Matthew 2:1-12: Leaving by Another Road Friday, July 18, 2025
Written on June 7 and posted as a favorite today . . .
I love this portion of the Christmas story. The wise men are so wise that they are able to read Herod’s secret intent. Nothing can be hidden from the wise because they are so connected to the creator that they appear to have special insight. What they really have is patience, serenity, and a finely tuned ear for God’s word. And so the magi left for their own country by another road.
I am thinking about the number of times I have averted disaster because that calm, strong voice within indicated that I was to stay put. We notice that an attitude of patience and a willingness to obey always accompanies the wise. The wise are not brash or excitable. They do not speak harshly, nor are they silenced. Like the Persistent Widow, they know when to persevere in speaking God’s word. And like the Three Magi, they know when to stand down and melt away into God’s protecting presence.
The wise know when to stand and witness . . . and when to leave quietly by another road.
Read the parable of The Persistent Widow in Luke 18:1-8.
A favorite written on January 25 and posted today . . .
Why should I trust in the Lord any longer?
There are so many times we hear these words from the lips of one who is deep in grief. There are many times when we think or say these words ourselves. The answer to the ageless questions is simple: God does not create calamity and chaos; rather, God calls us to peace and unity. It is up to us to respond, and to take all our problems to God, both the small and the large.
The scene depicted here today is both beautiful and dreadful; a miracle is juxtaposed with severe famine. Elisha finds himself in danger because he accurately predicted all that takes place. The irony and inversion we see here echo in our own lives: good things happen in the midst of great suffering, faithful servants are vindicated after intense persecution, hope outlives desperation. Today’s accounting might be an older version of our own lives.
Why should we trust the Lord any longer?
We have reaped mercy when we thought there was no compassion.
We have known peace at a time when we thought there was only turmoil.
We experience joy just when we believe all is lost.
Why should we trust the Lord any longer?
There is no God who saves as the Living God saves.
There is no God who redeems as Christ Jesus redeems.
There is no God who loves as the Spirit loves.
And so we pray . . .
Ever present and all-knowing God, you wait patiently and allow us to wander from you, yet you always call us home. You forgive our anger and calm our fear. You remind us that you are with us always, even in the midst of horror. You allow us and even encourage us to grow in you. Why do we trust you, Lord? Because there is no place else to go where we are so well protected, so well refreshed, or so well loved. We thank you, God, for abiding with us always. We thank you, God, for bring us your peace. Amen.
Written on February 27 and posted today as a favorite . . .
“The placement of this benediction seems unusual; it may be another item that prepares the people for the journey through the wilderness. This is the blessing for the time of departure, and [said] daily throughout their journey. Each line, with God as subject, is progressively longer (three, five, seven Hebrew words); besides the name YHWH, twelve Hebrew words signify the twelve tribes. The benediction in some form was used in ancient Israel, especially at the conclusion of worship. Putting the name of God on the people may have been understood literally, given the inscription on two cigarette-sized silver plaques found near Jerusalem, dating from the seventh-sixth centuries BCE. One probably should not see a climatic arrangement in the clauses; so, for example, blessing would include peace. Perhaps the second verb in each case defines the first more specifically, but together the six verbs cove God’s benevolent activity from various angles and state God’s gracious will for the people.
“Blessing has a wide ranging meaning, touching every sphere of life. It testifies most basically to the work of God the Creator, both within the community of faith and without. No conditions are attached. It signifies any divine gift that serves the life, health, and well-being of individuals and communities. Keeping is a specific blessing to those with concerns for safety, focusing on God’s protection from all forms of evil (Ps. 121:7-8), pertinent for wilderness wandering.” (Barton, and Muddiman 116)
We are all wandering through the wilderness, departing each morning for the many destinations of the day, and returning to home each evening to rest before the cycle begins anew. Each of the days is a testimony to the trust we place in God, the hope we place in Christ, and the comfort we take from the Spirit. We maneuver our daily obstacles – some small and some gigantic – hoping for sustenance and safety, keeping faith that it is God who guides us rather than some self-serving whim, and witnessing to the message of liberation by loving our enemies into goodness. I am thinking that I will print this small prayer and put it on the back of my front door above the handle I touch each day to exit. I need these words as I step into the wilderness each day; I want to put the name of God on my children and their children as they also step into the wilderness. I also want these words to bless and transform those who do me harm as I pray for the softening of their hearts and the unbending of their stiff necks. I want all tribes to come together as the twelve tribes of Jacob have done to help one another in their journey through strange and hostile land to the land of peace and security. This is the departure we can best wish for one another as we step over our thresholds each day to embark on a new and exciting journey filled with pain and promise. This is the blessing that can touch us as we leave each morning, can keep us in God’s care throughout the day, and can bring us back home to God each evening. This is a pray that blesses us with the name of God and brings us peace.
