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Scripture Text (NRSV)

 

Matthew 2:13-23

 

2:13 Now after they had left, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, "Get up, 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."

2:14 Then Joseph got up, took the child and his mother by night, and went to Egypt,

2:15 and remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet, "Out of Egypt I have called my son."

2:16 When Herod saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, he was infuriated, and he sent and killed all the children in and around Bethlehem who were two years old or under, according to the time that he had learned from the wise men.

2:17 Then was fulfilled what had been spoken through the prophet Jeremiah:

2:18 "A voice was heard in Ramah, wailing and loud lamentation, Rachel weeping for her children; she refused to be consoled, because they are no more."

2:19 When Herod died, an angel of the Lord suddenly appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt and said,

2:20 "Get up, take the child and his mother, and go to the land of Israel, for those who were seeking the child's life are dead."

2:21 Then Joseph got up, took the child and his mother, and went to the land of Israel.

2:22 But when he heard that Archelaus was ruling over Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. And after being warned in a dream, he went away to the district of Galilee.

2:23 There he made his home in a town called Nazareth, so that what had been spoken through the prophets might be fulfilled, "He will be called a Nazorean."

 

Comments:

The reading for Sunday brings us face to face with the kinds of struggles we've seen in the modern-day Middle East.

I have a question. Did Herod's rule extend to Nazareth, the home town of Joseph? Would not Jesus have been safe had Joseph & Mary just returned to Nazareth?


I understand wanting to bypass the darkness to go to a happier text, but I think we do our folk a disservice if we do that. Many of us still walk in personal darkness. I think this is a good time to talk about the eschatological hope we have through Jesus. The freedom he gives us comes at enormous cost.

Sybil in KS


First request for help: anyone have a "dialogue" elaborating on the Lord's Prayer? Would be done by youth. I've seen it somewhere but don't have a copy. For preaching, thinking about the dreams of Joseph and our good, useful, God-inspired dream for a new year that remains--in spite of evidence to the contrary--full of promise. Peter in WI


I'm a desperate preacher that has only been reading this site. Thank you all for your contributions - this offers better homiletical material than any commentary out there. Concerning the question of why Joseph moved south and not back to Nazareth, it seems to me they wanted to go where they would least likely be pursued. The tie in with Afghani refugees (or any refugee) seems appropriate Craig - in relatively warm south FL


I'm by-passing it, less because of its "darkness" than because I don't want to frighten the children! I could preach a pretty good sermon on, "Where is our faith when the news ain't so good?" (after all, look at the praise in the Psalm) and angle towards "God's will WILL be done, regardless." The thing is, I'm mindful that "children overhear the Gospel" (Craddock) and I'm apprehensive about scaring them, and presenting a message, however true it may be, that innocent children will sometimes be murdered by the hands of someone who doesn't want God's will done. Children in other countries have lived with similar fears; stepping on landmines, being separated from parents ... I don't know if I could do it without running the danger of a child thinking I was laying on a guilt trip (as in, "Children in Africa are starving, so eat your dinner") or getting frightened. A clergybrother once told of his 4- or 5-year-old daughter having nightmres and, when they researched into it, their Sunday school had taught them of the murder of the innocents. In our small church, where children are in the regular worship service, I'm not touching it - call me chicken, wimpy, or whatever, but we can't control or even guess what children will pick up, and I don't think children under about 10 need to hear something that might frighten them (especially after 9/11).

Sally in GA


Unrelated, but I'd like to know for sure:

Since Epiphany falls ON the Sunday, do we still light the Advent and Christ candles? I'm thinking we do, because they'd be lit up until Epiphany Sunday, anyhow, right? but I've got a woman (the one in charge of it, unfortunately) who's kind of uptight about being "proper" with candles and things like that and she says "no." Of course, she's also got the acolytes holding their holders upside-down, and is far from omniscient. I'm not about to get into a power struggle over CANDLES, but I'd like to know for sure.

Sally in GA


I am planning a 'pack the church' Sunday evangelism event at my church this weekend and I find this text a bit troubling to work with. I don't want to compromise the text in any way, but I also want the guests and visitors to hear the Good News of the Gospel. So far, I feel that Joseph and Mary's journey to Egypt can be of some help. Joseph and Mary are filled with fear so they run and they hide. Think of all the things we fear, and how sometimes we run and hide. But the Good News for Mary and Joseph and for us is that 'God is with us' - Emmanuel. I might try to work with the fear, the running, and the hiding motif and see if I might be able to explore some of the reasons why we run from church. Many of my visitors and guests will be people who are not believers, who have left the church for numerous reasons, or have been in the church for a long time but are fearful,running and hiding from God and are not even aware of it. Well, this is a thought in process, but if this speaks to any one's heart please help me build this idea. If you have any good examples of what people fear, and why people run or hide, please let me know.

