Can you help me reconcile these two scriptures: Matthew 2:13-23 and Luke 2:22? In Matthew, we find Joseph bringing Mary and Jesus to Egypt right after the visit of the Magi. They only return to Nazareth after the death of Herod. In Luke Jesus is brought to Jerusalem, and then returns home to Nazareth. I used to think that maybe they went first to Jerusalem and then Egypt. But the language of Matthew suggests an immediate flight into Egypt from Bethlehem, while the language of Luke suggests a trip only to Jerusalem and then Nazareth. -- Rommel J. Casis Quisumbing Torres (Manila)
The Luke account focuses on the earliest weeks of Jesus' life. He may not have been born in the lap of luxury, but at least no one was trying to exterminate him. Herod did not yet know that the (true) King of the Jews had been born. By the time he finds out, Jesus is approximately 2 years old, and living in a house (Matthew 2:11). The Matthew account never portrays Jesus as a newborn. So here's the sequence, putting it all together: Jesus is born in Bethlehem, consecrated in Jerusalem, returned home to Nazareth, fled to Egypt, and returned to Nazareth again once the coast was clear.
Then why, you might ask, does Luke place Jesus in Bethlehem when in fact he had been living in Nazareth for some two years?
* First, recall that the family of Joseph and Mary had relatives in Bethlehem. Since this little town is only a few miles from Jerusalem, is it not likely they would have visited there on occasion, especially in conjunction with the frequent trips to Jerusalem required by the law?
* Second, consider the providence of God. Though it is still a good journey to Egypt from the area of Jerusalem/Bethlehem, it would have been much farther had they been forced to flee from Galilee (where Nazareth is).
* Thirdly, consider yet another aspect of providence. The Lord apparently had willed that the Magi visit Jesus, who happened to be near Bethlehem at the time. They began their inquiry in Jerusalem, conveniently near the ancient town of David, just a few miles away. Herod, feeling threatened by the prospect of rival claimant to the throne, commissions these foreign dignitaries to locate the Christ child and report back to him. (Fortunately, they fulfilled only part one of their assignment!) Perhaps it was necessary that Jesus be in the environs of Jerusalem so that the Magi would fulfill their part in alerting Herod as to Jesus' existence. (Herod probably should have been targetting Nazareth, but made an error.)
Thus we see that there is no necessary contradiction between the Matthaean and Lucan infancy narratives.
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