'The Usual Suspects' - A Refugee Family

‘Now after they had left, 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.’ Matthew 2; 13-15

The Massacre of the Innocents, Holy Innocents’ Day, or Innocents Day is celebrated by the church on December 28th each year. It remembers the act of infanticide by Herod the Great, that Joseph and his young family are fleeing in this passage. By using this story the author of Matthew is referencing the Old Testament passage “Thus says the Lord: A voice is heard in Ramah, lamentation and bitter weeping. Rachel is weeping for her children;she refuses to be comforted for her children, because they are no more.” (Jeremiah 31:15) Interestingly, these Holy Innocents, although Jewish, have been claimed as martyrs for Christianity.

‘Since all the canonical evidence that such an event occurred is found only in the Gospel of Matthew, New Testament scholars such as Daniel J. Harrington have said that the historicity of the event is "an open question that probably can never be definitively decided." Most recent biographers of Herod deny that the event occurred.’ [Wikipedia]

Whether this is an actual event or not, here we have the story of a family fleeing their country and becoming refugees, living in a strange land and dependent on the bounty of others for their very existence. Had the Egyptians shunned them or denied them what they needed to survive, this story would have turned out very differently. But fortunately for Christianity they decided to share what they had with these refugees.

This may seem to be an unusual topic for this time of year. But as we think of the approach of the New Year, and make our resolutions for those things we are going to change, I think we should be thinking of those who are in flux, who will be making the massive changes required to become part of a new and foreign culture, who will be dealing with the challenges of a Canadian winter for the first time. Going to the gym regularly and consistently, stopping smoking, or eating less chocolate pales in comparison with what the Syrian refugees are experiencing. As you think about those coming to our country as refugees in the next few months, remember this refugee family from long long ago . . . .

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