He Knows My Terror
Scripture Reading: Matthew 2:1-23
Meditation
As Mary and Joseph settle in Bethlehem, a river of blood flows through Judea. Its headwaters begin at the foot of Herod’s throne and its current courses through the small Roman province.
Herod’s terror surges through every village surrounding Jerusalem, sweeping away royal foes, friends, and even family members. When a band of scholars from the East bring news of a newborn King of the Jews, Herod’s rage is diverted toward King David’s town—Bethlehem.
After Jesus was born in Bethlehem village, Judah territory—this was during Herod’s kingship—a band of scholars arrived in Jerusalem from the East. They asked around, “Where can we find and pay homage to the newborn King of the Jews? We observed a star in the eastern sky that signaled his birth. We’re on pilgrimage to worship him.”
When word of their inquiry got to Herod, he was terrified—and not Herod alone, but most of Jerusalem as well.1
Herod the Great is a puppet king. He’s the little big man of Rome’s Judean province. Appointed by the Roman senate, he wants to rule Judea alone. He wants to be sole king of the Jews. No competitors. No threats to the throne.
When he thought his own family was about to turn on him, he didn’t hesitate to draw the blade. He murdered his wife, his three sons, mother-in-law, brother-in-law, and countless others. He has little compassion, no moral conscience, and his fears are stoked hotter by the fuel of his insecurity.
And so when the Magi from the East come looking for the one born King of the Jews, Herod and all of Jerusalem are disturbed. All of Jerusalem knows that when Herod is angry, there will be trouble in the province.
Herod sends for the band of scholars. As they come, he sets in place a ruse. He feigns to be a fellow pilgrim worshipper and dispatches the Magi to Bethlehem to look for the newborn King. As they search for the child, Herod begins to sharpen his sword.
Herod then arranged a secret meeting with the scholars from the East. Pretending to be as devout as they were, he got them to tell him exactly when the birth-announcement star appeared. Then he told them the prophecy about Bethlehem, and said, “Go find this child. Leave no stone unturned. As soon as you find him, send word and I’ll join you at once in your worship.”2
Guided by the Messianic star in the eastern skies, the wise men set off for Bethlehem. As they travel, their eyes alternate between heaven and earth, sign and destination, promise and fulfillment. They search until star and Savior converge. And when they find their King sitting on Mary’s lap, they kneel. They worship. And as the King of the Jews climbs out of his mother’s lap and crawls toward them, the Magi open up their dusty bags and present him with gifts: gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
For Mary and Joseph, it’s like a dream.
But the dream is soon to turn into a nightmare.
When Herod realized that the band of Eastern scholars had snuck out of Bethlehem and had taken the long way home, around Jerusalem, he stopped sharpening his sword. Instead, he raised the blade into the sky and released the hounds of hell. But heaven’s angelic agents have inside information.
After the scholars were gone, God’s angel showed up again in Joseph’s dream and commanded, “Get up. Take the child and his mother and flee to Egypt. Stay until further notice. Herod is on the hunt for this child, and wants to kill him.”
Joseph obeyed. He got up, took the child and his mother under cover of darkness. They were out of town and well on their way by daylight.3
Mary and Joseph know what it’s like to live with fear.
Ever since Gabriel appeared, fear has dogged them. It has mixed itself into their plans. Fear traveled with them to Bethlehem. It weaved its way into the fiber and fabric of their lives. But this warning from Gabriel brings much more than fear. It brings terror—fear pushed to the extreme. It’s intense. Fierce. Violent.
For Mary and Joseph, fear is one thing; terror is another.
Fear frightens; terror overwhelms. Fear is the bad dream in the middle of the night; terror is waking up to the nightmare at the break of day. Fear dwells in the realm of possibility; terror moves in, unpacks, and takes up residence in reality. And reality, according to Gabriel, is that Herod is on his way to kill the child, and—for good measure—he’s planning to kill all of Bethlehem’s boys two years old and under. After today, there will be no toddling threats to Herod’s throne.
As intense as the terror is, God matches it with grace and then goes beyond it with provision. He supplies to the extreme. To a blue collar, lower class carpenter with a new wife and a toddler to feed, he lavishes gold, frankincense, and myrrh. These are gifts from the hand of God, wrapped and delivered by the men of the East: resources aplenty to help a family on the run. They can go anywhere, at any moment, and stay for any length of time.
Along the way, God provides an angel who maps out the exact route and gives an up-to-date account of current events. When the angel says, “Get up and go,” they go. When he says, “Stay,” the family pitches its tent. When he says, “Return,” they pack up and head home.
Later, when Herod died, God’s angel appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt: “Up, take the child and his mother and return to Israel. All those out to murder the child are dead.”4
When terror sends its assassins, heaven dispatches angels. Providence guides. Grace supplies. And peace pitches its tent along the way.
Reflection
What would it be like to have someone hunting your child in order to kill him? Hunting you?
When was the last time you experienced terror—intense, overwhelming fear?
If fear is a bad dream in the middle of the night, what is your waking nightmare? What brings you terror?
How has God protected your life?
Prayer
Father,
Your Son was the true King of the Jews. Though he came as a Prince of Peace, he was a threat to kings and kingdoms. Herod tried to kill him. Through Pilate, Israel rejected, betrayed, and demanded his crucifixion. Rome crowned him with a crown of thorns, nailed him to a tree like a criminal and pierced his side. But on the third day, your Son rose victorious and was crowned the Lord of heaven and earth, the King of kings. All along, heaven had shielded salvation’s plans.
During this day, send Divine Providence to guard my family. When terror sends its assassins, dispatch legions of angels to intervene. When you tell me to pack, hurry and leave in the middle of the night—show me where to go and remind me how you’ve provided in advance for the journey. When forced to relocate, assure me that you have gone ahead and pitched a tent of peace. And when it’s time to return, give me a clear sign that danger has passed. In every moment of every day, keep me one step ahead of and one step away from the reach of terror. It’s in Christ’s name that I pray. Amen.
1Matthew 2:1-3 2Matthew 2:7-8 3Matthew 2:13-14 4Matthew 2:19-20
All Scripture references in the meditation are marked by italics and are taken from the Gospel reading for the day. Those verses quoted outside of the chosen reading for the day are noted. All Scripture quoted in this post is taken from THE MESSAGE: Copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 2000, 2001 & 2002. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group. All rights reserved.