Vicar John in Chicago


Like many of you, I am troubled by the section of this text that tells of Herod's massacre of the innocents--mostly because of the presence of children, including my 6-yr-old daughter and 10-yr-old son, in worship this Sunday. So I've decided to excise vs. 16-18 and stitch together 13-15 and 19-23.

The title of my sermon is "Dreams and Journeys," and I want to explore the symbiosis in Matthew 1:18 - 2:23 between dreams and texts. Borrowing from Reinhold Niebuhr: The revelation given in dreams is "confirmed and clarified" by the revelation given in scripture (in Matt esp, the fulfillment of prophecy).

Joseph's dreams lead him on quite a journey: changing his resolve to quietly divorce his pregnant fiancee/wife; fleeing with his wife and child into Egypt; returning to Israel and deciding to relocate to Nazareth of Galilee.

The dream of the Magi leads them on a journey away from Herod, buying time for the Holy Family to escape to safety in Egypt.

The next step is to make what my 6-yr-old daughter (quoting her first-grade teacher) refers to as the "text-to-self connection." Given today's variety of approaches to dream interpretation, what journey might our dreams lead us on?

Doug in DC


I have been a long time reader, an finally have the courage to make a contribution. As I read this text, I do not see the dark side, I see the guidance of God. Even before I read the lectionary text, I had the words, "just do it!" (thank you Nike) on my mind. What better words could describe what Joseph did. Certainly he didn't know all of the reason or the future, he just did what he was instructed to do. I am not promoting a mindless faith, but sometimes we get so theological and intellectual that we forget that God wants us to "just do it!" No but, no what ifs,etc. "just do it!"

joy in me


Well, how about this for good news? Matthew is very intentional about making parallels between Moses and Jesus. Going to Egypt, being called out of Egypt after the death of Pharoah/Herod, going out to the wilderness for testing, going through the water of baptism/Red Sea. Delivering the sermon on the MOUNT. All of these and more are carefully planned to show Jesus as the new Moses. There's a lot of good news there, but I'm not sure how to preach it to people who aren't too interested in Moses or the exodus. Larry cny


How about "Leftovers" for this passage? The leftovers of Christmas -- not always so nifty to deal with, versus the leftovers of the massacre of the children -- Jesus, the leftover who helps us deal with the other leftovers...To me, it's one way to deal with the realities of the Middle Eastern situation. Despite the late date, just starting to mull. CE in CO


I have to admit that I don't particularly like to preach the story of the Holy Innocents, either, but I'm not sure we do our kids (or their parents) any favors by cutting out the "objectionable" parts of Scripture. If we do that, we're making the same mistake as Marcion, who tried to do it in the 4th Century, or Thomas Jefferson, who did it in 18th Century -- we end up distorting what Scripture says about God.

I think the Reflections on this passage in the New Interpreter's Bible are helpful, pointing out that this is a "confessonal" story, not an "objective reporter" story. As a "confessional" story, it need not be considered literally factual -- it can be exegeted as one of what my daughter calls "the fairy tale elements" of Scripture. I think our kids understand that fairy tales are both false (i.e., non-factual) and true (i.e., they reveal something about reality) and can accept that Scripture contains such elements. Matthew is telling a "story" about Jesus that communicates a truth about him and about his relationship with God -- it contains fairy tale elements for which there is no objective reportorial evidence. Although it would not have been out of character for Herod to have ordered the slaughter of babies and toddlers, there's no record of such an event actually taking place in Bethlehem during his reign. Matthew has either written down an oral-tradition legend, or more likely, made up the story to "show" his thesis of parallels between Jesus and Moses (Herod=Pharoah, Holy-Innocents = Baby-boys-thrown-in-the-river, that sort of thing).

Anyway, I'm going to leave the passage as is and work with it ... I thought I was going to be spared that, as I had arranged for a guest preacher for this Sunday, but she "pooped out" on me! Darn!

Blessings, Eric in KS


Because the "Flight" (2.13-23) follows the visit of the Magi in the MAtthew account (2.1-12), I am skipping this and doing it in biblical order (not as the in lectionary). Wonder why these pericopes are reversed this way?