The Lord said to Moses, “Speak to Aaron and his sons and tell them: This is how you shall address the Israelites.
Say to them:
The Lord bless you and keep you!
The Lord let his face shine upon you, and be gracious to you!
The Lord look upon you kindly and give you peace!
So shall they invoke my name upon the Israelites, and I willbless them!”
Barton, John, and John Muddiman. THE OXFORD BIBLE COMMENTARY. Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press, 2001. 116. Print.
Fear of abandonment is a horror that grips many and as a result lovers jilt one another so as not to be left by the other, parents abuse their children so as to not be disappointed, colleagues betray one another in order to keep a job, supervisors coerce workers in order to maintain complete control, friends disappear from relationships rather than work through conflict. We can imagine how the kingdom might bloom if we were to fully comprehend one single fact – we are never alone, God is with us always and so there is no need to allow the terror of rejection to govern us.
Christ brings us a message of inversion, as we have said in many Noontimes. He tells us that what is up in our physical world is actually down in his. The poor and the humble inherit, those who mourn rejoice, the hungry and thirsty are sated, and those who suffer persecution because of this belief reign. When any of my siblings or I complained of an injustice – perceived or real – my mother would remind us easily and with a smile: The first will be last . . . the master is the servant.
So if we are to live as if we believe in this first is last kingdom-building, we perceive abandonment as its inverted companion. Union. Christ is with us to remind us that the jilted are his special loves, the lost children his particular darlings, and the oppressed his best and closest friends. In today’s Noontime, God shows the Hebrew people how much they are loved. God tells them that they are not alone. God reminds them that they are unique and chosen loved ones; yet they do not understand. Across the millennia we hear their cry, see their pain, and we ask as the Hebrews did: Why do we suffer? Why do things like this happen? How are we to go on? We are still God’s stiff-necked people.
Water springing from a rock, manna and quail in the desert: God knows that there are hidden gifts in hard, dry places; God knows that manna gathers itself like dew in the desert morning; God knows that great flocks of quail migrate over the wilderness and come to ground to rest; yet we persist in disbelief. We continue to ask as the Hebrews ask: Is the Lord in our midst or not?
In verses 8 through 13 we watch Joshua defeat the army of Amalek as long as Moses keeps his hands raised. This story fascinated me as a child and I spent days lurking behind my brothers and sisters willing them to do things I wanted when I raised my hands to heaven. God in great wisdom did not answer those requests; but God has answered many more as God accompanies me on my journey.
After the defeat of the Amalekites, the Lord says to Moses: Write this down in a document as something to be remembered, and recite it in the ears of Joshua. In Old Testament language, the Lord tells the people that God will always be among them to defend them; God will not allow them to be wiped out. God tells them that they are not alone, and that God will bring goodness out of evil. Always.
We are never alone. We are constantly loved. We are rescued, comforted, healed and held. Always. Without fail. There are no circumstances and no people we need ever fear. The parched desert and the brutality of the Amalekites in our lives need not send us into panic because God is in our midst.
And so we too, can write this down . . . We have nothing to fear becausethe Lord will war against our enemies. Throughout the centuries.
Footnotes and commentary will explain much to us in today’s Noontime. The poetic parallelism we find with the words assand coltin the citation from Zechariah 9:9 may justify the thinking that Matthew was a Gentile; a man practicing the Jewish faith would be accustomed to hearing these double allusions from their rabbi and not confuse the prophecy with reality. We might also learn more about the custom of strewing palm branches during the feast of Tabernacles (Leviticus 23:39-40 and 2 Maccabees 10:5-8) when rededicating a Temple. And finally, scholars will be able to tell us that Matthew uses the participle shakenin verse 11 that was commonly used in the apocalyptic literature of Jesus’ time. In Matthew 8:24 the storm is described with this same verb and the noun in that verse literally means earthquake. Matthew wants to tell us that Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem literally and figuratively shakes the world out of its complacency. (Senior 20, 44-45) This prophet from Nazareth in Galilee who heals the sick, feeds the multitudes, and forgives sins has come to set the world afire. And the world is clearly shaken by this message: The Temple is about to fall.
