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Hear the devotional here: https://anchor.fm/eradio-valverde/episodes/Flee-e1snfpp
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.”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.”19 After Herod died, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt 20 and said, “Get up, take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel, for those who were trying to take the child’s life are dead.” 21 So he got up, took the child and his mother and went to the land of Israel. 22 But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning in Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. Having been warned in a dream, he withdrew to the district of Galilee, 23 and he went and lived in a town called Nazareth. So was fulfilled what was said through the prophets, that he would be called a Nazarene. (MATTHEW 2:13-23 New International Version of The Bible)
Merry Christmas to you, dear Friend! The Christian year shows us that Christmas is not over yet. This passage is all about Christmas as we will see. I have an update from Ms. Sylvia Gaytan, who was released from the hospital and is recovering there. Please continue to hold her in your prayers. Ms. Betty Sample shared this request with us: "I ask you for continuing prayers for my younger sister Patty. She has been in the hospital for 11 days now— had a 5 day chemo session and has been left with some very difficult side-effects. Please pray for the side effects to improve and for her to be able to return home soon." May the Lord hear our prayers. Pray for one another; pray for yourselves and your needs. Pray for the needs of the world.
Some call this passage and its historical setting, The Dark Side of Christmas. While the birth of one baby boy whom we call the Lord Jesus, His birth angered one man, an evil one, by the name of Herod. Herod is known in history for his insecurity about his throne and those around him. The visit of the magi to ask where the new king of Israel was born, angered him and made him anxious to find this newborn baby so that he could kill him. As a result many babies died. God sent an angel to visit the holy family and warns them to flee their country and to make their way to Egypt. I vividly remember receiving a call from my Mother and she was very upset that a pastor friend of mine had preached a sermon in the church where one of her best friends was a member. Her best friend reported to my mother that her pastor had preached a sermon in which he called Joseph, Mary and Jesus, undocumented aliens. This did not sit well with Mom's friend and now, not with Mom either. I laughed and said that my friend was right. In today's terms, the holy family fled their country, and crossed the borders of another nation to seek safety for their baby, and so, yes, they were very much aliens in that regard. While we might choose a better term, like immigrants, the shock of some towards those within their country regardless of the reason, upsets some. To be fair, we don't read about the reaction of the Egyptians to the presence within their borders of the holy family.
The passage shares how Herod's anger did lead the murder of boys two years and younger, for Herod meant business and wanted no threat from a future king. Herod, like most monarchs, wanted his heir to hold the throne, and not some newborn baby outside the family. Matthew records this as fulfillment of prophecy of Old Testament prophecy; "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." This, dear friends, was indeed, the dark side of Christmas. It seems when humans enter the divine equation, there are marks and stains, even shed blood, on what God would deem sacred and essential for the overall good. Soon, the family is visited again by an angel who shares that Herod had died and informs Joseph to take his family back to Israel. Joseph learns that Herod's son, Archelaus, was ruling, and so takes the family to Galilee, and within that district, they settle in Nazareth and fulfilled prophecy again, that the Messiah would be a Nazarene.
So, like happens in some families, once the tinsel, the wrapping, and gifts are distributed, there can, and sometimes is, drama. Some actually flee to "Egypt" for safety rather than face the drama at home. One of the movies of this season is called Four Christmases, and focuses on an unmarried couple who prefer lying to their families about their plans for the holidays saying they are going to some tropical island to inoculate kids, etc., and one December, a heavy fog rolls in and they are featured on the local news as having had their plans cancelled due to weather, and so they must travel to be with four families. Four because both parents on each side, had divorced and remarried, and so the couple must go and see all four families. It's an intense movie. Yet, it is not as intense as the drama that took place in Israel because of one birth. What does remain is God's intent for this season to be true to its purpose; of receiving among us, that which God has prepared for us.
PRAYER: Loving Father of us all, You know no boundaries for Your protection and love for us. Our prayer is that You would help us expand our boundaries of our love for all. We respect life for all people regardless of anything else; we seek to be just like You in having unconditional agape love. In Christ Jesus we pray, amen.
Have a great and blessed day in the Lord. YOUR CALL TO ACTION: Enjoy each last day of this year to better prepare for the New Year. Be a model of love and compassion!
Receive my blessings of love and peace,
Pastor Eradio Valverde, Jr.
