For out of you shall come a Ruler Who will shepherd My people Israel

 

 Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, saying, "Where is He who has been born King of the Jews?  For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him."  When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.  And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born.  So they said to him, "In Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it is written by the prophet:

'But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,

Are not the least among the rulers of Judah;

 For out of you shall come a Ruler 

Who will shepherd My people Israel.'"

Then Herod, when he had secretly called the wise men, determined from them what time the star appeared.  And he sent them to Bethlehem and said, "Go and search carefully for the young Child, and when you have found Him, bring back word to me, that I may come and worship Him also."  When they heard the king, they departed; and behold, the star which they had seen in the East went before them, till it came and stood over where the young Child was.  When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy.  And when they had come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him.  And when they had opened their treasures, they presented gifts to Him:  gold, frankincense, and myrrh.  Then, being divinely warned in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed for their own country another way.

 

- Matthew 2:1-12 

 

Yesterday we read that when the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome brought spices to the tomb where the body of Christ had been laid, that they might come and anoint Him.  Very early in the morning, on the first day of the week, they came to the tomb when the sun had risen.  And they said among themselves, "Who will roll away the stone from the door of the tomb for us?"  But when they looked up, they saw that the stone had been rolled away -- for it was very large.  And entering the tomb, they saw a young man clothed in a long white robe sitting on the right side; and they were alarmed.  But he said to them, "Do not be alarmed.  You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified.  He is risen!  He is not here.  See the place where they laid Him.  But go, tell His disciples -- and Peter -- that He is going before you into Galilee; there you will see Him, as He said to you."  So they went out quickly and fled from the tomb, for they trembled and were amazed.  And they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid.  Now when He rose early on the first day of the week, He appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom He had cast seven demons.  She went and told those who had been with Him, as they mourned and wept.  And when they heard that He was alive and had been seen by her, they did not believe.  After that, He appeared in another form to two of them as they walked and went into the country.  And they went and told it to the rest, but they did not believe them either.   Later He appeared to the eleven as they sat at the table; and He rebuked their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they did not believe those who had seen Him after He had risen.  And He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.  He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned. And these signs will follow those who believe:  In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover."  So then, after the Lord had spoken to them, He was received up into heaven, and sat down at the right hand of God.  And they went out and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them and confirming the word through the accompanying signs.  Amen.

 

  Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem . . . Today the lectionary turns us to readings in the Gospel of St. Matthew, following our readings in St. Mark's Gospel.  This king Herod was the king of Judea.  He ruled Judea from 37 - 4 BC.  My study Bible tells us that he was a great builder (he was also known as Herod the Builder), but a very cruel leader.  There existed an ancient prophecy of Jacob which indicated that the Messiah would come when a king ruled who was not of the tribe of Judah (Genesis 49:10).  Herod was a non-Jews calling himself the king of Judea, the time of the Christ was surely at hand.  But these wise men, or magi, who come from the East (most likely Persia) where Gentiles, and they were the scholars of their time.  In the Old Testament, my study Bible notes, Balaam (Numbers 23; 24) was one of their predecessors; that is, a Gentile who anticipated the Messiah.  As such, these foreigners prefigure the Church, in which membership is determined by faith and not by ethnic lineage.

 

. . . saying, "Where is He who has been born King of the Jews?  For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him."   The star proclaims the extraordinary birth of Christ.  My study Bible explains that to ancient pagans, a star signified a god, a deified king (Numbers 24:17).  Christ being born under this star is the fulfillment of prophecy found in the Septuagint version of Psalm 110:3:  "With You is the beginning in the day of Your power, in the brightness of Your saints; 'I have begotten You from the womb before the morning star.'"  My study Bible tells us that it shows all of creation participating in the Incarnation.  See also Psalms 19:1, 148:3.

 

 When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.  And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born.  So they said to him, "In Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it is written by the prophet:  'But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are not the least among the rulers of Judah; for out of you shall come a Ruler Who will shepherd My people Israel.'"  My study Bible explains that Herod had to summon the Jewish leaders because he knew little about the Jewish Messiah and he was afraid of losing his throne to this newborn King.  The chief priests were the political and religious leaders of the Jews, and the scribes were high cabinet officers.  They quote from the prophecy of Micah.  My study Bible comments that they knew where the Messiah was to be born, but in spite of all the signs being in place, they had no idea that He had come (see Jesus' scathing reference to their lack of discernment at Matthew 16:3).

