In the world of today 3.5 million people seek for asylum. In addition
there are 25.9 million refugees and another 41.4 million displaced
persons (UNHCR). Some of those unfortunate people are accepted in
Australia.
 |
| Just one of the many, many camps of refugees |
Matthew (alone) records (chapter 2) that Jesus was in grave danger, and his family (Joseph, Mary and child), had to leave their country and cross into the neighbouring land for asylum. That escape happened at about the time foreign visitors had come to pay homage to the infant Jesus. Here is the record:
Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the reign of King Herod. About that time some wise men[a] from eastern lands arrived in Jerusalem, asking, “Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We saw his star as it rose,[b] and we have come to worship him .”
King Herod was deeply disturbed when he heard this, as was everyone in Jerusalem. He called a meeting of the leading priests and teachers of religious law and asked, “Where is the Messiah supposed to be born?”
“In Bethlehem in Judea,” they said, “for this is what the prophet wrote:
‘And you, O Bethlehem in the land of Judah,
are not least among the ruling cities[c] of Judah,
for a ruler will come from you
who will be the shepherd for my people Israel.’[d]”(1-6, NLT)
Herod secretly called in the wise men and asked them when they had first seen the star. He told them, “Go to Bethlehem and search carefully for the child. As soon as you find him, let me know. I want to go and worship him too.”
The wise men listened to what the king said and then left. And the star they had seen in the east went on ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. They were thrilled and excited to see the star (7-10, CEV).
On entering the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother; and they knelt down and paid him homage. Then, opening their treasure chests, they offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they left for their own country by another road (11-12, NRSV).
After they were gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying, “Get up! Take the child and his mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there until I tell you. For Herod is about to search for the child to kill him.” So he got up, took the child and his mother during the night, and escaped to Egypt. He stayed there until Herod’s death, so that what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet might be fulfilled: Out of Egypt I called my Son[e] (13-15, CSB).
Then Herod, when he saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, became furious, and he sent and killed all the male children in Bethlehem and in all that region who were two years old or under, according to the time that he had ascertained from the wise men. Then was fulfilled what was spoken by the prophet Jeremiah:
So he got up, took the child and his mother and went to the land of Israel. But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning in Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. Having been warned in a dream, he withdrew to the district of Galilee, and he went and lived in a town called Nazareth. So was fulfilled what was said through the prophets, that he would be called a Nazarene (21-23, NLT).
The "wise ones" (how many? males? from? transport?) travelled west towards the sea. They must have been from the eastern region (perceived as a threat to the Romans and their representatives in Judea). The travellers might be described as astronomers, but at that time astrologers and astronomers were not sharply distinguished. The King (Herod) held his Jerusalem throne at the pleasure of Rome. He has an unsavoury and bloodthirsty reputation and was not mourned at his death in 4 BCE.
The happy visitors from afar unintentionally brought grave danger upon Joseph's little family. The Magi responded to a dream warning and avoided further involvement in the evil which was lurking. They did leave a threat hanging over the hapless community. (I wonder if they had opportunity to pass on any warning?) Joseph responded to a dream and his family escaped in time. Like any little child, Jesus was depending on his parents for his survival. It would have been easier for the family to depart than it would for true locals. (Joseph had previous experience of dream communication.)
At the time of the Magi visit the family were in "the house". That may be a better location than was available for the birth (see Luke 2). That is unclear. Hopefully it indicates a measure of local acceptance of strangers.
Herod regularly "executed" relatives and those of prominence who displeased him. He would not hesitate to kill Bethlehem's little children, though he commanded others for his bloody work. They followed their orders. Such evil from the powerful was not unusual, though it would not commonly be actively visited on poor villagers. (I am unable to estimate the number of little boys destroyed - murdered by the ruler.)
How can this happen? Even today tragic reports come of both harsh neglect and active harm of people at risk, old and young. We are all too sadly aware of evil visited upon children by responsible people; of inhumanity shown (by males in most cases) to girls and boys, women and men. Alcohol and other drugs may be mentioned - are they excuses? What excuse can there be for greed and selfishness?
Would local people have wanted to shelter the little family from the action of their king? Perhaps. Even if so, the drastic extermination of "all male children" would have been overwhelming and irresistible. How much harm was (and is) visited upon people by those with power (weapons). Perhaps the two year age range of the victims reflects the time the travellers took to get to Jerusalem, with a margin. Herod was leaving nothing to chance (so he thought).
It must have been a relief for Joseph (and Mary) when they were absorbed into the community of Egypt. Maybe the treasures that had been given to Jesus helped them to make their escape and survive their exile. No doubt Joseph could and would use his skills to be the "bread-winner", even if their standard of living was reduced. (I wonder if Joseph thought they would be permanent residents of Egypt?)