Mike in IN


Because of this pericope containing a great account of God's faithfulness, and getting the job done despite an enemy's best efforts to thwart it, I'm going to refer to Herod and his successor's actions within another context. I'll even quote vv 13 & 19. While I appreciate that we can "protect" children to the point of heresy, I don't know that this story, read from the pulpit, won't frighten one of the younger ones. It's best dealt with in Sunday school before they learn it in church, and in an age-appropriate manner.

to the Vicar with a "pack the church" Sunday -- I'm sure you know that one of the doubts or questions many seekers have are centered particularly around concerns such as "If God is all-powerful, why didn't he just make Herod stop?" and a question about the prophesy "Rachel weeping for her children ..." as part of God's WILL. May be an opportunity to address these things right off the bat, if you can do it without "using" the text.

Sally in gA


Herod sends his army into Bethlehem, killing many innocent children in search of one "enemy" whom he never finds. Perhaps families fled Bethlehem, in search of refuge elsewhere. If Herod were to have been approached about the innocent lives lost (as if he really cared), what would he have said about them? "Colateral damage"? MTSOfan


Is anyone able to answer Salley's question about the candles? I have the same concern. This is my first year as a pastor and I don't know whether to keep the advent wreath up and lit for two more Sundays or not. I am in the United Methodist tradition (if that makes any difference?!)

I also have a thought about the scripture. I am going to preach on family's and our expectations for a "Hallmark greeting card - family" in relation to the perfect holy family who had so many problems: pregnant out of wedlock, threat of divorce, homelessness, threat of violence, fear and running away in the middle of the night etc. ... not so different than some of our experiences ... But God is the one that makes the difference ... etc. still developing it. Very Green in Maine


I'm thinking along Martin Luther King Jr. lines- God has a dream, a dream for you. This connects the for- you-ness of Jesus as Emmanuel with the impetus to action we find in the numerous dreams of this pericope. We face the 'Osama Bin-Herod' situation of wondering where the sword will strike next, even from out of a shoe!!!! Many around us feel the fear that Joseph felt, and this is a way to put a positive spin on it. I'm considering showing a video clip of MLK to kick the message off.

Pastor Steve in BC, Canada


Is any one thinking about tying this passage in with the cultural phenomenon "The Lord of the Rings"? There is an evil force seeking the one to rule them all, and this evil force kills the innocent while a small band does what is necessary to protect and fulfill the destiny of the one. Just thinking out loud. OLAS


To the question, "Why flee to Egypt rather than Nazareth." ---

Larry cny and Eric in KS, I think, get to the heart of the matter. Matthew himself points to the fact that this is a theological move, not a practical one.

Also, according to Matthew, it would not be accurate to speak of returning to Nazareth. According to Matthew, Joseph and Mary lived in Bethlehem before the birth. Only moved to Nazareth after Egypt. It is Luke who says they lived in Nazareth and travelled to Bethlehem for the census.

And to the question of candles. I have never seen advice from ANY denominational tradition (and specifically not UMC) to suggest the Christ Candle should be taken out before Epiphany, the culmination feast of the Christmas season.

Any attempt to bring Christmas to a close before January 6 is a secular influence, conflicting with both traditional and bliblical concepts of what the season is about. Light them and shine them bright!!!

pHil


In regard to the candles one is ligted the First Sunday of Advent, and each Sunday following the Christ Candle would be lit this Sunday since this is the first Sunday since Christmas Day. The Advent Wreath is supposed to be removed on Epiphany Sunday and replaced with the Nativity Scene which should remain until Transfiguration Sunday. If you need proof this is found on page 262 in The United Methodist Book of Worship. I plan to preach the Matthew passage but from the stand point that Jospeh and Mary had to start new beginings they had to start over in Egypt and once again in Nazareth but God was in the center of their new beginnings and he should be in the center of ours. Kathy in NC


I am focusing on the vulnerability of God and relating it to the concept of Jesus being able to sympathize with us (Heb 4). Title: When God Ran

BTW, I wonder if those who have the courage to censor God's word as an attempt to protect children also have the courage to use their position to preach against the much more graphic violence found on tv and in video games. If you really want to make a difference in kid's lives, edit Saturday morning cartoons, not Sunday morning Scripture!

Sam in Ga.