I have friends and family who insist that Jesus came to live with us only so that we might learn how to “get along” with everyone. This thinking conveniently reinforces the idea that living in a loving community means that we turn blind eyes to dishonesty and greed. This view will also have us thinking that in Luke 12:49 and Matthew 10:34-36 Jesus cannot possibly mean that even family members will be pitted against one another when they understand the true meaning of Jesus’ message. For some it is difficult to believe that Jesus is telling his followers – and us – that the habits of a lifetime will have to change: complacency about corruption must end, we cannot condone the oppression of the marginalized, or affirm lies and gossip. We must cease living in excess and we must become humble, patient, and persevering in order to enter the kingdom. We can see why Jesus’ message shook the world in his own time, and why his message continues to shake the world today.
When we read these verses and we feel compelled to place the palm branches of our lives on the roadway to welcome this amazing healer who will always put himself last, we must also be willing to follow him into the Temple when he cleanses it. When we raise our voices in thanksgiving to say Hosanna in the highest, we must also be willing to weep with the women and John the Beloved Apostle to mourn the emptiness of the world without Jesus. When we shout out to the doubters: This is Jesus the prophet, from Nazareth in Galilee; we must ready ourselves for the cataclysmic shaking that will turn us in a new and life-giving direction we had not thought possible for ourselves or others. We must ready ourselves for the shaking of the world and the rebuilding of the Temple. And so we pray . . .
When the earth yawns open to swallow us whole, let us stand firm on the lessons Jesus has taught us.
When the coming storm gathers dust into lethal clouds, let us hunker down to shelter in the arms of our loving God.
When Jesus shakes the world into God’s new reality, let us not cry out against it.
Let us welcome this shuddering new birth . . . knowing that with the passing of the storm the Spirit who has abided with us . . . will nourish us anew.
Senior, Donald, ed. THE CATHOLIC STUDY BIBLE. New York, Oxford University Press, 1990.20, 44-45. Print.
Cyrus the GreatFounder of the Persian Empire, Cyrus inherited a small kingdom and expanded it to include what we know today as Iran and much of Turkey. He captured Babylon in 539 B.C.E. and although he did not worship the God of Israel, he proved to be “a beneficent king who allowed captive people to return to their homelands and restore their places of worship.”(ARCHAEOLOGICAL STUDY BIBLE 669). We cannot know his motivation for allowing the Jewish people to return home after exile, but we do know that Cyrus II – the Anointed of the Lord who becomes the Liberator of Israel – believed in Marduk, the mythological god of Babylon. As many have commented, we can never anticipate the wisdom or plans of God. Hear then, whom I have chosen . . .
Many times I wonder how God has chosen the agents who do God’s work: stumble-bum leaders, hard-edged colleagues, the apparent liberal who leans toward conservatism, and the seemingly empty-headed support personnel who deliver wisdom during crisis. I have learned to be on the lookout for God’s anointed even as I try to steer clear of false idols; and I wonder about my own fidelity to God and my success as his agent. Hear then, whom I have chosen . . .
Isaiah warns us against replacing God with idols that bring us no help and cause us too much maintenance work. Smiths and carpenters do not reflect, nor have the intelligence and sense to see that the bits of iron and wood they fashion into idols are no god at all . . .Half the wood was burned in the fire, and on its embers I baked bread and roasted meant which I ate. Shall I then make an idol of the rest, or worship a block of wood? Like these smiths and carpenters, we daily set up little gods to worship when we worry about our next meal, the clothes we will wear to the gym or pool, the roof on the house or the brakes on the car that need repair, our position at work, the fussy chair of the civic committee on which we serve. When we set aside our prayer time with God because we want to fret about these worries, we have surrendered to our little gods. He is chasing ashes, a thing that cannot save itself when the flame consumes it . . .
Volcanic ash cloudWe might wonder as we reflect on today’s Noontimehow it is that God has so much patience with us when we turn to the inanimate to fuss and cajole the objects in our surroundings into pleasing us.
We might wonder how it is that God has so much forgiveness with us each time we return to God that the Lord continues to encourage us and grace us with God’s presence.
We might wonder how it is that God has so much imagination that God will use a believer in a pagan god as the anointed one to help the faithful return from an exile their own corruption gained for them.
We might wonder how it is that God has so much compassion for each of us that despite our times of coldness and our turnings away, God continues to heal, restore, redeem and save us.
We might wonder how it is that God loves us eternally and wishes to be with us forever . . . despite the countless times we leave God to chase after ashes.
Volcanic ashWe might wonder. And yet God is the one who pours out water on the thirsty ground, knits us his offspring in the womb, pours out his spirit on us, and lays blessings on our descendants.
We might wonder, yet we need not, for God chases after us. Even as we chase after the ashes of our own folly.
The author of this brief letter is believed to be the Apostle John and it gives us a window on the world of the early church with its factions and arguments. We see the interwoven themes of hospitality, truth, and love – three concepts we might spend time with today.
