Matthew 2:13-18

“A Tale of Two Kings”

December 30, 2007

Associate Pastor Doug Forsberg

 “It was the best of times; it was the worst of times.”  And no I’m not speaking of a recent meal at Ben’s Chili Dogs.  Instead, I’m speaking of those first few months of Jesus’ life, the time in which he was completely dependent upon Joseph and Mary for his survival, for the powers of this dark world were closing in upon him.

You know Joseph and Mary don’t you?  Joseph’s a quiet one; he doesn’t say much, but we can be sure he’s a highly successful man.  After all, his wife is known around the world, and he has been chosen to be Jesus’ earthly father, not just anybody gets that job; he’s obviously not an ordinary Joe.  In fact, he probably sold franchises of his carpentry business optimistically called Joe and Son’s Carpentry.  His franchise catch phrase was “Why do it yourself, when we can save you?”  He’s really done very well for himself.  Mary, bless her heart, put up with quite a bit of inconvenience in her life.  She’s a saint.  I’m sure you’ve seen a picture of her, this stunning young woman (a girl really) who within moments of giving birth looks as though she’s ready to be on the cover of Vogue or maybe Today’s Christian Woman. 

Okay, this isn’t an accurate picture.  The reality is that Mary and Joseph, Jesus’ earthly parents, were dirt poor.  Their clothing probably consisted of what we would call rags.  They were from Nazareth, an obscure town that was not highly thought of.  In fact, one of Jesus’ first disciples, Nathaniel, upon learning that Jesus was from Nazareth wondered if anything good could come from such a place.  Nazareth was about as far from the seat of power and social standing as a little town could be, and poor Mary and Joseph had put the social and cultural rules to the test with this early pregnancy.  Suffice it to say that respectable people wouldn’t have been caught dead with Mary and Joseph.  No, these two had next to nothing going for them.  They were outcasts even in their own town of outcasts.

Surely you know their story by now.  They had to go to Bethlehem and found shelter from the world in a tiny stable.  Mary gave birth to a son; they named him Jesus, and then the shepherds came offering praise. 

This is sort of a strange way for a king to be born, but we know the story so well that we don’t ask too many questions of it.  It just seems normal that this is the way it happens.

So Jesus spends those first few months of his life in Bethlehem, sheltered from the world and protected from harm by these unlikely heroes, Mary and Joseph.  But then word of his birth gets out.  Wise men from the east have followed a star and they come looking for the one who has been born king of the Jews.  Their search and the questions they ask seem somewhat innocuous to us, but in the Roman Empire, and in Herod’s little corner of that empire, one didn’t go around asking where the new king was.  Those kinds of questions brought trouble.

The wise men seem somewhat oblivious to all of this trouble.  They get directions from Herod and the Jewish leaders and head down to Bethlehem, about five miles south of Jerusalem.  The wise men come to the end of their mission, bowing down and worshiping Jesus and presenting gifts to him.  How interesting it is that even though Jesus was so close to Jerusalem his own people generally seem to steer clear of him while foreigners are wise enough to worship and adore him.

The wise men are warned in a dream not to return to Herod and they set off for home by another way.  At some point after they leave, probably within a day or two, a angel appears to Joseph in a dream and tells him to take his son and Mary and flee to Egypt, for Herod, the king, is seeking to destroy Jesus.  Joseph is no dummy.  He does what he is told and flees to Egypt.  Herod realizes that he has been outwitted by the wise men and flies into a blind rage.  He orders his men to kill all of the boys in and around Bethlehem who are two years old and younger.  This doesn’t mean that Jesus was two years old at this time.  Rather it means that Herod’s wickedness was so great that he killed more than he needed to in order to be sure that this next king was dead.

If Jesus’ story was a sweet one up until the wise men showed up, we now see the great battle his life would involve, for Jesus was a threat to Herod, he was a threat to the Jewish leaders, he was a threat to Pilate and most of all he was a threat to the evil one.  Even when he was a few months old, Jesus faced the terror of this world and the wickedness of those who will not submit to his Father, for they sought to kill hem. 

Imagine the forces aligned against Jesus, Mary and Joseph on that night of their escape into Egypt.  Herod has the might, power, and authority to kill as he sees fit.  The world is at his disposal and he will do anything in order to keep it there.  When Herod wants something to happen it happens, no questions are asked.

Jesus, Mary and Joseph are alone in this world.  They have no power.  They have no might.  They have no authority.  In the face of the terror of Herod they are helpless and exposed, aided by no one.  Jesus, Mary and Joseph don’t have a security team or army at their disposal, but they do have angels who speak to them in dreams, and in their very fragility they bare witness to the way in which God has come into the world to save his people.  He’s come as one of us, exposed to the same darkness, terror, fear and agony that we know only too well.

We come together here to bare witness to the coming of the Messiah.  We live in a culture that tells us our greatest goal is happiness and fulfillment of our wants and desires.  We go to great lengths to insure our happiness, but most of us know all too well something of the darkness, terror, fear and agony of this fallen world in which we live.  Even at Christmas time we face the chaos of a world gone mad as it bumps into our lives.  No matter how hard we try to defend ourselves we can’t get away from it.  So we come here, singing Christmas hymns, worshipping the one who stepped into the chaos and agony as one of us, and we know that he overcame the darkness.

As our celebration of Christmas fades into the past, it is wise to reflect on our lives and the way in which Jesus is present in them.  Many among us this morning know Jesus and believe that in him is salvation, yet the powers at work in the world distract us.  Mary and Joseph learned all too well that Jesus didn’t make their lives easy or without turmoil.  Instead, as they welcomed Jesus into the world they were invited to entrust their lives, both their joys and fears, to the Living God the one who was with them in a very real way. 

I don’t know the darkness you face this morning.  Perhaps it is sickness, a broken relationship, stress at work or school, financial difficulties, the loss of a friend, or fear.  In the midst of that darkness, know this as fact dear friends.  Jesus is with you in a very real way as you face that darkness.  As you face the difficulties of living in a fallen world don’t forget that you have been given the full armor of God, you have been made ready to fight and to stand and know that Jesus stands with you – right at your side.

Perhaps there are some among us this morning who know of Jesus but don’t know him.   Perhaps some among us have wandered into this sanctuary hoping to find rest, longing to let go of the darkness, facing terror on every side and having no where to turn.  Jesus said, “Come to me all you who are weary and heavy laden and I will give you rest.”  If you long for rest, turn to Jesus; invite him into your life, tell him of the darkness and terror you face, tell him of the wrong you have done.  Follow him, for he will not let go of you, and he will be with you in a very real way.

Dear friends, “The light shines in the darkness.”  (John 1:5)

May it be that we keep our eyes focused on the light.  May it be.