RESISTING THE LORD

Now when they [the magi] had gone, behold, 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 going to search for the Child to destroy Him." So Joseph got up and took the Child and His mother while it was still night, and left for Egypt. He remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet: "Out of Egypt I called My Son."

Then when Herod saw that he had been tricked by the magi, he became very enraged, and sent and slew all the male children who were in Bethlehem and all its vicinity, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had determined from the magi.
(Matthew 2: 13-16)

One of the consequences of the intersection of spiritual matters and worldly matters is the reaction of those who have no interest in spiritual things. Those who can only see worldly matters believe that the only "actors" in events are worldly ones and the only motives and purposes are also worldly.

Even though the magi had told Herod they had followed heavenly signs, even though the scholars he consulted were telling him the words of God's prophets, Herod only heard the words "child born King of the Jews." For Herod, there was only one interpretation for that, the worldly one. And as far as he could tell, this child was a threat to him. Or at least, that's the way Herod looked at it. So, he decided to do something about this threat. Eliminate it early and he won't have to deal with it later.

Of course, Herod was not seeing the whole picture. He was discounting any spiritual aspect to events, nevermind Someone active on that level of things.

As believers, we need to remember that this goes on around us. We share the world with people who cannot see God's signs around them, not even when someone speaks about those signs rather dramatically - like foreign magi showing up at court asking about a prophesied child because of a star in the sky. Believers live in the midst of people who not only do not think there is a God who intervenes in events, they don't think there is a God at all.

It's a little bit upsetting for believers to have what to them is a major part of their lives discounted by the worldy and mockers. We are human enough to want to argue, to defend, to protest that God indeed does interact with our lives. After all, aren't we called to testify about what God does for us? Isn't that what praise is about?

Well, no. Praise is what we give to God. Worship is the interaction between ourselves and the Lord. These things are not intended to be spectacles for an outside audience or demonstrations of proof. Praise and worship only have meaning to those who are engaged in the relationship.

Our testimony to outsiders is about what God has done for us. We don't have to pay any attention to non-believers say about our praise and worship.

But beyond that, this story of the Holy Family flleeing Herod's actions shows another thing: that God watches out for us, that He moves us well ahead of impending distruction. As believers our lives are both spiritual and worldly, and the Prime Mover of all things is spiritual. We know this. If we trust God at all, we need to trust that He will also move us away from what could destroy us.

I'm sure that Joseph and Mary thought the order to move to Egypt, and to go immediately, was just about the worst thing to happen to them. It meant that Joseph was leaving behind his home and work in Nazareth. It meant that Mary, who had just given birth would now have to face a journey at least twice as far as a Bethlehem to Nazareth transit, if not three times as far. It was going to be a hard journey, for which they were not prepared. But the angel of the Lord told Joseph to go immediately, and they went, without question they went.

Herod's troops swept down on the Bethlehem region and killed all male children two years old and younger.

But the baby Jesus was gone.

Joseph and Mary were told why they had to go, but often God does not tell us the whys. Do we trust Him?

When we listen to the world around us, which downplays the presence of God, dismisses God as an effective power in events, our trust in the Lord gets shaken. At times like that, we need to remember this story. We need to remember that the Creator of the Universe is not a remote figure, not an outside observer, but rather an active participant in events.

This morning, there was a passing story of entertainment "news" about Bill Maher mocking quarterback Tim Tebow for his open faith in God. Like Herod, Maher only sees the worldly manifestation. All he sees is a young man bowing down before "something" that isn't there. If he (Maher) can't see it, it must not exist. It certainly isn't effective or active in the world he lives in.

Those who resist the Lord will resist our declarations of His presence. They may even try to act against those who believe. Jesus told His followers to expect persecution.

But against that, we have a God who is an active player, who keeps His eyes upon us, and His hands upon our lives. We need to remember that when we are suddenly trudging through the desert to a destination that had not been in our plans, that seems to take us way outside the expected shape of our lives. There is a Bigger Picture in events than what even we can see.

Yes, Herod was dangerous. But remember, Herod failed in his intention.

The Lord intervened. The baby lived, and grew into a man who changed the world. And as believers, we are partakers in that power and majesty.

Do not resist the Lord.