"And being warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed to their own country by another way." (Matthew 2:12)

The other day I called someone to compliment her on a job she had done exceedingly well. We had worked on a project together which became a great success, in no small part because of the leadership she provided. As I spoke with her, I went on and on about how much her work had been appreciated. "Everyone who was there really loved you," I told her; "in fact, they’re raving about you!" Then I added, "Of course, I don’t know what they see in you myself, but they all seemed to be impressed anyway."

It was a joke, and she took it as a joke. "That’s right," she laughed, "don’t let me get a swelled head about this!" A few minutes later, the conversation was over.

After I hun…