Thank you Sally for your input. You're are totally correct on assuming that seekers will ask the question "why didn't God just stop Herod." I might talk a little about the gift of free will. I am also trying to develop my fear, run, and hide motif. It seems to me that Jospeh and Mary characterize the ideal, in the sense that they both follow God's will and go to Egypt. But what about the ones who run to Herod (who represents in the story the life-taking character). Many people seeking God today have run to the wrong god before they came to the Christ (alcohol, greed, etc.) But because of Joseph and Mary's faithfulness they received Grace and life in their new born Son. I'm not there yet, but would appreciate more input on this text. Vicar John in Chicago


(Thanks for all your previous comments - this was written ten days ago, but I couldn't upload it for some reason. Blessings to all)

Writing from Australia, this text is a poignant reminder that the Kingdom of God, (and indeed the people of faith) sometimes have to flee, or fly in the face of the governmental authorities that would persecute and kill them.

Some would dispute the historicity of the flight to Egypt. Either way, it's a powerful story of the status of Jesus as a refugee, a stranger in this world, one who challenges authority.

What do I do, as a person of faith, living in a country run by a government that recently won election by running a horrific scare campaign about the dangers of refugee boat people coming to our shores. A government that locks up everyone who would seek asylum in my country, locks them up in ghastly concentration camps in the middle of our most inhospitable and arid regions.

What do I do? And how do I preach on this text, given that I feel so strongly about this issue, without making the issue the gospel. James 1:27 is one of the key texts of my life, but as my wife reminds me, saving refugees, treating them humanely is not the sum total of the gospel.

I'm thinking of heading towards hospitality, exploring the christian history and understanding of this as a faith practice for us as a community. I'd love to hear other people's thoughts on this... particularly from Australia, but also from others across the world.

Grace and blessings to you all at this time. Luke


About the Wreath issue...

The tradition we follow (common in a lot of Episcopal Churches) is to change the colored candles to white (natural) on Christmas Eve and light the four and the central white "Christ" candle beginning at the Christmas Eve services; all five are lighted through the 12th Day of Christmas, i.e., the Feast of the Epiphany, Jan. 6. Then on the evening of Epiphany, burn the natural decorations (trees, wreaths, etc.) We've not had a Christmas Tree burning at my parish for many years because of dry conditions and we probably won't again this year. I miss it - it was a fun way to end the season. At my high school (an Episcopal private school), we had a community-wide Christmas Tree buring on Epiphany night.

Blessings, Eric in KS


Thank you Sam in GA for sharing about this passage. We preachers need to ask God to place within us the courage to preach the word of God and then allow Him to work in the hearts and lives of the people. It we do not preach the Gospel on the whole, then we are doing the people a disservice, by not feeding them the bread of life. The children need to know what is in the Book too! TF in GA


I too, worry about the exposure of children to too much violence. It would seem that they are filled with anxiety regarding the Sept 11 events. Perhaps this is an opportunity to help them know that God is in control and was going to save us eternally, no matter what evil others may do. Once following a tornado in our town a father of one of my confirmands talked with me. He said that during the tornado his daughter felt no fear and he questioned her about it. She said that Pastor--- had told her that death can be a painful thing, but through it we go to a better place. The important thing is to keep trusting that God is in control in the end and God loves us. Like all of us children usually fear death. To cover it up does not help us deal with it. fisherfolk in OH


Kathy in NC. I like the idea of new beginnings. Perhaps if we focus less on the innocents and more on the actual events. New beginnings = new year = resolutions. What is the resolution that we make each year - perhaps the earlier contribution regarding NIKE can shed some light? Malia in CT


I have found the comments of Australian theologian Bill Loader helpful. Here is a part of what he has to say about this week's lesson:

"The narrative is packed with allusions. It can be quite enriching to explain to people today what these are. Better to take the risk of seeming too much to be a teacher and giver of information than simply to leave the story without helping people face its mythical quality. Otherwise, as so often when teaching fails, people will assume that, yes, this is supposed to be real history and their faith will just as unreal, uncritical and unconnected with the world in which we live.

"The answer is not to try to squeeze the essence out of the rich allusions of the text in the hope of producing some kind of statement of meaning reduced to words and definitions. These stories invite us to play, but we need to play them over into our own territory. To the sensitive imagination the threatened ruler absurdly massacring the helpless has allusions to events in our own age. Matthew, is, after all not telling us about the baby and not just telling us about the past history of the adult Jesus but also reflecting the pain which his own community has faced. This pain belongs in the Christmas season if Christ is not to be trivialised. We have our stories of infants stolen from their families."

