First Sunday after Christmas – Dec. 28th, 2025

“Escape to Egypt” 

The readings for this Sunday are Isaiah 63:7-9; psalm 148, Hebrews 2:10-18, Matthew 2:13-23

Reflecting on the Christmas story, of Mary and Joseph and the babe lying in the manger as portrayed in our many renditions of the Christ’s child’s birth on Christmas, we can easily get caught up in the sentimentality of its telling and forget just how terrifying a time it was, not only for Mary and Joseph, but for all living under the tyranny of Herod at the time.  

The gospel reading for today shortly after the birth of the child and the visit of the Magi. Joseph warned in a dream to flee to Egypt, to escape the wrath of Herod who was searching for the child to destroy him’.  What an harrowing and frightening experience that must’ve been for them.  Herod threatened when the three wisemen coming to find the child born king of the Jews, so threatened by this, and the threat this child might be to his kingdom, Herod orders that every little child two or under in and around Bethlehem be killed, in what is referred to as the ‘slaughter of the innocents’.  A terrible act of tyranny and injustice against the weak and the vulnerable.  

Christ did not come into this world under the most idyllic circumstances, and we can’t forget that, for to do so is to relegate the Christmas story to sentimentalism, rather then it being the gift that it is.  And while we know that such power as Herod had still exists in parts of our world today, with many living with the fear and threat of tyranny.  We know however that as God was working in unbeknownst ways then, “ warning the three wisemen not to return to Herod and let him know about the child, and warning Joseph in a dream to flee to Egypt with the child and to stay there until it was safe to return”.  God continues to work in ways unbeknownst in the world today, that he might thwart the evil that is there to save us, just as he did in saving Jesus. 

We can’t always understand the things that happen in the world, why there is so much darkness, or why the innocent sometimes have to suffer such atrocities as with those who were killed at the hands of Herod.  There is no explanation to be given for it.  What we do know however is, in the midst of it all, our heavenly father was working to secure his greatest plan of redemption for us all, in the saving work of the Son, and because of that we know too, even in the darkest of times, there is hope, and in that there is peace to be had, peace in the greatest gift of all.  Jesus, Immanuel, “God with us”.  

May we always live in the hope of our God. 

Amen, God Bless.