Joseph has just found out that his fianceé, Mary, is pregnant. That was not part of Joseph’s original plan. So, he develops a new plan; Matthew says it was “to dismiss her quietly.” Apparently, in those days, that would have been an appropriate plan. He knew, of course, that he had not gotten her pregnant, so his plan seems designed to provide the best outcome for them both.
But Joseph’s own plan was changed—overruled by God. He was to go ahead and marry her and they would have the baby as a family. As they say, the rest is history.
As a student, you know that having a plan can be a good idea. But, they also say, life is what happens when you are doing something else. With four or five classes, different assignments and deadlines in each class, other activities, a job, unplanned and spontaneous bull sessions, family crises, or a flat tire, you never know when you will need to flex. Joseph’s story teaches that God has a safety net for when your plans fail. You need to have your plans, but don’t think that they are the last word.
Prayer: Thank you God for being my safety net—even under my best-laid plans. Amen.
3 – Where is the King?
Matthew 2:1–12 — (1) In the time of King Herod, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, (2) asking, “Where is the child who has been born king of the Jews? For we observed his star at its rising, and have come to pay him homage.” (3) When King Herod heard this, he was frightened, and all Jerusalem with him; (4) and calling together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born. (5) They told him, “In Bethlehem of Judea; for so it has been written by the prophet: (6) ‘And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for from you shall come a ruler who is to shepherd my people Israel.’” (7) Then Herod secretly called for the wise men and learned from them the exact time the star had appeared. (8) Then he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, “Go and search diligently for the child; and when you have found him, bring me word so that I may also go and pay him homage.” (9) When they had heard the king, they set out; and there, ahead of them, went the star that they had seen at its rising, until it stopped over the place where the child was. (10) When they saw that the star had stopped, they were overwhelmed with joy. (11) On entering the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they knelt down and paid him homage. Then, opening their treasure chests, they offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. (12) And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they left for their own country by another road.
By now you know that you will be confronted by many claimants for your allegiance. Virtually anything can create a claim—socialism, bagels, TV, work, other people. It will take wisdom and courage to sort out the bogus kings (Elvis, King Kong) from the ones worthy of your commitment. We know we are just kidding when we use such terminology as “king.” We don’t have kings; it’s a thing of the past. Taking orders from others seems unacceptable. Or is it?
In this story, three wise men must choose to obey “King Herod” or worship the “king of the Jews.” Herod had all the marks of a king; Jesus was a baby in a diaper. To make a long and tense story short, they chose Jesus. You will be faced with the same sort of choice as professors, -isms, peers, and God in Jesus Christ confront you with the dilemma of the “wise men.” With Jesus’ help, you can make the right choice.
Prayer: Lord God, help me to study wisdom and power and to choose wisdom. Amen.
4 – Burden of the Wise: Unintended Consequences
Matthew 2:13–23 — (13) 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.” (14) Then Joseph got up, took the child and his mother by night, and went to Egypt, (15) 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.” (16) When Herod saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, he was infuriated, and he sent and killed all the children in and around Bethlehem who were two years old or under, according to the time that he had learned from the wise men. (17) Then was fulfilled what had been spoken through the prophet Jeremiah: (18) “A voice was heard in Ramah, wailing and loud lamentation, Rachel weeping for her children; she refused to be consoled, because they are no more.” (19) When Herod died, an angel of the Lord suddenly appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt and said, (2) “Get up, take the child and his mother, and go to the land of Israel, for those who were seeking the child’s life are dead.” (21) Then Joseph got up, took the child and his mother, and went to the land of Israel. (22) But when he heard that Archelaus was ruling over Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. And after being warned in a dream, he went away to the district of Galilee. (23) There he made his home in a town called Nazareth, so that what had been spoken through the prophets might be fulfilled, “He will be called a Nazorean.”
Sneaking out of town at night is suspicious behavior. It needs looking into. But then you discover that baby Jesus would be killed if they stayed. Herod was acting on what the military calls “actionable intelligence”—information that calls for a response. Herod’s “intelligence” was that his challenger for the throne could be found among the babies in a certain area. His response was totally and disgustingly gross.
As you go through college you will confront moments when you will have a variety of responses available to you—most pretty mundane, but some hard. Your decisions will call for wisdom. College doesn’t teach wisdom. Art history? Yes. American lit? Yes. But wisdom? It’s a good thing that Christ can be your Wisdom (1 Cor 1:30).
Prayer: Lord, teach me wisdom so that—like the wise men—I may travel by another way, your way. Amen.
5 – The “Tan Man”
Matthew 3:1–12 — (1) In those days John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness of Judea, proclaiming (2) “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.” (3) This is the one of whom the prophet Isaiah spoke when he said, “The voice of one crying out in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.’” (4) Now John wore clothing of camel’s hair with a leather belt around his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey. (5) Then the people of Jerusalem and all Judea were going out to him, and all the region along the Jordan, (6) and they were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. (7) But when he saw many Pharisees and Sadducees coming for baptism, he said to them, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? (8) Bear fruit worthy of repentance. (9) Do not presume to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our ancestor’; for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children to Abraham. (10) Even now the ax is lying at the root of the trees; every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. (11) I baptize you with water for repentance, but one who is more powerful than I is coming after me; I am not worthy to carry his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. (12) His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor and will gather his wheat into the granary; but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.”
Everyone called him the “Tan Man.” It was winter but he rode his bike shirtless and silent around the University of Kansas campus. He looked disheveled, like the cartoon figure with the sandwich board that read, “Repent” and something about the end of the world. The rumor was that he was a veteran of the Vietnam War.
In the Gospel, the message of repentance is delivered by a strange-looking character who dresses in animal skins and lives out in the desert on a diet of bugs and honey. Unlike the Tan Man or the cartoon figure, John’s message of repentance was clear: “change [your] mind.” (That is what “repent” means in Greek.) Why? With Jesus, there is