Tuesday 18 December

Jeremiah 23:5-8; Psalm 71 (72):1-2, 12-13, 18-19; Matthew 1:18-24

Emmanuel ‘God with us’

The name Emmanuel, ‘God with us,’ is given to Jesus during the crisis Joseph experienced when he discovered that Mary, to whom he was betrothed, was pregnant. Immediately before this (Matthew 1:1-17), a look at a sample of her child’s ancestors uncovers stories of leaving lands, escape, wandering, being uprooted and displaced. This foreshadows what will happen to Joseph, Mary and Jesus. What does it mean today to call Jesus ‘God with us’ when an unprecedented 68.5 millions of my sisters and brothers have been forced from home, including nearly 25.4 million refugees?