Matthew 2:1-23 (Going into the Unknown)

I hope you all had a great Christmas!!  In the church year, we are in the season of Christmas until this coming Sunday the 6th of January, when we celebrate Epiphany.  This is the Sunday, we talk about the traditional story of the three kings coming from the East following the star.  In recent years, biblical scholarship has begun asking us to relook at the details of this particular story.  As interesting as it is to look at these details, what has stayed the same and is often overlooked in this story is the concept of Going into the Unknown.  Going into the Unknown is a scary thing.  I think many of us remember our first jobs, where we didn't know all the ropes; didn't know very many people; didn't know the routine; or maybe didn't even know if we liked what we did for our job.  It can be scary, having a new routine or a new normal.  However, jobs are something that we eventually learn to grow into and we eventually become comfortable with.  I would argue that Going into the Unknown in terms of faith is very hard.
   In our story today, we have many sets of people going into the Unknown.  We have Joseph, Mary, and baby Jesus going into the unknown of Egypt.  We also have the three kings/magi following a star to find the boy who would be the Jewish Messiah.  I think Going into the Unknown, based on the call of God can at both times be comforting and very challenging.  It is comforting because, we know God is with us and will support us as we journey.  However, at the same time it is very challenging because we don't know where the end of this unknown time will come.  It is also scary because we don't known exactly what God has in store for us and what we will have to do.  The thing we see in scripture today is that when we trust God in the midst of this unknown time and space, is that God delivers us.  It might take some time, there probably will be difficulty, but in the end God honors God promise and delivers us.
    As we look into this new year, where do you think God is calling you to go into?  Where is the great unknown for you?  Is it a new job?  Is it working on a  broken relationship?  It is rethinking how you look at yourself?  Is it finding help for an addiction?  Whatever it is, know that God walks with you during this time and God honors God's promises!