You can read his whole essay at

http://wwwstaff.murdoch.edu.au/~loader/MtChristmas1.htm

Blessings, Eric in KS


Certainly, we are faced with a challenge as pastors for this Sunday with a poignant text that cuts to the heart and forces us to look at the lengths of violence our world uses to erradicate the one who threatens to bring real peace, real love. I too, had read the commentary from the New Interpreter's, and to some extent found it helpful in addressing the dilemma of a God who seemingly has little regard for suffering children. Yet I find its dismissal of the story through lack of historical evidence unsatisfying. Though this may well be true, we cannot deny the fact that the Bible is full of violent images-- the crucifixion of God's own Son to take the most obvious example. (I remember distinctly how striking it was to hear children singing the song in our church "From the manger to the cross" in tones like a lullaby.) We, as a church, need to address and not deny these images are real lest we lose all credibility as proclaimers of "the truth". This text is difficult, and part of what makes it difficult is that it forces us to deal with the concept of evil. And let's not forget that Herod did not act alone. He had many hired men (and women?) to do his dirty work of killing babies-- good people just trying to put food on their tables for their family-- people just obeying the law. Once we personalize Herod things get more complex. How does Herod play out in all of us? How do we worship the status quo? How do we "just do our job" without looking at what is happening around us? How many babies die each day for lack of food that we could prevent if we really cared? How many children die is sweat factories to make our Nikes? Someone once said to me that they never asked God why there were so many starving people in the world because they feared God might ask them the same question. We can not dismiss this text or make it into something more palitable. This is the Gospel. Let's deal with it.

ML from Salinas, CA


Hello, friends, exciting stuff really it is. Lord of the Rings, yes, even the Harry Potter popularity is pale in comparison to what we have here. But often this is avoided, too embarrasing even scandelous.

I will make reference to the warnings of danger withour dwelling on the massacre.

The magi are exciting. Magic right here in the gospel. Not only are they gentiles, astrologers and strangers who find the chirst child, God is speaking to them in dreams too. wow!

Manzel


the reason the second half of the story is first is to put the magi in the season of epiphany while treating the danger as part of the Christmas story

Manzel


Jesus the multi-national.

Egyptian cultural influence is an exciting thing unless one is trying to pretend that Jesus had no cultrural influences.

Joseph being a craftsman who spent 3 years in Egypt must have been in great demand as the Roman City of Sephorous was being built only 4 miles from Nazereth. In all likelihood Jesus was exposed to all kinds of social differences and social conflicts before he was even 10. What a great preperation for the prince of peace. Manzel


I am not sure anyone would be interested in a dialogue over the verses preceding this lectionary passage other than myself. I am looking at the sermon title, "Dreams That Redirect." Intersecting the dreams of Joseph, we find a dream sent to redirect the Wisemen's journey. I am curious about the times both ancient and present that God sends a dream that redirects our paths. Any thoughts? TN Mack


In our DISCIPLE II bible study last night, a member of the class mentioned his discomfort with the fact that in the Exodus story, the Angel of Death killed all the firstborn of the Egyptians and that Pharoah and his entire army were killed when God let the "waters back upon the Egyptians, upon their chariots and chariot drivers." It is difficult for him to understand a God of love in the midst of such devastation.

In the story of Jesus, Joseph and Mary fleeing to Egypt, we again hear of rampant killing of children. It is difficult for us to understand - fantasy (as one contributer puts it) or fact. In the midst of what we are living today, how can we not believe that Herod (we've read and heard the stories of this Herod and his lust for blood) could proscribe such an act? Someone had it right - Osoma-bin-Herod. Osama-bin-Ladin killed thousands for his cause and it probably didn't turn a hair on his head.

But the Jesus whose birth we just celebrated tells us that God has numbered the hairs on our heads and we are precious to God. Back to the DISCIPLE class, in our video presentation, there ws a dialogue between Rabbi Stephen Fuchs, and Rev. William Willimon and they mentioned the death of Pharoah and his army. Rabbi Fuchs said there was a Midrash regarding that story and that the angels were rejoicing at Pharoah and his army dying. But God made them be quiet as tears streamed down God's face and God said, "They, too, are my creatures." The first one to shed tears at the death of any of God's children - innocents or not - is God.

The reality of it is that our lives are full of violence - we are just living it more closely these days. May God be with all of us as we share the Gospel this week. Let God speak and our message will come forth loud and clear. We serve a God of love and grace in the midst of uncertainty and war.

Betty in Upstate NY


Betty in Upstate NY -- thanks for the Red Sea midrash -- it's a very powerful story and could be easily applied to this Gospel lesson.

