When they had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. “Get up,” he said, “take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him.” So, he got up, took the child and his mother during the night and left for Egypt,

Matthew 2:13-14

For Meditation

We see it every day—men, women, children, trekking miles from their countries and crossing over into neighboring countries. They carry whatever is possible for the journey they did not plan nor intentioned to undertake. Their story is in their faces.

The terror of war and the harshness of famine drive them from their homes, running for their dear lives. They do not know whether they can make it to their destination, if at all they have any. It is always a flight for their survival. Will the unfamiliar country welcome them, and under what conditions? Exhausted, they arrive in foreign countries. Tents replace their houses in their new cities, with no basic amenities for support. One question pervades their minds. Are they ever going to see their homeland again? That is the life of refugees all over the world.

Interestingly, the life of our Lord Jesus begins in this way. Born is in a sheep pen while those He created slept comfortably in their mansions, Joseph whisked baby Jesus away from the terror of King Herod (Matt. 2:13-14). Ironically, Jesus took refuge in Egypt, the nation from which He – the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, delivered His people from slavery. He tasted the terrible life of every refugee when God took on the human body so He could become our Great High Priest who can empathize with our weaknesses (Heb. 4:15).

Christmas has left behind it many untold stories. Amid our celebration of the birth of the Savior, we may have skipped this part of the story. It is the story of the millions of refugees in tent cities strewn across the world. We may have forgotten what His humanity means. But Jesus hasn’t, and His heart bleeds to see the misery of every face in a tent city.

If you ever doubted why God became man, this is it. He came to deliver the oppressed from the wickedness of sin and death, driven and enforced by the devil (Heb, 2:14-15). Through you and I, Christ wants to reach every refugee and call them to come to Him. He is the true refuge for every refugee on earth. Bid them come to Him, will you?