1 Streetsville United Church Sunday, Dec. 29, 2013 Rev. John Tapscott CHRIST OUR REFUGE Matthew 2:13-23 How do you feel now that Christmas is over? A bit relieved, perhaps. Maybe a bit weary. One mother said she is always sorry when Christmas is over. That s because after her kids have hung up their stockings on Christmas Eve it will be a whole year before any of them will hang anything up again. Well, I do hope you all had a blessed Christmas, and that you experienced some of the joy and peace of the season. But soon after the celebrations we get back to our regular schedules and daily routines, perhaps not until after New Year s, but soon enough. Mary and Joseph probably hoped to settle down to a normal life after the birth of Jesus, perhaps right there in Bethlehem. But it was not to be. That was because of King Herod. Now Herod was not a Jew by birth. He was a Gentile and a skilled politician. He was put in place by the Romans to govern the province of Judea. At first he was a good ruler, providing for the nation in the time of famine, and even making friends with the Jews by rebuilding the Jerusalem temple. But over the years he became increasingly paranoid, and began killing off potential rivals to his throne. He even had three of his sons murdered. And when Herod heard that a baby had been born in Bethlehem to be King of the Jews, he sent soldiers to kill all the little children in that region. But before the soldiers arrived, an angel appeared to Joseph in a dream and said to him, Get up, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you Perhaps God s message is coming to you and to me and to all people in these days following Christmas, Flee to Jesus Christ, for he is our refuge and our place of safety. (Matthew 2:13) The truth is that we long for a refuge and place of safety in the world. People are constantly seeking such a place. Bad leaders can make this world very unsafe. Some say Herod couldn t possibly have ordered the murder of those baby boys in Bethlehem. But from we know of his other actions it was most certainly possible. When someone allows evil and darkness to take over their life, they can do some terrible deeds. History is full of such deeds, even recent history. Herods still exist in this world. Even today people flee from oppressive governments, shortages of food and water, lack of opportunity, and religious persecution. The holy family was not the first refugee family and certainly not the last.
2 Thankfully we here in Canada are relatively secure and safe and free. That s why Canada has become a refuge and a safe haven for many people. Of course there may be some coming here as bogus refugees. But the vast majority of refugees are legitimate. They have good reason to flee their home countries. Not long ago I read of a woman living illegally in Canada. She said that was better than being a legal resident of her own country where her family faced political oppression and religious persecution. Yet even in Canada there are unsafe places. For most of us the home and family is a place of refuge from the world. Yet for others the home is a place of violence and fear. And there are others at risk in our land children at any stage of life who are unwanted and unloved, people who are hungry and homeless, those who face prejudice and hatred. Our Lord never really found a refuge in this world. Now the holy family was safe in Egypt for a time. When Herod died, the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and told him to return to Israel. They did so, but when they heard that Herod s son was ruling over Judea they withdrew into Galilee and settled in Nazareth. But many years later even Nazareth was not a safe place for Jesus. After he began his ministry he returned and preached in the synagogue there, pointing to himself as the fulfillment of prophecy. The townsfolk of Nazareth became enraged and nearly threw him off a cliff. Once Jesus said, Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head. Finally he was nailed to a cross cruelly and unjustly. He was even more innocent than the slain boys of Bethlehem. But he shared their fate. Can this fallen world provide us with a place of refuge and safety? We try to provide our children with safe schools and homes; we improve the safety of cars and airplanes, we tighten security; we look after our bodies. All this can enhance our security and well-being. Yet ultimately the world cannot be the place of refuge we need. For the world is not only physically and socially risky for many people; it s spiritually risky for everyone. There are temptations all around and we all share in the sin of Adam which separates us from God. Our lives are overshadowed from birth by the reality of death. No, the world cannot provide us with the refuge and place of safety we long for. But God can and God does in Jesus Christ. God s word is coming to you and to me today. Flee to Jesus Christ; for he is our refuge and our place of safety. Listen to the words of the writer to the Hebrews, Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he (Jesus) partook of the same nature that through death he might destroy him who has the power of death, that is, the devil and deliver those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong bondage. He was made like (us) in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make expiation for the sins of the people. For because he himself has suffered and been tempted, he is able to help those who are tempted. (Hebrews 2:14-18) The writer is saying that the One without sin identified with sinners. He was the godly high priest who died in our place as the final sacrifice for our sins. Then his Father raised him from the grave to be alive forevermore. So Jesus Christ has become our everlasting refuge and place of safety. The One who had no worldly place of refuge has become our