Blessings, Eric in KS


Getting a little ahead of myself but I just finished running this weeks bullitins. I asked everyone to write their New Years resolutions down and seal them in an envelope and write their nems on the envelope. At the close of the service we will lay them on the altar. I'll collect them put them in a minila envelope and seal them up until next year and we will thwn pass them out and see how we did. I suggested such things as better church attendence, inviting people to church, more attentive to their spouse and children, reading the Bible through in a year Etc. I'm going to use Robert Frost's Poem "Stopping in the woods on a snowy eve"

Harold in Alabama


Vicar John in Chicago - be careful to distinguish between running from real danger, and running from (avoiding) something good. Joseph's fear was justified. He was protecting his family... and God was leading him to safety. DGinNYC


This text has just exhausted me. I am still struggling on a theme. I've listened to the advice of a few of you in here and I think I would be doing a diservice to the text if I went with the running and hiding motif. Sally in GA was right, many people are going to ask the question, "why didn't God stop Herod?" The question that keeps dancing in my head as a sermon title might be "Why does God let bad things happen?" Why did God let innocent children die? Why didn't God tell all parents to run to Egypt? The truth is that I'm not sure, and I imagine people in the pew wonder why as well. All of us have witnessed the 'unfair' reality of Sept 11. Can anything make sense of violent events. Of course, there are many attempts at justifying: God doesn't cause evil, but humans do. This seems logical enough, but it doesn't give an answer for an indiscriminate tornado, or the child sick with AIDS. Many people wonder why there's so much evil in this world, and as a preacher sometimes we have to wrestle with the tough questions, otherwise we fail our congregations. Well, I'll keep at it. God bless! Vicar John in Chicagodear friends, g'day Luke this is from another Australian who is struggling with the present Federal Government's actions against refugees, especially those from the middle East - if you are white South African or from Zambia that is OK but don't be swarthy! Back to the scripture - we have to be true to the story - Jesus entering our world was not all sweetness and light - you Americans use too much corn syrup - the reality is that Jesus causes a reaction - the Hymn in John's Gospel said it "the world did not recognise him". Jesus comes into the world and creates a reaction by evil - I am thinking of referring to the reaction of Herod - "the Government" and suggesting a simmilar reation in Australia is an act of Evil - Like my brother Luke I may find there a lot of protest from the frightened and comfortable white congregation ! Blessings Koala George


On the question of it seeming to be unfair that Jesus escaped while all the other baby boys in Bethlehem died, remember that Jesus was spared at this time precisely so that he could die later, at the hands of Herod II. He died for all those slaughtered babies, and for the soldiers who slaughtered them, and for Herod both I and II, and for Pilate, and for you and for me. -- Mike in Maryland


It was to fulfill what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet. The text tells us why they fled to Egypt and why they came back. What can we point at in our congregations that we could say, this happened to fulfill God's will for us? BD in Chicago


The questions is not so much "why" as where is the point of identity... One of my elders said, in reflecting on the September 11 and anthrax attacks, that this was the first time in his life he felt that someone out there wanted him dead. (I quickly pointed out that he must not have teenagers...) But even Jesus had to live in a world where his life was in real danger. God became part of this world in order to redeem it... not by forcing good behavior, but by becoming one of us and leading us in a different way.

We don't have a full sermon this week. We're also singing carols. I think we all need a break!

God's blessings. DGinNYC


I don't believe it to be either Marcionite nor Jacksonian to leave out verses 16-18. That still leaves the threat of Herod in v.13, but spares the tender ones of any age from the graphic details. I would also leave out the 1st 5 words of v.13, beginning with "an angel of the Lord appeared..."

It all depends on what message you want to preach. If you want to talk about "Osama-bin-Herod" and how the human solution to problems is often "kill them all, let God sort 'em out". then you need to leave the violence in. It is not gratuitous. If you want to preach on God's guidance of Joseph, or Joseph's trusting response to God, then get them to Egypt and back again. It doesn't matter what happened in Bethlehem in the mean time.

On the candle issue- I unwittingly chose fast burning purple candles (they were on sale) and Advent 1 burned down to vapors in the holder on Advent 4 Sunday. So I am, as Eric advised, replacing them all with white candles. On the other hand, I like the idea of replacing the wreath with a nativity scene. I somehow failed to commit to memory page 262 of my UMBOW. Maybe I'll put the shepherds in this Sunday and add the Magi next week. tom in TN(USA)


Next week is Epiphany. Following the example of the Magi we, being wise folks, will come to worship the newborn king bringing a little something to help mother and child. We will have a baby shower for Jesus (Seems like the only one we didn't get a Christmas gift for!) I'll remind the congregation tomorrow that while they are out returning gifts this week to remember the one name left on their list and buy a baby gift. We will bring diapers, lotion, powder, outfits (especially premie size) and other baby essentials (no myrrh, please). These will be donated to Miriam's Promise, our conference's Crisis Pregnancy and Adoption Service.