 

 Then Herod, when he had secretly called the wise men, determined from them what time the star appeared.  And he sent them to Bethlehem and said, "Go and search carefully for the young Child, and when you have found Him, bring back word to me, that I may come and worship Him also."  When they heard the king, they departed; and behold, the star which they had seen in the East went before them, till it came and stood over where the young Child was.  When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy.  And when they had come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him.  And when they had opened their treasures, they presented gifts to Him:  gold, frankincense, and myrrh.  Then, being divinely warned in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed for their own country another way.   My study Bible comments on the text telling us that the wise men went into the house where the young Child was with Mary His mother.  It notes that whereas, according to St. Luke, the Jewish shepherds worshiped the Savior in the cave on the day He was born (Luke 2:8-20), the Gentile magi came to worship Him some time later.  By then, Joseph and Mary had found a house in which to stay.  It says that this is an indication that Christ first came to the Jews and then afterward was worshiped by the Gentiles.  The significance of the Magi's gifts is told in an Orthodox hymn sung at Compline of the Nativity:  "Gold is for the King of ages.  Frankincense is for the God of all.  Myrrh is offered to the Immortal One, who shall be three days dead."

 

 The poetry of the Gospels is always remarkable in how, when the lectionary switches from one Gospel to another, there are echoes of one in the either.  It doesn't matter that we take up one Gospel thinking of it as the beginning of Christ's life, while the previous one finished at the "end," or really, if we think about it, at the beginning of the story of the Church and the Christian era in which we presently live as we await Christ's return to the world.  As we ended St. Mark's Gospel, we read that He was buried by Joseph of Arimathea, in a tomb hewn from rock.  In other words, in a type of cave.  In this beginning of St. Luke's Gospel, Christ is born in a cave (used even today in the Middle East as a barn for animals).  The poetic sense of Christ's birth and death has never been lost in the tradition of the Church.  The three wise men, or magi, bring gifts to Christ of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.  My study Bible quotes from the Orthodox hymn naming myrrh as the gift for the immortal One, even as we just finished reading of the myrrh-bearing women attending to Christ's body for burial, myrrh being a kind of beautifully scented preservative used for anointing.   At Christ's death on the Cross, we read in St. Mark's Gospel that there was darkness at noon covering the whole earth.  In today's reading, the three wise men follow the star that tells them of the birth of Christ, and leads them to the Child and His mother.  My study Bible commented on the understanding that the whole of creation -- signifying the power of Incarnation -- is participating in the Incarnational life of Christ, including even His human death.  For, after all, it is Jesus who tells us that the bread of heaven is His flesh, "which I will give for the life of the world" (see John 6:33, 51).  That word translated as world is κοσμος/cosmos, indicating the whole of creation, not just our world and the people in it.  The Incarnation is central to the whole of Christian faith, both in His life and in His human death, and central to the Resurrection which redeems us all through to His Ascension -- even divinized human flesh entering heaven.  Let us be grateful for such a powerful and complete redemption in which the whole of creation participates, for a new heaven and a new earth.  Let us also work the work of faith  in Him so that God's kingdom is present in our world.  Like the wise men, let us honor the Child and His mother, Christ born for us all.  Let us also rejoice, and worship Him.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him

 

 Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, saying, "Where is He who has been born King of the Jews?  For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him."  When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.  And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born.  So they said to him, "In Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it is written by the prophet:

'But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,

Are not least among the rulers of Judah;

For out of you shall come a Ruler

Who will shepherd My people Israel.'"

Then Herod, when he had secretly called the wise men, determined from them what time the star appeared.  And he sent them to Bethlehem and said, "Go and search carefully for the young Child, and when you have found Him, bring back word to me, that I may come and worship Him also."  When they heard the king, they departed; and behold, the star which they had seen in the East went before them, till it came and stood over where the young Child was.  When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy.  And when they had come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him.  And when they had opened their treasures, they presented gifts to Him:  gold, frankincense, and myrrh.  Then, being divinely warned in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed for their own country another way.

