At a moment when the country is changing governments and everyone is asking how it will turn out, Matthew’s Gospel (Matthew 2) tells a story for those who feel powerless. Matthew shapes the narrative so that Jesus’ life traces Israel’s: flight into Egypt, a king murdering children, exile. And when the holy family is finally cleared to return, it still does not go home but settles in Nazareth, because back then your town of origin worked like a surname, and this was the surname of outcasts. Listen if you have ever pointed a finger at heaven and said: you have no idea what this feels like.
The God Who Understands Us
Wait for the King
When we look at the world with all its social injustice, exploitation, and corrupt politicians, we wish that God would come as King and set things right. The Gospel of Matthew presents Jesus as the promised King who came into the world. Its opening chapters, which tell of His birth, help us understand that this is a completely different King, from a completely different Kingdom than we expected. Yet He is the King we need.
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