Saturday 16th January Matthew 2: 13-15 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.” So he got up, took the child and his mother during the night and left for Egypt, 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.”
According to this narrative, Jesus, Mary and Joseph went through a period of being – like tens of millions today – ‘displaced persons’. Joseph was the one taking instructions on how to respond as events unfolded. We could say that each move was a leap in the dark – but of course none of the messages was anything like the first utterly unique and earth-shattering announcement that the spirit of God had intervened in Mary’s life. Some of us may know people with family responsibility today who admit that, in a rapidly changing society, they never know ‘what’s round the corner’. Joseph’s willingness to ‘fly blind’ under heaven’s bidding could provide a model for them.
We see that on a number of occasions, angels direct Joseph in his dreams. But we also find that he uses his own common sense! He is cautious that the son of Herod will be as bad as the father and so takes precautions. Joseph is a model of protection and devotion as a husband and a father. Lord, may I be as caring of others as he.
Like any newly-married couple, Mary and Joseph had their dreams and hopes. He was a skilled carpenter, so their future seems secure. Suddenly everything falls apart – the birth in a stable, the flight into Egypt, the long wait till they could return to Galilee. But in all the mess they stay faithful to one another, and they rear the Son of God. Is there a lesson for us midst the continuing pandemic, as to how we remain faithful midst the current uncertainty.
A Prayer: We pray for your love and compassion to abound as we walk through this challenging season. We ask for wisdom for those who bear the load of making decisions with widespread consequences. We pray for those who are suffering with sickness and all who are caring for them. We ask for protection for the elderly and vulnerable to not succumb to the risks of the virus. We pray for misinformation to be curbed that fear may take no hold in hearts and minds. As we exercise the good sense that you in your mercy provide, may we also approach each day in faith and peace, trusting in the truth of your goodness towards us. Amen
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