 

- Matthew 2:1–12 

 

Yesterday, we read the final chapter of Mark's Gospel:  Now when the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices, that they might come and anoint Him.  Very early in the morning, on the first day of the week, they came to the tomb when the sun had risen.  And they said among themselves, "Who will roll away the stone from the door of the tomb for us?"  But when they looked up, they saw that the stone had been rolled away -- for it was very large.  And entering the tomb, they saw a young man clothed in a long white robe sitting on the right side; and they were alarmed.  But he said to them, "Do not be alarmed.  You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified.  He is risen!  He is not here.  See the place where they laid Him.  But go, tell His disciples -- and Peter -- that He is going before you into Galilee;  there you will see Him, as He said to you."  So they went out quickly and fled from the tomb, for they trembled and were amazed.  And they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid.  Now when He rose early on the first day of the week, He appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom He had cast seven demons.  She went and told those who had been with Him, as they mourned and wept.  And when they heard that He was alive and had been seen by her, they did not believe. After that, He appeared in another form to two of them as they walked and went into the country.  And they went and told it to the rest, but they did not believe them either.  Later He appeared to the eleven as they sat at the table; and He rebuked their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they did not believe those who had seen Him after He had risen.  And He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.  He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.  And these signs will follow those who believe:  In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover."  So then, after the Lord had spoken to them, He was received up into heaven, and sat down at the right hand of God.  And they went out and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them and confirming the word through the accompanying signs.  Amen.

 Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, saying, "Where is He who has been born King of the Jews?  For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him."  This Herod the king is also known as Herod the Great, who ruled Judea from 37-4 BC.   He was the father of Herod Antipas, who will play a role in Jesus' adult life.  Herod the king was a great builder; he was also known as Herod the Builder.  His greatest project was the remodeling and expansion of the temple in Jerusalem, which became known as one of the architectural wonders of the world.  But he was also a cruel leader, even in a world in which leaders were known for their cruelty and absolute use of power.  My study Bible says that an ancient prophecy of Jacob indicated the Messiah would come when a king ruled who was not from the tribe of Judah (Genesis 49:10).  As Herod was a non-Jew calling himself the king of Judea, the coming of Christ was surely at hand.   The wise men, or magi, who come from the East (most likely Persia), were the scholars of their time.   In the Old Testament, my study Bible notes, Balaam (Numbers 23, 24) was one of their predecessors -- a Gentile who anticipated the Messiah.  These foreigners, it says, prefigure the Church, in which membership is determined by faith and not by ethnic lineage.  The star proclaims the extraordinary birth of Christ.  To the ancient pagans, a star signified a god, a deified king (Numbers 24:17).  Christ being born under this star fulfills the prophecy in Psalm 109:3 (Septuagint) and shows all of creation participating in the Incarnation.  (See also Psalms 19:1, 148:3.)

 

 When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.  And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born.  So they said to him, "In Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it is written by the prophet:  'But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are not least among the rulers of Judah; For out of you shall come a Ruler Who will shepherd My people Israel.'"  My study Bible comments that Herod had to summon the Jewish leaders because he knew little about the Jewish Messiah and he feared losing his throne to this newborn King.  The chief priests were the political and religious leaders of the Jews, and the scribes were high cabinet officers.  They knew where the Messiah was to be born, but in spite of all the signs being in place, they had no idea that He had come (see Jesus' remark at Matthew 16:3).  The text quotes from the prophecy of Micah 5:2.

Then Herod, when he had secretly called the wise men, determined from them what time the star appeared.  And he sent them to Bethlehem and said, "Go and search carefully for the young Child, and when you have found Him, bring back word to me, that I may come and worship Him also."  When they heard the king, they departed; and behold, the star which they had seen in the East went before them, till it came and stood over where the young Child was.  When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy.  And when they had come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him.  And when they had opened their treasures, they presented gifts to Him:  gold, frankincense, and myrrh.  Then, being divinely warned in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed for their own country another way.   On the fact that the wise men came into the house, my study Bible remarks that whereas the Jewish shepherds worshiped the Savior in the cave on the day He was born (Luke 2:8-20), the Gentile magi came to worship Him some time later.  By then, Joseph and Mary had found a house in which to dwell with Jesus.  This indicates, it says, that Christ first came to the Jews and then afterward was worshiped by the Gentiles.  In an Orthodox hymn which is sung at Compline of the Nativity, the significance of the Magi's gifts is revealed:  "Gold is for the King of ages.  Frankincense is for the God of all.  Myrrh is offered to the Immortal One, who shall be three days dead."

