Ruth hurried outside and leaned against the wall. Her heart was beating so loud that she could hear nothing else, not the chatter inside the house nor the sound of footsteps approaching until a voice said “Ruth? Is that you?”
“Joshua? Oh thank goodness. I...I heard something and I don’t know what to do.”
“Heard something?” Joshua looked at her, startled. “Ruth, what is it? Has someone threatened you?”
“Not me- Jesus!”
“What?”
“I heard the visitors talking while I was cleaning up yesterday. They were preparing to go back to home- they’re leaving in the morning- and were discussing if they were going to go back to King Herod to tell him about Jesus. They all looked worried. Then one of them said that he’d had a dream the night before, telling him they shouldn’t go back to Herod. Another one said he’d had the same dream, and so had another. So they agreed that they would go back a different way, and not tell Herod about the child.”
“Well, that is odd,” Joshua said. “But they’ve seen what they came for and they’ve been here a while now. They might just want a quicker route home.”
“But just now- their servants were talking. One of the servants was sent with them by King Herod, when they visited him in Jerusalem on their way here. That servant said that Herod was angry when he heard about that- angrier than he was when he first heard about Jesus, because they said there were prophecies that he would grow up to be a ruler. Maybe Herod’s scared he will overthrow him.”
“But he’s hardly more than a baby! Why would anyone kill him now? Maybe if he grew up to be a threat, but Herod wouldn’t kill a child.”
Ruth shivered. It had been the servant’s tone when he was talking about Herod that he had scared her.
*****
The next morning half of Bethlehem had gathered to see the travellers depart. Joshua was in the crowd beside Ruth and her mother. Ruth was still worried. “That servant definitely isn’t with them,” she whispered to Joshua. “I haven’t seen him since last night. Why has he disappeared?”
“Well, you said he was Herod’s servant,” Joshua said. “Maybe he’s gone back to Jerusalem.”
Ruth turned to him. “We have to tell Mary and Joseph.”
They hurried inside to where Mary and Joseph were beginning preparations for their own journey to Nazareth. The visitors’ gifts had decided them- they would provide enough money for the journey and to set up a comfortable home of their own. Joseph had already bought a donkey to carry their belongings.
Ruth told what she had overheard the night before, and of the disappearance of Herod’s servant. Mary looked over at the corner where Jesus was playing with some wooden blocks his earthly father had made.
“So soon,” she said under her breath. “Can it really be time for the sword?”
“But why would Herod want to kill him?” Joseph said. “He’s barely more than a baby- how can he be a threat?”
“It sounds like he is afraid of what the child may become,” Joshua said. “After Ruth told me this last night, I hung around near the servants, and heard them talking. Herod was really angry when these visitors turned up out of nowhere, demanding where the child born to be king of the Jews was. If this servant has gone back to him and told him where Jesus is- well, Jerusalem isn’t that far away.”
“Joseph, we should go,” Mary said.
“Don’t go to Nazareth,” Ruth said. “The whole town knows that’s where you’re from, Herod could find out easily and send soldiers there after you. Don’t tell anyone where you’re going.”
Joseph was staring at the floor.
“Mary, haven’t you always said God will protect us?” he said finally. “We decided that the right thing to do was to go back to Nazareth- we felt that was what God wanted us to do. Well then, shouldn’t we stick with that, and trust God to protect his child?”
Mary looked at him.
“If you believe it is God’s will,” she said quietly. But Ruth could see fear in her eyes.
*****
That evening Ruth heard Mary singing little Jesus to sleep.
“Lully, lullay, my little tiny child, by-by, lully, lullay.
Oh, sisters too, how may we do for to preserve this day?
This poor youngling of whom we do sing,
By-by, lully, lullay.
Herod the King, in his raging, charged he hath this day,
His men of might in his own sight all children young to slay.
Then woe is me poor child for thee, and ever morn and day,
For thy parting nor say nor sing
By-by, lully, lullay.”
*****
In the middle of the night Ruth heard noises in the room where Mary and Joseph slept. Afraid that her worst fears had come true, she crept to their door which was ajar, and peeped in, afraid of what she might see. By the dim light of a lamp she saw Mary kneeling on the floor, hurriedly bundling up something. The door creaked as Ruth touched it, and Mary jumped up, frightened.
“Oh, Ruth,” she said quietly, and with relief in her voice. “I was afraid...”
“What’s wrong?” Ruth asked. She looked around and saw evidence of hurried packing up of Mary and Joseph’s belongings. Jesus was still asleep, wrapped in a blanket, but Joseph was not there.
“Joseph had a dream,” Mary said, looking at her son. “God told him that we must go at once. It is as you feared- Herod wants to kill Jesus. Joseph has gone downstairs to load the donkey and see if the coast is clear. If it is, we will leave as soon as there is light to see by.”
“Where will you go?” Ruth asked. “Nazareth?”
“Not to Nazareth,” Mary said. “But it is best if you do not know. If Herod is determined to find him- Ruth, I am sorry if we have brought this trouble on you and your mother, and on Bethlehem.”
“We’ll be all right,” Ruth said.
Joseph came in. “There’s no one around, and the first light of dawn is in the sky. Mary- it’s time.”
Mary kissed Ruth. “Thank your mother for us, and apologise that we have left so hurriedly. We have paid her all we owe, and here is a little present for you.” She tucked a parcel into Ruth’s hand, then picked up the bundle of clothing. Joseph picked up Jesus without waking him, and they went outside.
