Word to the Wise
Monday, July 17, 2023 - Monday in the 15th Week in Ordinary Time
[Exod 1:8-14, 22 and Matt 10:34—11:1,]A new king, who knew nothing of Joseph, came to power in Egypt. [Exodus]
With these words, the great drama of the Exodus begins and will provide the first scripture for Eucharist for some days to come. The story of Joseph and his brothers in Genesis ended on a lovely note of reconciliation and all was well in the land of Ham!! But now "a new king, who knew nothing of Joseph, came to power in Egypt'" and he will set the stage for the story of Moses and a pivotal moment in salvation history - the EXODUS.
Today's passage unfortunately omits the reason why Pharaoh commands the destruction of male newborn children of the Jews. He was afraid the Chosen People would become too numerous in their slavery and cause trouble. This command would be later echoed in the Gospel According to Matthew in the command of Herod who sought to eliminate any rival to his power, forcing Joseph to take Mary and Jesus and flee where? To Egypt!! [Matt. 2:11-21]
I recommend reading Exodus in full to get the big picture for the next few days. Tomorrow, the charming story of Moses' birth and early life will lead us into the desert of Midian and set the stage for the encounter with the Burning Bush. For today, it might be worth pondering the lessons of having paranoid leaders who will destroy anything that threatens their power only to have God show them who the real boss is! AMEN