Evangelical Lutheran Diocese of North America

Wednesday after the First Sunday after Christmas

Posted on December 31, 2014 by Pastor Dulas under Devotions
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Scripture: St. Matthew 2:13-15 (NKJV)

13 Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying, “Arise, take the young Child and His mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there until I bring you word; for Herod will seek the young Child to destroy Him.” 14 When he arose, he took the young Child and His mother by night and departed for Egypt, 15 and was there until the death of Herod, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying, “Out of Egypt I called My Son.”

Devotion

As the holiday season comes to a close, there is understandable sadness. What we’ve spent months getting ready for is passed. The preparation and fulfillment have been replaced with the mundane sameness of everyday life. The glory seems to be gone.

One might wonder if Joseph and Mary felt some of those same things. After all, look at what they’d just gone through: the excitement of the Son of God being born-to them! There was the unexpected visit of the shepherds and the “glory of God” being revealed. And then came later the visit of the Magi, bearing gifts for the newborn King. But now what? Those things are done; they’re in the past, just distant memories for Joseph and Mary. Now they must set about the task of raising a family, with the challenge of raising the Son of God.

But there was no time to rest. For you’ll recall, when King Herod found out from the Wise Men that another King had been born, he was fearful for his throne. So he tried to use the Wise Men to find Jesus and have the infant King murdered. But Joseph was warned by an angel to flee that night and escape quickly to Egypt.

God called His Son out of Egypt to lead the whole world out of the greater Egypt that held the world in the slavery of sin. God has called you out of Egypt, too. By virtue of your Baptism, He’s called you out of the midst of Egypt’s bondage. And by virtue of His Word and Sacrament, He continues to lead you so you may enter the Promised Land of eternal life.

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