Mary: The woman on a flight

The birth of Jesus although took place in a lowly location (stable) was surrounded by God's presence. Mary and Joseph welcomed God's Son and while they pondered over why God chose to have His born in the manger, some shepherds came in testifying about the angelic visitation they had encountered. During Mary’s purification rites, two God-fearing people, Simeon and Anna testified of Jesus in the temple. Mary had kept all these in her heart. Matthew's gospel records another visitation that placed the life of Jesus in danger. According to Matthew 2:1-2, "After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.” King Herod wasn't happy about another king in his kingdom.

After Herod consulted the chief priests and the teachers of the Law, he was told that the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem. Cunningly, Herod told the Magi, “Go and search carefully for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him" (Matthew 2:8). Herod sent the Magi to Bethlehem with an intention to kill the child after he had received the report from the Magi. This incident probably happened sometime later after Jesus was born because the Magi did not meet the baby Jesus in the manger but a house. The Magi, "after they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen when it rose went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh." (Matthew 2:9‭-‬11).

So he got up, took the child and his mother during the night and left for Egypt (Matthew 2:14)

Mary might have been overjoyed with the visit. The Magi were astrologers and foreigners. Thus, Jesus was not just the Messiah of the Jews but of all people and nations. The gifts had their own significance in the ministry, life and death of Jesus. The boy Jesus, now living in a house, not a stable, was honoured by these great men from the east. God warned the Magi in a dream not to go back to Herod, and they returned to their country by another route (Matthew 2:12). When the Magi left, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. “Get up,” he said, “take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him.” So he got up, took the child and his mother during the night and left for Egypt, where he stayed until the death of Herod. And so was fulfilled what the Lord had said through the prophet: “Out of Egypt I called my son.” (Matthew 2:13‭-‬15)

Mary might have wondered why God had to make them flee. Couldn't God have saved Jesus from Herod? Why must they flee? These and many questions did not prevent the couple from obeying God. They had questions but they chose to obey. Mary, the highly favoured woman, after giving birth to God's own Son in a stable had to flee from a human king. Mary's child was in danger and God's solution was to flee. Why didn't God hide Jesus from Herod? The truth is, going to Egypt (just like giving birth in Bethlehem) was part of God's plan for Jesus. Matthew's gospel confirms that leaving for Egypt fulfilled what the Lord said through Prophet Hosea, “Out of Egypt I called my son" (Hosea 11:1 cited in Matthew 2:15).

However the fact that the wise men did not return to Herod made Herod furious, and he gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two years old and under, in accordance with the time he had learned from the Magi (Matthew 2:16). Imagine the outcry! God saved His Son from this massacre. Matthew's gospel considers this as a fulfillment of Prophet Jeremiah's prophecy: “A voice is heard in Ramah, weeping and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children and refusing to be comforted, because they are no more” (Matthew 2:17‭-‬18). Mary and Joseph and the child Jesus were in exile until after the death of Herod.

"After Herod died, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt and said, “Get up, take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel, for those who were trying to take the child’s life are dead.” So he got up, took the child and his mother and went to the land of Israel. But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning in Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. Having been warned in a dream, he withdrew to the district of Galilee, and he went and lived in a town called Nazareth. So was fulfilled what was said through the prophets, that he would be called a Nazarene." (Matthew 2:19‭-‬23)

Sometimes it doesn't make sense to move when all seem to be well. Mary could have been a rich woman in Bethlehem with all the gold she had received from the Magi. But, for the assignment of Jesus to be fulfilled, she had to flee with her family to Egypt.

Is God calling you to leave a place of contentment to a place of your calling in order to fulfill your destiny?