3 refuge. The One who was not safe from the powers and principalities offers us a place of safety where nothing in all creation can separate us from the love of God. Psalm 46 says, God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. And that is certainly true about God s own Son. He is not only our refuge and our place of safety; He is also our strength and a very present help in trouble. Jesus Christ shared our life completely; He suffered and was tempted, so he strengthens us in temptation and comforts us in distress; he is the light in our darkness and the wisdom in our confusion; his sacrifice reconciles us with God; his blood covers our sin and brings us forgiveness; he is the resurrection and the life in our time of death. Flee to Jesus Christ, for he is our refuge and our place of safety. He is our strength and a very present help in trouble. Flee to Jesus. For he is here now. He is very near. His arms are reaching out to embrace you, and his strong hand reaching out to take your hand. Thomas A. Dorsey was a wonderful Christian soloist and songwriter. In 1932 Dorsey was singing in St. Louis when he heard that his pregnant wife was seriously ill. He rushed back to Chicago where he learned that just before she died his wife had given birth to a boy. Later that night the baby died. Dorsey now had to deal with two losses, two funerals. I buried Nettie and our boy in the same casket, he said. Then I fell apart. Can t you hear an echo of the Gospel story, A voice was heard in Ramah, wailing and loud lamentation, Rachel weeping for her children; she refused to be consoled, because they were no more. Days later, Dorsey sat alone, grieving at his piano. Suddenly I felt as though I could reach out and touch God. I found myself playing a melody, one I d never heard or played before, and words came into my head they just seemed to fall into place: Precious Lord, take my hand/lead me on, let me stand/i am tired, I am weak, I am worn,/through the storm, through the night, Lead me on to the light,/ Take my hand, precious Lord, lead me home. Thomas Dorsey found in the Lord a refuge and a place of safety. He discovered that Jesus is a stronghold for our lives and a very present help in the valley of trouble. So many people have found him to be that; so many of us here today. Can we find a friend so faithful, who will all our sorrows share? Jesus knows our every weakness, take it to the Lord in prayer. And maybe it s because we find Jesus here in this place that we refer to the worship space as a sanctuary, a place of refuge from the world. And when we find our refuge in Jesus, God sends us back into those places where people are uncared for. He sends us out to make this world and our community safer for those at risk. Our Lord sends us out to light up the dark places with love and compassion and acts of justice. Now we cannot put away all evil ourselves. God himself will do that when Christ returns. But the decisive victory over sin and evil and death has already been won through Christ s Cross and resurrection. The end will be good. And we serve others in the light of that victory, not only resisting evil, but overcoming it with good. A youth pastor at a church tells about Emmett, a street person. One cold night someone let Emmett into the narthex to sleep on a bench. The church decided to let him stay all winter. One
4 night the youth group was meeting. That night they were baking communion bread. When it was time to go, they found Emmett on the bench sleeping on their nice, warm coats. The youth pastor thought one of the kids would say Oh, yuk, because Emmett was looking nasty that day. He had tried to shave but had not done a very good job. But instead of being ashamed, the kids said they would get Emmett something to eat. They went to the youth pastor s home and in her kitchen found cheese, corned beef, English muffins, potato chips, and two green apples. They put it all in a bag, went back to the church and gave it to Emmett. He was surprised, but he was a quiet man, and after mumbling thanks, didn t say anything else. The kids went home. But as the youth pastor was turning out the lights she heard him say softly from the bench, Thank you, Jesus, for this warm house. It s so cold outside. The holy family finds refuge in Egypt. A street man finds refuge in a church. All of us can find a place of safety in Jesus Christ, who died and rose again for us and is not ashamed to call us brothers and sisters. In Him we find true security. No matter where we are or who we are, God s word comes to us this day, Flee to Jesus Christ, for he is our refuge and our place of safety. Trust in him. Walk with him. Abide in him and you will abide in the love of God forever.
5