Matthew 2:19-21, The Return to Nazareth

Text

19 But when Herod died, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt,20 saying, “Rise, take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel, for those who sought the child's life are dead.” 21 And he rose and took the child and his mother and went to the land of Israel.

Comments

Matthew seems to leave out important details that we want to know. How many years was this young family in Egypt? Where did they live? Did they feel safe there? Were the Egyptians kind to them?

The main point Matthew makes is that God is in the directing business with Joseph being the actor who needs the most help! He shares two dreams with Joseph to go to and then return from Egypt. He also transitions us to Galilee, where Jesus spent most of his life and ministry.

Application/Reflection

Moving can be disconcerting. Between 1997 and 2002, my family lived in eight different houses as I trained for and began fulltime ministry. In Brownsville in August 2000, seeing that all four family members needed friends, my wife, Stephanie, looked in the directory of our children’s new school, found a family who had a girl in our daughter’s class and a boy in our son’s class, and invited them over to our house, saying, “We need friends!”

We became life-long friends, thanks to Stephanie reaching out in vulnerability and taking a chance. I cannot help but imagine that Mary and Joseph needed friends as well with their move from Nazareth to Bethlehem to Egypt and back to Nazareth. Do you keep your eye out for people in similar situations? Ask the Lord to use you as a friend.

Prayer

Lord God, help me to keep my eyes open for people who have had to move about for various reasons. Let me become a friend to them and serve them in their need for connection. Let me reveal your love for them through this act of service as you equip me with your Spirit to love them for the sake of Jesus. Amen.