Chapter 7: Joseph, Part 3

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."

Joseph, back to you.  What was it like for you after the visitors left?

Well, the visitor didn't stop for quite a while, but In the months that passed I set up shop in Bethlehem, right there in the cave.  Did rather well, too.  So did he.  A healthy boy with a good appetite and a strong pair of lungs!  Born to teach to large crowds, he was.  When he was almost three, I had another of those strange dreams.  Again with the light and the smell of incense.  But this time the message was worrisome.  We were told to leave Israel because King Herod wanted to kill Jesus!   We were to move to Egypt and stay there until we were told otherwise. A few years later, Herod died.  My third and final dream told us the good news and we returned...to Nazareth, of all places!  I’m not sure why, it just seemed the right thing to do.  The boy grew up there.

I imagine the townspeople had some lingering questions,

Yes, there was a lot of talk about him and his mother, but he became a fine carpenter, a valued member of the community...a righteous man. And one more thing.  He is my son and I love him.  Any man who has anything against him, he should come through me first! “Listen to me, such a terror! Ah, well.  There's not much more I can tell you.  Did you get what you needed?

 I believe you answered all my questions.  Thank you, Joseph.