Escape to Egypt

May 9, 2025 | Read and Think About Matthew 2:1-25

He didn’t know the people, the land, or the customs.  The life of his young family was at risk for a long time. He didn’t know what was happening from moment to moment, or how things would turn out.  For Joseph, these years had to feel like a total lack of control over circumstances.

To get an idea of the distances involved in these travels, you can search “map of New England”. New Hampshire’s size and shape are fairly similar to Israel ‘s first century boundaries.   Imagine going from the north part of New Hampshire down to the south.  That’s the journey to Bethlehem.  Now imagine going from there across the border into southern Vermont.   That’s like the distance to Egypt. 

Then imagine traveling with your family all the way back to New Hampshire after a couple of years, and continuing back up to the northern part of the state to start a next phase of life. 

On foot. Waiting for the next instruction. Not knowing when it would come.  Not knowing what danger lurked out there.  Courage, patience, and resilience don’t even begin to describe the key traits of Joseph and Mary.

As we read in the account given to us by Matthew, it required 4 different dreams and visions given to one man to accomplish God’s will.  Herod's plans to kill the child, Jesus, were no match for God’s plan and providence. 

True, Joseph had an angel directing each of his steps, and we do not.  But Joseph never got the whole plan, either.  Like us, he had to take this journey one step at a time.  Even if the dreams and the role of the angel in these events were unique and miraculous, there is a lot we can apply to our own lives if we think carefully about Joseph.