In the jumble of names we might finally work out that the leader Diotrephes has stepped outside of the Johannine tradition by refusing hospitality to some of John’s disciples. This action would be counter to the kind of behavior Jesus nurtured among his own apostles, and counter to the traditions of the early church. “Itinerant Christian preachers were dependent upon the hospitality of Christians among whom they ministered. This built up networks between the scattered churches and fostered a sense of solidarity. The local churches saw themselves as belonging to the one church, united around the foundational truth of the Gospel.” (ARCHAEOLOGICAL STUDY BIBLE 2035) In this ancient culture, hospitality was essential. Travel by foot through arid and sometimes hostile regions required open homes and welcoming brothers and sisters at journey’s end. Generosity with one’s goods and time was essential for survival in this environment. Fear of false teachers was and is a legitimate concern, but we know from this short letter that the rejected missionaries had been sent by John himself so certainly there was no reason for alarm. As John writes: We ought to support such persons, so that we might be co-workers in the truth. John appeals to those who want to withdraw into a purist sect and he points out that separatism is counter to Jesus’ universal call to unity. Jesus’ truth-followers seek union with others – not separation or elitism. John urges his fellow Christians to support his faithful ministers so that they might be seen as messengers of Christ’s word rather than ordinary pagan beggars who lived off the goodness of others with little or no contribution to society.
In today’s Noontimewe hear an echo of John’s assertion in his first letter that what the apostles have seen with their eyes, heard with their ears and touched with their hands can be believed. Jesus was among them. He died. He rose again and is with them still. This is a truth that cannot be denied and it is an absolute demonstration of Jesus’ love for humanity. John tells us that we in turn must demonstrate our belief in this reality by offering open arms and welcoming hearts to fellow co-workers in this truth.
When we read this letter carefully, we see the elements of a prudent and wise method of confronting the obstinate, self-centered rejection of goodness: Send an opening greeting with an offer of dialog, recommend continued conversation, delineate the points of argument, and center all decisions on Gospel thinking of unity through variety. In 1 Corinthians 12, Paul expresses clearly how Christ creates the union of diverse parts: There are different kinds of spiritual gifts but the same Spirit; there are different forms of service but the same Lord; there are different workings but the same God who produces all of them in everyone. To each individual the manifestation of the Spirit is given for some benefit.We are reminded by both John and Paul that not one of us has sole possession of truth; Christ’s truth lives in the gathering up of all who believe and act inhim.
When we open our hearts and homes for Christ to act throughus, we become the co-workers John speaks of today, we become seekers of Christ’struth rather than our own. We become co-workers in the only truth that matters. This we can believe.
ARCHAEOLOGICAL STUDY BIBLE (NIV). Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan, 2005. 2035. Print.
It is so easy to say that the story of Tobit is about healing and reparation and then move on to another story; yet today’s Noontimegives us the opportunity to sit with a portion of this narrative and to reflect on its meaning in our own lives. We see Tobit’s virtue and courage in the first chapter where he is introduced; and we understand that he is a Jewish man who practices his faith and lives with his family in exile in Nineveh, Assyria. Tobit is unusual, however, in that he shares his meal and his clothes with the poor, and he buries the dead bodies of those slain by the enemy and left for the birds and animals to consume. On this particular day, Tobit has brought back the corpse of a man that was left in the market.
Commentary will point out that Tobit enters the house after a simple ablution and does not wait for the ritual seven days as is required in Numbers 19:11-19. He washes himself, eats his meal, and while he waits for sunset so that he might bury the unknown man, he meditates on Amos 5:11 and 8:4-6 from the prophecy which criticizes the wealthy who trample the poor and steal their grain rather than feeding or helping them. Tobit cries at all of this sadness and finally he buries the dead man once the sun has gone down. As a consequence of all of this goodness, he is mocked by his neighbors – and even his wife. We do not know if Tobit sleeps outdoors because of the heat or because he has been in contact with a dead body, but in either case, the consequence is the same, he becomes blind. In this way, the writer sets up the story for us: “The pious Israelite suffers because he attends to the needs of others.” (Mays 722)
When we reflect on Tobit’s circumstances we might find ourselves in his story. How often do we follow the rules – even at great emotional and fiscal cost – yet we feel blind to the success others enjoy and are even made to feel foolish? We know that others do not adhere to the basic requirements of life and yet they seem to suffer no negative consequences. We may find ourselves wondering why we do what God asks if all we receive in return is the disdain of others. We see that ridicule and derision are the tools most frequently used by those who operate in cliques. Respect for one another, a sense of fair play, and reward for doing as God asks seem at first to bring fierce suffering rather than reward and The wicked freely strut about when what is vile is honored among men. (Psalm 12:8) The good man suffers because he attends to the needs of others. So why try to do as God asks if the reward is mockery?
