The Visit of the Magi - Mathew 2:1-12
The Magi Visit the Messiah
2 After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem 2 and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.”
3 When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. 4 When he had called together all the people’s chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Messiah was to be born. 5 “In Bethlehem in Judea,” they replied, “for this is what the prophet has written:
6 “‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;
for out of you will come a ruler
who will shepherd my people Israel.’”
7 Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. 8 He sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him.”
9 After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen when it rose went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. 10 When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. 11 On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. 12 And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route.
Reflection: One cannot read this pericope (pericope is a Greek word for short unit of a story for teaching purposes. Daily Bread 2014 will be teaching all the pericope's of the four gospels, in which some will be the same story with different nuances) without seeing the irony of the Jesus' first worship audience.
1. The first people to worship Jesus, as the King of kings, are Persian astrologers. They were emissaries of the Persian king's court, who studied the stars and believed they revealed future kings. It was a custom for kings to send ambassadors with gifts to keep peace between nations and start out the relationship on good terms. Note the irony that it was the Gentiles, who first were led to worship the Baby Jesus and future King. Note the revelation to these men was through Creation, in some kind of supernova or cosmic explosion that caused them to come to Jerusalem some six miles from Bethlehem. Since they knew an existing king was there (King Herod, who had been reigning 35 years) it made political sense to go there first.
2. The religious leaders knew from Micah 5:2 (Scriptural revelation) that the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem, yet had done nothing to go and check it out. Religious knowledge for them did not translate into being the first to worship the One they had waited so long to appear. In contrast to the eager astrologers, they sit passive.
3. Finally, we have ruthless King Herod. He too wishes to see where this King has been born. He too wishes to worship him, but we know it is all motivated out of fear of losing his stranglehold on his power. We know he has already executed children in his only family for fear they were going to take his kingship. He too wants to worship Jesus, but only so he can take him out and satisfy his ongoing lust for power.
Quite a historical setting that the Son of God has chosen to enter our broken world don't you think?. We see the humility in future King Jesus, as he is not welcomed with a fanfare fitting for the King of kings, but only the foreign astrologers from the East offer any adulation to Him.
So what can this mean for us today? Do we see any similarities to our world? As a religious leader, I have to ask myself, am I more like the wise men, the religious leaders, or King Herod? Am I seeking to find and worship King Jesus by offering him my best gifts. Or do I see Jesus as a threat to my power? Or worst in my opinion, have I lost interest in Jesus, and only want to maintain my position by sitting back passively?
And how about you? Who is Jesus to you? May 2014 be a year, as we read through the four accounts of Jesus life,that we truly seek Him and follow the guidance of the Holy Scriptures to worship the King, who was born in a humble manger and will come again in great and promised glory!!
2 After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem 2 and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.”
3 When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. 4 When he had called together all the people’s chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Messiah was to be born. 5 “In Bethlehem in Judea,” they replied, “for this is what the prophet has written:
6 “‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;
for out of you will come a ruler
who will shepherd my people Israel.’”
7 Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. 8 He sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him.”
9 After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen when it rose went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. 10 When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. 11 On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. 12 And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route.
Reflection: One cannot read this pericope (pericope is a Greek word for short unit of a story for teaching purposes. Daily Bread 2014 will be teaching all the pericope's of the four gospels, in which some will be the same story with different nuances) without seeing the irony of the Jesus' first worship audience.
1. The first people to worship Jesus, as the King of kings, are Persian astrologers. They were emissaries of the Persian king's court, who studied the stars and believed they revealed future kings. It was a custom for kings to send ambassadors with gifts to keep peace between nations and start out the relationship on good terms. Note the irony that it was the Gentiles, who first were led to worship the Baby Jesus and future King. Note the revelation to these men was through Creation, in some kind of supernova or cosmic explosion that caused them to come to Jerusalem some six miles from Bethlehem. Since they knew an existing king was there (King Herod, who had been reigning 35 years) it made political sense to go there first.
2. The religious leaders knew from Micah 5:2 (Scriptural revelation) that the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem, yet had done nothing to go and check it out. Religious knowledge for them did not translate into being the first to worship the One they had waited so long to appear. In contrast to the eager astrologers, they sit passive.
3. Finally, we have ruthless King Herod. He too wishes to see where this King has been born. He too wishes to worship him, but we know it is all motivated out of fear of losing his stranglehold on his power. We know he has already executed children in his only family for fear they were going to take his kingship. He too wants to worship Jesus, but only so he can take him out and satisfy his ongoing lust for power.
Quite a historical setting that the Son of God has chosen to enter our broken world don't you think?. We see the humility in future King Jesus, as he is not welcomed with a fanfare fitting for the King of kings, but only the foreign astrologers from the East offer any adulation to Him.
So what can this mean for us today? Do we see any similarities to our world? As a religious leader, I have to ask myself, am I more like the wise men, the religious leaders, or King Herod? Am I seeking to find and worship King Jesus by offering him my best gifts. Or do I see Jesus as a threat to my power? Or worst in my opinion, have I lost interest in Jesus, and only want to maintain my position by sitting back passively?
And how about you? Who is Jesus to you? May 2014 be a year, as we read through the four accounts of Jesus life,that we truly seek Him and follow the guidance of the Holy Scriptures to worship the King, who was born in a humble manger and will come again in great and promised glory!!
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