Joseph's return with the family to their own country (and apparently to Bethlehem) seems oddly interrupted and diverted en route from Egypt. The ruling succession in Jerusalem was at first unclear. There were political complications to be determined by Augustus in Rome. Perhaps "those" who were malicious managed to retain influence after all. Young Archaelaus, if he knew of the "Bethlehem Rumour", must have been glad his father had decisively dealt with it. He himself took ruthless and savage action to retain power. He was made ethnarch over many of the Jews (in the south), but never achieved kingship. His regime was too much, even for Augustus!
We have two accounts of Jesus' infancy (Matthew and Luke). They have a little in common, including the connection to home in Nazareth as well as Bethlehem as birthplace for the one God sent to be Saviour of the world. Matthew's pericope ends with the family at Nazareth and Joseph passes from the New Testament stories.
When the years had passed Jesus would become known as "the Nazarene". Whilst for English readers no clear Old Testament reference underlies Matthew's comment on "Nazarene", it is plain in the New Testament that the (rather unlikely) label stuck firmly to the Christ (another topic).
What of that tragic bloodshed of "the innocents"? God surely cared for more than only Jesus and his adults. Did parents choose to ignore warnings? Even today, it can happen.
Matthew's use of the words from Jeremiah (31:15) is puzzling. In Jeremiah the sense is of future hope and the end of desolation. If that context is evoked here in this scene of unrelieved despair it could only relate to the ultimate saving work of the Christ.
I wonder if John knew of Matthew's account, for the two correspond in meaning:
Note: In 2018-2019 (for off-shore applicants) the Australian Government reported issuing 9,451 refugee visas and 7,661 Special Humanitarian visas and 1,650 permanent protection visas. I do not know how the UN categories compare with those of Australia. (In the same period, 75,656 such visa applications were received by Australia.) Australia was represented in the 2019 December UN Global Refugee Forum by two senior public servants but not at ministerial level. (To me, that seems unfortunate.)
Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the reign of King Herod. About that time some wise men[a] from eastern lands arrived in Jerusalem, asking, “Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We saw his star as it rose,[b] and we have come to worship him .”
King Herod was deeply disturbed when he heard this, as was everyone in Jerusalem. He called a meeting of the leading priests and teachers of religious law and asked, “Where is the Messiah supposed to be born?”
“In Bethlehem in Judea,” they said, “for this is what the prophet wrote:
‘And you, O Bethlehem in the land of Judah,
are not least among the ruling cities[c] of Judah,
for a ruler will come from you
who will be the shepherd for my people Israel.’[d]”(1-6, NLT)
Herod secretly called in the wise men and asked them when they had first seen the star. He told them, “Go to Bethlehem and search carefully for the child. As soon as you find him, let me know. I want to go and worship him too.”
The wise men listened to what the king said and then left. And the star they had seen in the east went on ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. They were thrilled and excited to see the star (7-10, CEV).
On entering the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother; and they knelt down and paid him homage. Then, opening their treasure chests, they offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they left for their own country by another road (11-12, NRSV).
After they were gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying, “Get up! Take the child and his mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there until I tell you. For Herod is about to search for the child to kill him.” So he got up, took the child and his mother during the night, and escaped to Egypt. He stayed there until Herod’s death, so that what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet might be fulfilled: Out of Egypt I called my Son[e] (13-15, CSB).
Then Herod, when he saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, became furious, and he sent and killed all the male children in Bethlehem and in all that region who were two years old or under, according to the time that he had ascertained from the wise men. Then was fulfilled what was spoken by the prophet Jeremiah:
“A voice was heard in Ramah,After Herod died, an angel of the Lord 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 trying to take the child’s life are dead” (19-20, NIV).
weeping and loud lamentation,
Rachel weeping for her children;
she refused to be comforted, because they are no more.” (16-18, ESV)
So he got up, took the child and his mother and went to the land of Israel. But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning in Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. Having been warned in a dream, he withdrew to the district of Galilee, and he went and lived in a town called Nazareth. So was fulfilled what was said through the prophets, that he would be called a Nazarene (21-23, NLT).
The "wise ones" (how many? males? from? transport?) travelled west towards the sea. They must have been from the eastern region (perceived as a threat to the Romans and their representatives in Judea). The travellers might be described as astronomers, but at that time astrologers and astronomers were not sharply distinguished. The King (Herod) held his Jerusalem throne at the pleasure of Rome. He has an unsavoury and bloodthirsty reputation and was not mourned at his death in 4 BCE.
The happy visitors from afar unintentionally brought grave danger upon Joseph's little family. The Magi responded to a dream warning and avoided further involvement in the evil which was lurking. They did leave a threat hanging over the hapless community. (I wonder if they had opportunity to pass on any warning?) Joseph responded to a dream and his family escaped in time. Like any little child, Jesus was depending on his parents for his survival. It would have been easier for the family to depart than it would for true locals. (Joseph had previous experience of dream communication.)
At the time of the Magi visit the family were in "the house". That may be a better location than was available for the birth (see Luke 2). That is unclear. Hopefully it indicates a measure of local acceptance of strangers.