This week I will preach on Joseph and all he gave up to take care of Mary and Jesus. First it was the untimely pregnancy, of someone else's child, and now the upheaval and removal to a foreign land. Do you think he trudged all the way to Egypt muttering, "What next, God? I had all these plans..."

There is a song on the Country stations by Brad Paisley, "He Didn't Have To Be", about his Step-father. He recounts how taking on a wife who already has a child is a job many men wouldn't want, but being that child, his life was changed by a man willing to be the dad "He Didn't Have To Be". No doubt Jesus was shaped by spending much time in prayer with his Heavenly Father, but his earthly dad must also have formed his character somewhat. What of Joseph can we see in Jesus? We can also change the world through the shaping of children by fostering, adopting, mentoring, or by supporting those who do. Maybe God needs your help raising some child to do great things. How much are you willing to give up to help God raise his children? And so on...enuf for now. tom in TN(USA)


Tom in TN wrote: "So I am, as Eric advised, replacing them all with white candles. On the other hand, I like the idea of replacing the wreath with a nativity scene. I somehow failed to commit to memory page 262 of my UMBOW. Maybe I'll put the shepherds in this Sunday and add the Magi next week."

I get around this whole thing by having both the creche and the wreath from Christmas Eve on... At our Children's Eucharist early Christmas Eve, the kids and I set up the Creche and talk about the significance of each of the figures ... The Baby Jesus figure is not put in (the kids understand that he won't be "born" until "tomorrow") and the Magi figures we put on a table in the Narthex. Over the next 12 days, I move them to window sills and other places each day as they make their way to the Stable. Then on Epiphany, they arrive; I think it's neat that Epiphany falls on a Sunday this year as I can talk about their arrival with the kids that morning. The Baby Jesus, btw, I put into the Creche at the conclusion of the Midnight Mass and the congregation sings "Silent Night".... this is a tradition many years' in this parish and the last one I served. A bit sentimental, but Hey! It's Christmas!

Blessings, Eric in KS

PS -- I think Tom makes valid points about excising vv. 16-18, but I still wouldn't do it. I don't like it when the lectionary editors leave verses out, unless there are very good literary-critical reasons for doing so - obvious copyist errors, that sort of thing -- and frequently will include those glossed over verses. I guess if I was really pressed to defend my position I would argue that Scripture is a "whole" and we need to read it and exegete it that way, not pick and choose the bits we are comfortable with. . DGinNYC


I'm not a big fan of Bishop John Shelby Spong, but this comment about Matthew's Gospel is, perhaps, helpful...

"When Matthew began to tell his story to his Jewish audience he chronicled a similar account about Jesus' birth (Matt. 2:16ff). Once again a powerful king posed a threat to the Jewish male babies. Herod, having been deceived by the wise men, sent his soldiers to Bethlehem with orders to slay every Jewish boy under two years of age. (They are known in the Christian tradition as "The Holy Innocents.") Once again the child of promise was spared. The holy family fled to Egypt. No Jewish reader failed to hear Matthew's real point, which was not that such an event literally occurred, but rather that this child was a new Moses whose birth occasioned the retelling of a Moses story." This Hebrew Lord by John Shelby Spong

Blessings, Eric in KS


Sally in GA- I ma lighting all the Advent Candles AND the Christ candle and will until epiphany, when the Christmas Season is over

rokinrev in CNY


This is from Dan Christ, Chaplain at Bethany Home in Alexandria, MN. When I read that joke last week, I recalled it and decided that it would make a great introduction to my message. Thanks!

Merry Christmas to you on the First Sunday after the Nativity of our Lord and the 5th day of Christmas.

It was the day after Christmas at a church in San Francisco. The pastor of the church was looking over the cradle when he noticed that the baby IHS was missing from among the figures. Immediately he turned & went outside &saw a little boy with a red wagon, & In wagon was the figure of the little infant, IHS. So he walked up to the boy &said, "Well, where did you get Him, my fine friend?" The little boy replied, "I got him from the church." "why did you take him?" The boy said, "Well, about a week before Christmas I prayed to the little Lord IHS &I told him if he would bring me a red wagon for Christmas I would give him a ride around the block in it.

Well it is the Sunday after Christmas and we ask, Where are you giving the Christ Child?

