Epiphany and the flight into Egypt

After the wise men came to visit Jesus and offered him their gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh, the Gospel according to Matthew tells us this:

And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they left for their own country by another road. (Matthew 2:12)

As the wise men are exiting stage east, Mary, Joseph and Jesus are exiting stage south:

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 fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet, "Out of Egypt I have called my son." (Matthew 2:13-15)

I highly recommend a book by Anne Rice: Christ the Lord out of Egypt. It held my rapt attention about three years ago.


In peace,
Linda+
The Rev. Linda McCloud
Vicar, Holy Cross Church Episcopal
Billings, Montana
406-208-7314
http://www.holycrosschurchbillings.org/
photo: The Flight Into Egypt
carving on a fallen live oak
Mepkin Abbey
Monck's Corner, South Carolina
January 2008