Herod regularly "executed" relatives and those of prominence who displeased him. He would not hesitate to kill Bethlehem's little children, though he commanded others for his bloody work. They followed their orders. Such evil from the powerful was not unusual, though it would not commonly be actively visited on poor villagers. (I am unable to estimate the number of little boys destroyed - murdered by the ruler.)
How can this happen? Even today tragic reports come of both harsh neglect and active harm of people at risk, old and young. We are all too sadly aware of evil visited upon children by responsible people; of inhumanity shown (by males in most cases) to girls and boys, women and men. Alcohol and other drugs may be mentioned - are they excuses? What excuse can there be for greed and selfishness?
Would local people have wanted to shelter the little family from the action of their king? Perhaps. Even if so, the drastic extermination of "all male children" would have been overwhelming and irresistible. How much harm was (and is) visited upon people by those with power (weapons). Perhaps the two year age range of the victims reflects the time the travellers took to get to Jerusalem, with a margin. Herod was leaving nothing to chance (so he thought).
It must have been a relief for Joseph (and Mary) when they were absorbed into the community of Egypt. Maybe the treasures that had been given to Jesus helped them to make their escape and survive their exile. No doubt Joseph could and would use his skills to be the "bread-winner", even if their standard of living was reduced. (I wonder if Joseph thought they would be permanent residents of Egypt?)
Joseph's return with the family to their own country (and apparently to Bethlehem) seems oddly interrupted and diverted en route from Egypt. The ruling succession in Jerusalem was at first unclear. There were political complications to be determined by Augustus in Rome. Perhaps "those" who were malicious managed to retain influence after all. Young Archaelaus, if he knew of the "Bethlehem Rumour", must have been glad his father had decisively dealt with it. He himself took ruthless and savage action to retain power. He was made ethnarch over many of the Jews (in the south), but never achieved kingship. His regime was too much, even for Augustus!
We have two accounts of Jesus' infancy (Matthew and Luke). They have a little in common, including the connection to home in Nazareth as well as Bethlehem as birthplace for the one God sent to be Saviour of the world. Matthew's pericope ends with the family at Nazareth and Joseph passes from the New Testament stories.
When the years had passed Jesus would become known as "the Nazarene". Whilst for English readers no clear Old Testament reference underlies Matthew's comment on "Nazarene", it is plain in the New Testament that the (rather unlikely) label stuck firmly to the Christ (another topic).
What of that tragic bloodshed of "the innocents"? God surely cared for more than only Jesus and his adults. Did parents choose to ignore warnings? Even today, it can happen.
Matthew's use of the words from Jeremiah (31:15) is puzzling. In Jeremiah the sense is of future hope and the end of desolation. If that context is evoked here in this scene of unrelieved despair it could only relate to the ultimate saving work of the Christ.
I wonder if John knew of Matthew's account, for the two correspond in meaning:
He came into his own world,The contrast between the outsiders and "his own people" is stark (homage vs murder). In the end we can describe Jesus as "rejected by men". Nonetheless God was not thwarted and Jesus can and does make those who accept him into God's own children. From those who actually become God's children there is a better story.
but his own nation
did not welcome him.
Yet some people accepted him
and put their faith in him.
So he gave them the right
to be the children of God.
They were not God’s children
by nature or because
of any human desires.
God himself was the one
who made them his children (John 1: 11-13, CEV).
Note: In 2018-2019 (for off-shore applicants) the Australian Government reported issuing 9,451 refugee visas and 7,661 Special Humanitarian visas and 1,650 permanent protection visas. I do not know how the UN categories compare with those of Australia. (In the same period, 75,656 such visa applications were received by Australia.) Australia was represented in the 2019 December UN Global Refugee Forum by two senior public servants but not at ministerial level. (To me, that seems unfortunate.)
Scripture quotations marked (CEV) are from the Contemporary English Version Copyright © 1991, 1992, 1995 by American Bible Society. Used by Permission.
Scripture quotations marked (CSB) are from the Christian Standard Bible. Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Christian Standard Bible®, and CSB® are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers, all rights reserved.
Scripture quotations marked (ESV) are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations marked (NIV) are taken from the Holy Bible, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission.
All rights reserved worldwide.
Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2007, 2013 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations marked (NRSV) are from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Note: I retain in the publishers' text where they occur the references to footnotes, but usually not the notes. You can check footnotes out by viewing the text on-line. Often they are replicated in different translations.
Bible passages accessed via BibleGateway.com or Biblehub.com
Image: Pixabay.com
Scripture quotations marked (ESV) are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations marked (NIV) are taken from the Holy Bible, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission.
All rights reserved worldwide.
Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2007, 2013 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations marked (NRSV) are from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Note: I retain in the publishers' text where they occur the references to footnotes, but usually not the notes. You can check footnotes out by viewing the text on-line. Often they are replicated in different translations.
Bible passages accessed via BibleGateway.com or Biblehub.com
Image: Pixabay.com
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