Today we heard a story about the Holy Family fleeing to Egypt. Mary had given Jesus a ride around in her womb for nine months. Joseph carried the infant Jesus and the Blessed Mother to Egypt. And then after that he carried the Christ child back to Nazareth.

Where will you carry Christ?

Let me tell you the story of Emma who is a resident out in a Good Samaritan Home in North Dakota. Emma had been at the Good Samaritan Home for four and half years. She could recite poetry that she had learnt as a child out on the plains in the one room school house. She got around pretty well in her wheelchair for her age of 93. Her two sons came back to see her from Minneapolis and from California usually around Christmas. Her daughter was about 40 some miles away in Lisbon, N.D. the town made famous by Lawrence Welk. She was married to a farmer there and saw her mom Emma every week. Her daughter was in her sixties and so was her husband but they did what they could for Emma.

But often if was Emma who did for others. She like to wake her roommate up. She would ring a bell—not to get the attention of the nurses or aides, but to wake up her roommate. And Emma liked to do hand work –sometimes crocheting and sometimes knitting and most of the time keeping up her voluminous diary. She loved to keep a journal about her life and those of her kids and grand kids and great grand children. She liked to make u scrap books for the grandkids from the pictures she got from them as well as newspaper clippings that were current at the time of the grand children’s photo.

She saved all this stuff in her closet and would take it out to show her grandkids if they visited or the parents of the grandkids when they were there. She was what you would call a loving woman and her love was as I could discern because she was fully convinced that the Lord Jesus Christ loved her.

It was not at Christmas, but in March or April, when the winter is starting to get pretty old. When you live out on the prairie o N.D. by the end of March and into April, you have had enough of winter. Well, even so, Emma tried to be chipper and positive about life. When she’d wake up in the morning, she ring her bell for the roommate and then say, “This is the day the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it.”

Well it was not too long after that but Jennifer came into the room. Jennifer was the newest nurse aide at the facility and she was a sweet girl. Emma knew that Jennifer was a single mom with a little girl of her own at home. And although Jennifer was usually a ray of sunlight herself, Emma could see that the girl was looking pretty ragged and run down, if not discouraged.

Emma said, “Jennifer, you look kind of sad or tired. What’s the matter?” Jennifer said, “Oh, nothing. Everything is fine.” And after helping Emma and her roommate get up and get going Emma went on with her day and actitivies like chapel and knitting.

But along about 2:40 P.M. , Jennifer came back to see Emma who was alone in her room.

“You know, Emma, “ Jennifer said, “ You asked if there was something wrong earlier, I already punched out and your roommate is out, maybe you can give me some advice. Can you listen to my problem?”

So for the next fifteen or twenty minutes Jennifer talked to Emma about her problems with her daughter and her boyfriend who wanted to marry her and the man who was the father of her child(they were different men) and how much trouble she was having now with that man. “What should I do? Emma, “ Jennifer asked.

Emma was silent for a while and then she said, “Have you talked to the Lord about it?”

For the next ten minutes Emma told her about the Lord and how much guidance she had had through all her hardships and troubles. And she concluded, “Maybe we could seek the help from the Lord. Do you pray?”

Jennifer said, “I haven’t prayed since I was a little kid. Did you think it will help?”

Emma said, “ Well, it can’t hurt and I know t hat the Lord Jesus has seen me through every trouble and I’m still here. I’m a survivor.”

So Emma prayed as tears came down Jennifer’s cheeks and finally she concluded, “In Jesus’ Name Amen.” And Jennifer said, “amen, for me too, Lord.” And then turning to Emma, Jennifer said, “I think I know what I have to do but I’m sure glad that you helped and that you prayed with me.”

I tell you that story about Emma because that is how she carries the Christ Child around with her. If Joseph carried the Christ Child to Egypt and then to Nazareth, and the little boy in San Francisco carried him in his new red wagon, the question for us is: How do we carry Christ with us? How do we bear him to our neighbor so that he or she too may know the blessing and favor of the Lord?

Merry Christmas!!!


I have divided this lesson up into the three different "scenes" in the passage and will have the congregation sing a related hymn in between each portion. I am also having a Watchnight type of opening to the service--singing "O God, Our Help in Ages Past," with scripture passage or prayer in between each verse. Sharon in Bethlehem


Here I am at 11:02 p.m. on Saturday night just finishing my sermon for tomorrow (hacking and coughing and sneezing all along)... I don't really like it; I wish I had more time to work on it ... but here it is:

http://www.stfrancis-ks.org/subpages/asermons/xmas-1a-rcl-2001.htm

Blessings, Eric in KS