Breaking the Word

When they had departed, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, "Rise, take the child and his mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there until I tell you. Herod is going to search for the child to destroy him."  Joseph rose and took the child and his mother by night and departed for Egypt. He stayed there until the death of Herod, that what the Lord had said through the prophet might be fulfilled, "Out of Egypt I called my son."

When Herod had died, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt and said, "Rise, take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel, for those who sought the child's life are dead." He rose, 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 back there. And because he had been warned in a dream, he departed for the region of Galilee. He went and dwelt in a town called Nazareth, so that what had been spoken through the prophets might be fulfilled, "He shall be called a Nazorean."  (Mt 2:13-15,19-23)

God’s revelation through dreams is to protect the child. God always wants the family to be together, united, and protected. It is a lesson for the family to be caring and protective. The family should take the step even to flee in order to save the child in a sense to save the unity of the family. Family is to be united, caring, protective at the cost of even fleeing one’s own country.

Going into Egypt is for a theological reason. He has to come out of Egypt. Jesus has to go through the experiences of the Israelites in Egypt. He has to re-live the same experience of what the people have gone through. Only then he will be able to redeem the people. Experience is essential.

Again, when the family returned to Israel they choose Galilee and not Judea. It is because there is danger in Judea (Archelaus was ruling Judea). A family has to grow in a place where there is freedom to grow. The family fled Israel when there was Herod and now the family avoids Judea because of Archelaus. Family grows where there is freedom. Family should move towards freedom. Freedom, unity, care, protection are essential for the family.   

…While they were there, the time came for her to have her child,  and she gave birth to her firstborn son. She wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.  Now there were shepherds in that region living in the fields and keeping the night watch over their flock. The angel of the Lord appeared to them and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were struck with great fear.  The angel said to them, "Do not be afraid; for behold, I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.  For today in the city of David a savior has been born for you who is Messiah and Lord.  And this will be a sign for you: you will find an infant wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger."  And suddenly there was a multitude of the heavenly host with the angel, praising God and saying: "Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests."  (Lk 2:1-14)

Baby Jesus was placed in a manger. Why in a manger? Was it a symbolic action? Manger is the place where food is kept for the cattle. By placing Jesus in the manger does the author want to reflect that Jesus is the food for all. The whole of creation has to be fed by Jesus. That is why Jesus could say during his ministry that he is the food that had come down from heaven.

Since there was no room in the inn Joseph took Mary with the child into a shed where animals were kept.  That is why she could place the child in the manger. The baby Jesus as soon as he opened his eyes would have seen the sheep, smelt the sheep and probably would have heard them and touched them first. His first experience was of the sheep. He said later: I am the good shepherd.

Jesus was seen by the shepherds first. Why shepherds? Abraham was a shepherd so also was Moses them David and Amos the first writing prophet. Abraham was a man of faith; Moses was a man of God’s experience; David was a man of God’s special favour and Amos was a man of God’s word. May be people of faith in God, of God’s experience, of God’s favour and of God’s word would see God first.