Matthew 2:19-23

"When Herod died, an angel of the Lord suddenly appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt and said, ‘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.’ Then Joseph got up, took the child and his mother, and went to the land of Israel. 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. 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’" (Matthew 2:19-23). 

Comment:

There is a very strong undercurrent in the Gospel of Matthew of the writer's eagerness to draw parallels between the ministry of Jesus and that of Moses. Thus it is only in Matthew that the family, after Jesus' birth, flee into Egypt to avoid the wrath of King Herod. Moses began his spiritual journey in Egypt, so Jesus must be made to go to Egypt so he can return as Moses did (albeit still a child). In Luke's version the family simply returns to their home in Nazareth, after presenting their child at the Temple in Jerusalem. 

In Matthew's version, Mary and Joseph did not live in Nazareth initially. They lived in Bethlehem, where the birth occurred. After being guided that it was safe to return to their own land, however, they decide that their former home, Bethlehem, is too close to Jerusalem for the child's safety, so they go instead to Nazareth, which is far to the north in Galilee. The saying "spoken by the prophets" cannot be found in the writings included in the Bible, although it may refer to Isaiah 11:1 ("a branch shall grow forth from the root of Jesse") since the words for 'Nazareth' and 'branch' are similar in Aramaic.

I think the idea to take from all of this is that fear can be a helpful tool on our spiritual path, if it is used properly and if we never forget that we are Truth and the fear is part of the illusion of mortal life. It is fear of Herod that motivates the family to flee to Egypt, and to move far from the king in Jerusalem when they return. That fear is supported—even created—by their spiritual guidance, symbolized by the two angels who are a part of the story. So long as we are here in human form, there are 'rules and regs' we must recognize and embrace so we can continue to grow, learn, and discover the Power within us.

Blessings!

Rev. Ed