NOTES for Mat 2:1-23
For the Evangelist, the newborn Child is the promised Messiah, who is to embody in Himself the whole Sacred History of the people of Israel and bring it to fulfillment. That is why today’s account contains recognizable details from the story of Moses, the Exodus from Egypt, and the journey through the wilderness. An evil king seeks to destroy Israel’s hope and kills innocent children (Ex 1); God brings Israel out of Egypt (this parallel is confirmed by the quotation from the prophet); sages from the East, guided by a star, bless Israel (Num 24:17). God saves His people not from outside history but from its very heart: Christ is born on earth in order to pass through all the trials and hardships of His people and, indeed, of all humanity. The wondrous mystery of sharing in God is fulfilled in the One who walked upon our earth, breathed our air, saw our sky, lived in our world, and filled our history and our life...