Thoughts for the Day

Now an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, ‘Get up, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you; for Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy him.’ Then Joseph got up, took the child and his mother by night, and went to Egypt, and remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfil what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet, ‘Out of Egypt I have called my son.’

(Lectionary, New Revised Standard Version)

Thoughts

The story of the Nativity - of the birth of Jesus - both of the events leading up to it and after it, is full of angels, dreams, journeys, and prophecies. They occur only in Matthew and Luke's Gospels, and both are significantly different from one another. In our heads we fuse the two accounts together to make one whole account. But look at the differences - I have written the existence of angels, dreams, journeys and prophecies in italics!

Matthew gives us:

• Mary is betrothed to Joseph and 'found to be pregnant'.
• An angel appears to Joseph in a dream, saying the baby is conceived by the Holy Spirit.
• The birth of Jesus in Bethlehem is mentioned.
• The wise men observe a star and travel to Herod.
• The wise men travel to Bethlehem to see the baby Jesus.
• Joseph has a dream and is told of danger.
• The Holy Family flee to Egypt.

Luke gives us:

• Elizabeth and Zechariah and an angel 's prophecy about John the Baptist and the Messiah..
• The Angel Gabriel appears to Mary to prophesy she will bear the Messiah.
• The Mary travels to Elizabeth.
• The birth of John the Baptist.
• The journey to Bethlehem.
• No room in the Inn.
• The birth of Jesus.
• Angels appear to the shepherds.
• The shepherd's visit to the baby Jesus.

Now look at the events of each account and notice how different the story would be if we only one of them!

Heavenly Father,
You speak to Your people
in various different ways,
and make known Your promises to
those who expect to hear from You.
We thank You for those who listened
and who acted to bring Your plans to fruition.
May we, like them, be ready to listen
and to act when You speak to us
Amen.