told her children would return from exile in Babylon (Jer. 31:16, 17), so Jesus will return from His exile in Egypt," my study bible adds.

Now when Herod was dead, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, saying, "Arise, take the young Child and His mother, and go to the land of Israel, for those who sought the young Child's life are dead." Then he arose, took the young Child and His mother, and came into the land of Israel. But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning over Judea instead of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. Once again, we are told of a dream that comes to Joseph, and how he heeds the messages in these dreams. Herod the Great died in 4 B.C. The dating of the Lord's birth, says my study bible, on which the A.D. (Anno Domini, Latin for "in the year of the Lord") calendar is based was off by several years. Archelaus was one son of Herod the Great, and was also known for his cruelty. He was banished by Augustus Caesar to Gaul in A.D. 6, after the Jews petitioned for his removal. So far in Jesus' young life, He has lived through great danger and exile. He is yet again in another kind of exile among strangers, because Joseph fears he cannot return to Judea.

And being warned by God in a dream, he turned aside into the region of Galilee. And he came and dwelt in a city called Nazareth, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophets, "He shall be called a Nazarene." Another dream gives Joseph warning! The family goes to Galilee, which is a land mixed with both Gentiles and Jews. It is ruled over by yet another son of Herod the Great, Herod Antipas. In some sense, Galilee is a place where they are still among "strangers" - Gentiles. And it is also a place of threatening rule: Herod Antipas will be responsible for the death of John the Baptist, and will also confer with Pilate when Jesus' fate is decided. About the prophecy regarding Nazareth, my study bible says, "The prophecy here cannot be conclusively identified. It has been taken variously as a reference to the Branch (Heb. neser) of Isaiah (Is. 11:1) of to the Nazirite (Heb. nazir) of Judges (Judg. 13:7; see Num. 6:1-21). Or Matthew may be alluding to passages which speak of the Messiah as despised, since Nazareth did not have a good reputation among the Jews (John 1:46). Nazarene later became a designation for followers of Jesus, especially in the Semitic world, although 'Christian' was the more common name." Whatever the connotation, we must understand Nazareth as it was understood in His time, as a town of mixed population, both Gentiles and Jews, far away from Jerusalem and the religious life of the temple there.

So in this passage describing the early years of Jesus' life, we are treated to an understanding of themes of repeated exile, of oppressive rule, and a life among strangers. It is also a life that is in some ways, clearly and even literally "set apart." This is in keeping with a holy purpose, sanctification. It is a life of difficulty, both for Him (we imagine) and certainly for His parents. And the hidden gem in this of course is the love of His earthly father or guardian, Joseph, and His mother, Mary. How they must have suffered for and deeply loved this Child! Joseph, in His great example of love to us, takes on the role of protector of all of them. There is the oppressive rule of Herod the Great, his son Archelaus, and the one to come of Herod Antipas -- all danger encountered for the sake of the Son whom they love. And there is God's help, the help of the Spirit, on which they rely in their exile with no other help -- the dreams given to Joseph, and the warning of the angel in the dream. Like the wise men in yesterday's reading, Joseph's heart is open to spiritual sight and hearing. He can perceive the word of God given to him, the communications of the Spirit, via angelic messenger. Let us consider what this means in our own lives. There may be times we live, in effect, like exiles, when we feel isolated or alone. Perhaps we even have to take steps to protect ourselves. But all can be a time of spiritual discernment, of a fashioning of a deeper reliance on God, in faith. Can we be like Joseph and the wise men, can we hear and perceive a relationship with God? Can we heed the Spirit guiding us in our lives? Are we capable of doing that? More fully we remember the great love that infuses this story. The wise men love the Child, and clearly the parents take on lives that reflect their love, care and protection of Him. They take on danger into their lives for Him. Can we do the same, and love so much, even for His sake?