MT 2: 1-12 Gospel Reflection (1.5.20)   

This week’s readings personify additional messages, mysteries & promises from God.  When we delve into the Gospel, we witness the three, familiar wise men-kings.  Obviously, they are men of great prestige, traveling from what appears to be Asia & who have been given a divine mission to find & honor the newly born Christ child.  Interestingly, these are the first Gentiles invited into this part of Christian history to acknowledge & worship our savior. They first meet with King Herod; aka “that fox.” (LK: 13:32) who becomes paranoid when he is informed from them that a Jewish, child-king was born in the region he ruled over. (Matthew 2:3).  Herod reacts in a way that is consistent with many other men whose positions of power is threatened.  He plots, schemes & lies.  The message today will not give much attention to the fox, but rather about how God manifests Himself in this story. 

Many who travel encounter various road signs designed to keep us safe and to avoid danger (i.e., stop, slow down, yield one way, detour, etc.).  Before the wise men find the Christ-child, an evil plot has unfolded to eliminate the threat.  After prostrating themselves & offering gifts (Matthew 11.9-10), they receive a dream from an angel directing them to take an alternate route home & avoiding a planned “sit down” with the fox. It appears that God intervened by offering them a sign to detour them from danger.

   

In retrospection, I too have been given many signs & options through life.  What I continue to realize is that God has always been close to me; offering me detours throughout my journey home.  Some decisions made led to successful outcomes and safe passage; whereas others I refused, resulting in disappointment & failure.  What about you? Can you recall personal choices that resulted in both positive and negative endings?  Maybe signs that led you in other directions; away from more pain, suffering & distress?  (Exod. 3:12) 

As a young man, I drove a delivery truck & had to rely on a paper map to plot my route each day.  Today we have Global Positioning System (GPS) that makes it much easier to navigate our journeys without paper maps.  They direct us to make turns, tell us when to exit & re-route us to avoid traffic.  After reflecting on this scripture, I am always impressed with the faith that these first Gentiles exemplified by trusting a dream from an angel. Maybe it’s time to return to the old road map (Holy Bible) & use the limited time we have left to explore alternative paths that will re-route us back to our loving God?   Could it be & as we speak, that God is now detouring you away from certain hazards; redirecting you back home?  What signs are you encountering on your journey that are calling to you back to God?  Keep your eyes open & on the road, my brothers & sisters in Christ.  Happy New Year.  The Pilgrim