(Matthew 2:13-18 below)
The wise men have left Jesus, Mary and Joseph. The gifts have been delivered and after the wise men have witnessed the Savior, they proceed home, interestingly by a different path. They have seen God on earth, realized Herod's attempted deception and in their wisdom have realized that this "King of the Jews" was no threat, He was a blessing. God comes to Joseph again in a dream. First God entered Joseph's dreams to tell him to keep Mary, change his plans to do away with her. The next time God speaks to Joseph, God tells Joseph to up and move from their home, to take refuge in another country. Joseph must think - you know, if I quit sleeping, maybe God can't keep changing my plans! But once again, good reliable, faithful Joseph does as commanded by God. He takes his family and flees to protect Jesus. Herod flies into an envious power hungry rage - no one will take his kingdom from him! He takes the gruesome path - kill all the boys in the Bethlehem area who are less than 2 years old. Imagine the fear, imagine the carnage. Just as in the days of Moses childhood, a self-centered, egotistical maniac leader murders innocents to get his way.
The story is a tragic one, one that makes you wonder how, why, what in the world is happening. Imagine the fathers and mothers, older brothers and sisters of the day seeing toddlers and babies murdered. Imagine Joseph and Mary, once in Egypt realizing that they have been delivered from the carnage in Bethlehem. What can be learned from the story?
We can see the pure rage and barbarianism that lies in us all if our goal is to be the ruler of our lives instead of Jesus. Sure, we wouldn't have children killed, but our misplaced rule of our lives plays out in different ways. We waste our time on the clock with non-productive activities; we get a friend to clock in for us when we're running late; we look over at someone else's paper because we don't quite know the answer; we take the extra $10 in change and don't say a word. All of these things are against what we know is right and what God's plan is for us. But we're not that bad, right? Bad is bad, wrong is wrong and we're looked at as Christians to be a reflection of Christ. If we rule instead of Jesus, our self-centered selves take over and we're seen, our actions don't perform to honor Christ and we fail.
What else can be seen from this? God does have a plan. God came to Joseph in a dream and told him what to do. Joseph surely realizes later what their fate would have been if he didn't listen. From Egypt, he surely holds Mary and Jesus close and thanks God that he was in tune enough not to doubt and to listen.
Two glaring distinctions are shown in the passage. Live as though you are God and the ruler of your life and the worst products of jealousy and rage will be the outcome. Live open and listening to God and let Him rule and safety, rest and a future is before you. Let us live as to let God rule. After all, it takes a lot of pressure off of us, to say the least.
13When 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." 14So he got up, took the child and his mother during the night and left for Egypt, 15where 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."[f]
16When 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. 17Then 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."[g]
16When 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. 17Then 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."[g]
