Matthew 2:13-21
“Notice what you notice.” Just two items… First, in Mt. 2:14, Joseph took Jesus and Mary “by night” and fled to Egypt. Clearly they were in danger and didn’t want anyone to know that they had left or where they were headed. Bethlehem was in the “hill country” of Judea, so it would have been rough going, especially at night. They probably would have headed south to Hebron, then west toward Egypt. Even today there is no direct road west out of Bethlehem, so they would have been 2-3 days in the hill country before they ever got to flatter ground. Again, rough travel for a young family.
Second, in Mt. 2:16, Herod made his plan of death “according to the time that he had ascertained from the wise men”. That explains why, in yesterday’s reading Herod had called the Wise Men back to the palace. He had learned from them “what time the star had appeared” (Mt. 2:7). So somehow from the Wise Men’s information Herod made his calculation to do away with any infant boys two years and under. A number of questions arise: When did the Wise Men first see the star? How long was their journey? How long did the Holy Family stay in Bethlehem? And how long would they have stayed longer in Bethlehem if they had not been warned to leave? And how old was Jesus when they fled? The Holy Family’s trip to Jerusalem for the presentation in the Temple would have been after Mary’s 40 days of purification. So when did the angel appear to Joseph? We simply don’t know. But I expect it was with a mix of fear and confidence that Joseph led his family out of Bethlehem.
I’m looking forward to getting together later this morning!!
Blessings!
I went to first, second, and third grades in Alexandria, VA and one of our yearly field trips was to the National Gallery of Art. I remember this picture (The Rest on the Flight into Egypt) very well from those visits, and it is the first thing that comes to mind when I read these passages.
The second thing I noticed was how often Joseph was receiving instructions from God through dreams. (Three times!) I also was reminded of another dreamer named Joseph in the Old Testament!