Word to the Wise
Tuesday, December 28, 2021 - Dec. 28 - Feast of the Holy Innocents, martyrs
[1 John 1:5-2:2 and Matt 2:13-18]When the magi had departed, brehold, 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." [Matthew]
Scripture scholars have long advised us that the "infancy narratives" in the Gospels According to Matthew and Luke have a dual purpose. They speak to Jesus' origins in response to questions that arose in the early preaching, but they also serve as "overtures" to the rest of each gospel by containing major themes that will appear in greater detail later on. The story of the Flight Into Egypt is an example of this. I'll point out two aspects among many others that will reward deeper efforts to understand this story.
The first is the contrast between the acceptance in faith of the birth of Jesus by creation ("the star") and all nations ("the Magi") and the rejection by Jewish authorities in the person of Herod. This is a major theme in the Gospel According to Matthew. The second is the echo of Pharaoh's command to destroy male Hebrew children in the story of Moses' birth. [Exodus 1:8 - 2:10] Matthew will portray Jesus as a "new Moses", bringing the law of Moses to true fulfillment.
Although the feast of the Holy Innocents has invited reflection on the terrible loss that elective abortion produces, this would be something parallel to the scriptures of this day. The scriptures invite us to see that the entire history of salvation is present in the life of Jesus from Adam to the present day, The story of the Flight into Egypt is one bright thread in a magnificent tapestry of preaching in the Gospel According to Matthew. AMEN