We cannot in one day hope to understand why bad things happen to good people and why bad people seem to live free of consequence. We can, however, begin to take small steps toward the understanding that God brings goodness out of evil. Always And that the wicked only appearto escape consequence. Always it is goodness that brings a reward from God far greater than any we can devise for ourselves. Always. And that it is in union with God that we experience true and lasting happiness. Always.
Jesus himself is ignored and mocked by many. Why should we be excluded from this treatment at the hands of those who fear goodness? From childhood I was taught that self respect is the only respect we need earn. I learned from my parents that cliques are formed by those who need them most. I was taught to see that blindness comes in many forms and that what we call disability can actually be a boon.
As an adult I have come to understand how wise my parents were, and I try to pass this wisdom on to my children and grandchildren. I have come to know that the only good opinion that matters is God’s; and that I need not unravel all the evil in the world or convert all the wicked. I recognize that God has asked me to play a role in his kingdom building and this I try to do as well as I am able each day, trying to see creation as God does – as the dawning of something new and beautiful each day. So this is how I have arrived at responding to anyone who may ridicule me for conforming to God’s will: I live in the belief that those who practice exclusion rather than inclusion live in fear. And that those who mock us most are most in need of our understanding, our patience, our prayer and our love.
Mays, James L., ed. HARPERCOLLINS BIBLE COMMENTARY. New York, New York: HarperCollins Publishers, 1988. 722. Print.
There is a value in reading scripture slowly while allowing time for reflection and meditation for in this way small themes are given time to blossom into guidelines for living. Today we find a significant idea hidden in the story of the defeat of Midian and it is this. God knows us so well that God forestalls human pride by asking us to rely on onlyGod. In today’s story God asks Gideon to whittle his troops from thirty-two thousand to three hundred. And Gideon does this without questioning; he knows how reliable his God is.
The culling process here is an unusual method for an army. On God’s instruction, Gideon first reminds his troops of the dangers of battle; later he watches how they drink water from the river. He does not appear to question God’s wisdom and he shows no anxiety; he knows how reliable his God is.
Once the three hundred come together, Gideon gives them no more instruction than this: Watch me and follow my lead. After the winnowing process, these loyal soldiers follow Gideon just as he follows the Lord; they know how reliable their God is.
Lying in wait outside the camp, Gideon and the third of the men who are with him overhear the telling of a dream by one of the Midian soldiers. The ominous conclusion is that although the Midianites, Amalekites and Kedemites are numerous as locusts, and although their camels number more than the grains of sand in the desert, the Israelites will be victorious. The Israelites show no angst about having reduced their number to three hundred; they know how reliable their God is. And the enemy flees.
The Lord pronounces to Gideon: You have too many with you for me to pronounce you successful lest you vaunt yourself against me and believe that your own power brought you victory. This is the theme we see repeated often in Judges. The people cry out for help, Yahweh hears their cry and rescues them, once the people feel comfortable in their own skill and power they turn back to the pagan Baals. Then the cycle repeats again. In Gideon’s story, we see the faith-filled soldiers put their trust in this God who has saved them countless times because they know how reliable their God is.
So often I have sat in meetings and watched someone defend their right to make unilateral decisions, forgetting that all comes from God, even the gift of leadership. I have watched these leaders struggle to bring others together behind their decisions not understanding that people follow best when decisions come from God rather than from human ego. They have forgotten – or perhaps have never known – how reliable their God is.
We can rebel against these leaders or we can witness our own confidence in God to them. The choice is always ours. Rather than react in fear, we can act in reliance – just as Gideon does in today’s story, and just as his soldiers do – we can demonstrate to others through our lack of arrogance just how reliable is our God.
And so we pray . . . Powerful and loving God, you know us so well that you understand our tendency to take credit for your gifts. You know that we are inclined to strut with pride when we are successful and complain in fear when we fail. You know that we often believe in ourselves more than we believe in you. Strip us of all hubris and arrogance; bring us humility and modesty. Wipe away our anxiety and fill us with your love. Remind us to follow your lead just as Gideon and his soldiers do. Remind us that when we rely on ourselves alone, we forsake the gift of your wisdom and authority that you so freely give to those who follow you. Tell us again what you have already shown us but that we have so quickly forgotten – that we need not fear anyone or anything, for we know how reliable our God is. Amen.
The Noontimes 