Advent Part 16: Mary gets to go home.
Matthew 2: 19-23 (NLT)
19 When Herod died, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt. 20 “Get up!” the angel said. “Take the child and his mother back to the land of Israel, because those who were trying to kill the child are dead.”
21 So Joseph got up and returned to the land of Israel with Jesus and his mother. 22 But when he learned that the new ruler of Judea was Herod’s son Archelaus, he was afraid to go there. Then, after being warned in a dream, he left for the region of Galilee. 23 So the family went and lived in a town called Nazareth. This fulfilled what the prophets had said: “He will be called a Nazarene.”
Dear God,
Was this the dream Mary had been waiting for? Was she excited about going home or nervous? Probably both. I am sure she was glad to get back to Israel, but nervous that 1) she would have to reckon with family and friends who might judge her for having a child older than her marriage, and 2) being back in the land where her son might be in danger. But still, she was going home.
I remember back in 2005 when we were trying to decide what to do about my work. Our children were 9 and 6 years old, and we lived in Waco, Texas. I was up for jobs in Waco, Tyler, Texas, and Grand Rapids, Michigan. I really wanted that Grand Rapids job. I remember wondering at the time what each path held for my children. What friends would they have in each city? Church experiences? In some ways I thought more about them than I thought about myself—at least, that is how I remember it. How would this impact them?
As it turned out, our path surprisingly saw us move closer to both my wife’s and my families of origin. I went from being almost 200 miles from my parents to 45 miles, and my wife went from being a difficult 100 miles to an easier 80 miles. But even with the benefit of hindsight, I could not tell you if this was the right path for our children or not. All these years later it seems to have been the right path for me. I can even see it has been good for my wife. For my children, I trust you are leading them exactly where you need them to be regardless of whether I can see your plan with my own eyes.
Father, I am sure there was a lot on Mary’s mind as they traveled back to Israel. I hope the angel’s visit was a comfort to her and Joseph. I am grateful for how you comforted me over the years too. Parenting is hard and worrying about your children is hard. But being in your presence brings me peace. Thank you for your presence.
I pray this in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,
Amen
