The Story Less Known

If you've kept current with this blog, you will remember that Herod called the Wise Men in secretly so he could find out exactly when the star had first appeared in the sky. Then he sent them on to Bethlehem to find the new king. He told them to be sure to come back and tell him, so he could go and worship him, too.

But after the Wise Men found Jesus and presented their gifts to him, they were warned in a dream NOT to return to Herod so they went home by another route.

Pretty wise, huh?

Matthew 2:13-16 continues the story: "When they had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. 'Get up,' he said, 'take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him.' so he got up, took the child and his mother during the night and left for Egypt where he stayed until the death of Herod. And so was fulfilled what the Lord had said through the prophet,
'Out of Egypt I called my son.'" (Hosea 11:1 written about 723 BC)

Matthew 2:17-18 "When Herod realized that he had been outwitted by the Magi, he was furious, and he gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two years old and under, in accordance with the time he had learned from the Magi. Then what was said through the prophet Jeremiah was fulfilled:
'A voice is heard in Ramah,
weeping and great mourning,
Rachael weeping for her children
and refusing to be comforted,
because they are no more.'" (Jeremiah 31:15 written about 597 BC)

One of my Christmas treasures is a figurine called "Flight to Egypt." It is of Mary and the young Jesus riding on a donkey with Joseph walking alongside leading the way. It graphically tells this less known Christmas story.
Merry Christmas,
Paulita