Our Scripture meditation is based on Matthew 2:13-18, from next week’s Gospel Lesson.
[13] Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Rise, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you, for Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy him.” [14] And he rose and took the child and his mother by night and departed to Egypt [15] and remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet, “Out of Egypt I called my son.”
Focusing on the Gospel reading for the first Sunday after Christmas can strengthen our celebration of Jesus’ birth.
The first chapter of Matthew ends with Jesus’ birth. It seems fitting that the second chapter would start with the arrival of the Magi in Jerusalem. After all, Jesus is the newborn King, the Prince of Peace, the Christ of prophesy. We fully expected the Magi to find and honor Jesus.
What we wouldn’t expect is what happens next. Suddenly Jesus and his family are fleeing to Egypt, becoming refugees in a foreign land.
There is more to this account than God the Father protecting Jesus from King Herod. Keep in mind that, in Matthew chapter 3, Jesus says He came to “fulfill all righteousness”. Jesus had to cope with a fallen world just as we must cope with this fallen world. The difference is that Jesus lived without sinning.
When we remember the birth of Jesus on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day, we are celebrating more than Jesus’ birth. We acknowledge everything Jesus did, and will still do, for us. This includes Jesus’ “fulling all righteousness.”
Until next week, the Lord bless and guide.
Kevin Wilson 360 