2nd Sunday After Christmas
Matt 2:13-23 Today is the second Sunday of Christmas the bookend to the Christmas season. On Christmas Eve we all heard the old familiar story of Mary and Joseph huddled around the baby Jesus peaceful in the manger. We heard of glad tidings of great joy announced by the host of heavenly angels and the joy of the shepherds come to worship the Messiah. We welcomed the new light coming into the world and rejoiced at its appearing. But today, we hear the dark side of the Christmas story. Today we turn to the Gospel of Matthew and we hear a very different account. One that many, probably most of us would rather ignore. In fact, it never ceases to amaze me how many lifelong Christians remain totally unfamiliar with this story. For although the first visitors to the newborn Jesus, the shepherds, the angles and even the magi were all joyful and filled with praise, beneath their glad tidings danger was lurking. For in thi...