 

What are the significance of these gifts to Jesus brought by the worshiping Magi?  Gold is a traditional gift fit for a king, the most precious metal and purified substance.  Frankincense was such a precious commodity in the ancient world, as it was used for worship all around the Mediterranean and Near East, that the first great trade route of the world was the Incense Route, long before there was a Silk Route.  So frankincense was proper for a god.  Also traded on the Incense Route was myrrh, used in worship but also especially as preservative for the important rites of the dead, thus fit, in the words of the hymn, for "the Immortal One, who shall be three days dead."  What we have in these gifts, then, is a testimony to the understanding of these ancient wise men who come from the East, suggesting the universality of the Christian message and the gospel of Jesus Christ.  For if even these men, simply because they are the scholars of their time, understand this about Jesus, then surely it reveals that although He is born a King in Bethlehem, and from the tradition and prophecy of the Jews, He is meant for the world and to be grasped and understood around the world.  That these ancient wise men could understand the significance of the Christ is testimony to the universal capacity for the reception of the gospel and Person of Jesus Christ the Savior.  As my study Bible points out, Luke gives us the similar reception of the shepherds in the cave, as they were made wise, so to speak, by the revelation of the angels (Luke 2:8-20).  Let us note also the role that the "unseen world" of the angels plays in the wisdom of the Magi, for they comprehend the divine warning given in a dream, and heed the message.  Let us note the contrast with the powerful King Herod, and his advisors the great and learned men of Israel, the chief priests and the scribes, who are the experts in Scripture, and should know about this King born in Bethlehem even if no one else knows.  But, as St. Paul writes, "Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men . . . God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty" (see 1 Corinthians 1:25-27).   As we begin reading in Matthew's Gospel, let us ponder the nature of this revelation of Christ to the world, right from the beginning:  it hides itself from the mighty and their powerful learned advisors, and imparts divine wisdom to the humble and foolish, the outsiders and those on the margins, to come to worship and honor the One who is Lord of lords and King of kings.   So it was then, and so, it seems to me, it continues now.

When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy

Adoration of the Magi, 1260, T'oros Roslin, MS 251 of Hromkla; Jerusalem, Armenian Patriarchate

 Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, saying, "Where is He who has been born King of the Jews?  For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him."  When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.  And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born.  So they said to him, "In Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it is written by the prophet:

'But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
Are not the least among the rulers of Judah;
For out of you shall come a Ruler
Who will shepherd My people Israel.' "

Then Herod, when he had secretly called the wise men, determined from them what time the star appeared.  And he sent them to Bethlehem and said, "Go and search carefully for the young Child, and when you have found Him, bring back word to me, that I may come and worship Him also."  When they heard the king, they departed; and behold, the star which they had seen in the East went before them, till it came and stood over where the young Child was.  When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy.  And when they had come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him.  And when they had opened their treasures, they presented gifts to Him:  gold, frankincense, and myrrh.  Then, being divinely warned in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed for their own country another way.

- Matthew 2:1-12

Yesterday we read that, after Christ's crucifixion, when the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome brought spices, that they might come and anoint Him.  Very early in the morning, on the first day of the week, they came to the tomb when the sun had risen.  And they said among themselves, "Who will roll away the stone from the door of the tomb for us?"  But when they looked up, they saw that the stone had been rolled away -- for it was very large.  And entering the tomb, they saw a young man clothed in a white robe sitting on the right side; and they were alarmed.  But he said to them, "Do not be alarmed.  You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified.  He is risen!  He is not here.  See the place where they laid Him.  But go, tell His disciples -- and Peter -- that He is going before you into Galilee; there you will see Him, as He said to you."  So they went out quickly and fled from the tomb, for they trembled and were amazed.  And they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid.  Now when He rose early on the first day of the week, He appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom He had cast seven demons.  She went and told those who had been with Him, as they mourned and wept.  And when they heard that He was alive and had been seen by her, they did not believe.  After that, He appeared in another form to two of them as they walked and went into the country.  And they went and told it to the rest, but they did not believe them either.  Later He appeared to the eleven as they sat at the table; and He rebuked their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they did not believe those who had seen Him after He had risen.  And He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.  He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.  And these signs will follow those who believe:  In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover."  So then, after the Lord had spoken to them, He was received up into heaven, and sat down at the right hand of God.  And they went out and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them and confirming the word through the accompanying signs.  Amen.

Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, saying, "Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? . . . "  Herod is Herod the Great, also known as Herod the Builder, among whose projects was the refurbished and expanded Second Temple, so splendid it was known as one of the wonders of the world.  Herod was also known as a particularly ruthless ruler even in a time when all rulers were known for their violence, even murdering some of his own children in his pursuit of power.  He is the father of Herod Antipas, who will rule Galilee at the time of Jesus' ministry.  The wise men, also known as magi, come from the East (most likely Persia, my study bible says).  They were the scholars of their time.  My study bible notes that in the Old Testament, Balaam (Numbers 23, 24) was one of their predecessors.  He was a Gentile who anticipated the Messiah.  These foreigners, it notes, are prefiguring the Church, in which membership is constructed upon faith, and not ethnic lineage.  Note their respect for the leadership of the foreign country to which they go; they go to Jerusalem where they address Herod the king.

"For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him."   My study bible says that the star proclaims the extraordinary birth of Christ.  For the ancient pagans, a star signified a god, a deified king (Numbers 24:17).  That Christ is born under this star is a fulfillment of the prophecy in Psalm 109:3 Septuagint/DRA (110:3).  It shows all of creation participating in the Incarnation.  See also Psalms 19:1, 148:3.

When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.  And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born.  So they said to him, "In Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it is written by the prophet:  'But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are not the least among the rulers of Judah; for out of you shall come a Ruler who will shepherd My people Israel.' "  My study bible points out that Herod had to summon the Jewish leaders because he knew so little about the Jewish Messiah, and he is afraid to lose his throne to this newborn King.  The chief priests, we understand, were the political and religious leaders of the Jews.  The scribes were high cabinet officers.  Their expertise in Scripture means that they knew well where the Messiah was to be born, but, as my study bible says, in spite of all the signs being in place, they had no idea that He had come (see 16:3).  The text quotation is from Micah 5:2.

Then Herod, when he had secretly called the wise men, determined from them what time the star appeared.  And he sent them to Bethlehem and said, "Go and search carefully for the young Child, and when you have found Him, bring back word to me, that I may come and worship Him also."  When they heard the king, they departed; and behold, the star which they had seen in the East went before them, till it came and stood over where the young Child was.  When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy.  And when they had come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him.  And when they had opened their treasures, they presented gifts to Him:  gold, frankincense, and myrrh.  Then, being divinely warned in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed for their own country another way.  The text tells us that the magi went into the house and saw the Child with Mary His mother.   My study bible explains that Luke tells us the Jewish shepherds worshiped the Savior in the cave (or manger) on the day that He was born (Luke 2:8-20).   But the Gentile magi came to worship Him some time later.  By this time, Joseph and Mary have found a house in which to live.  This indicates that Christ first came to the Jews, and then afterward was worshiped by the Gentiles.  The Magi's gifts have a significance revealed in an Orthodox hymn sung at Compline of the Nativity:  "Gold is for the King of ages.  Frankincense is for the God of all.  Myrrh is offered to the Immortal One, who shall be three days dead."   We note also the divine warning in a dream.  In the stories that surround Christ in Matthew's Gospel, particularly of His infancy and childhood, dreams figure repeatedly in which divine messages are given (see 1:20, 2:13, 19, 22; see also 27:19).

In the story of the Ascension (see yesterday's reading, above) we're given to understand that Christ's human nature ascends into heaven.  That is, even His body and blood are glorified with Him in His ascent, where in His fullness He will be worshiped by the angels.  It is significant for our own participation in the communion of Christ, as it teaches us all about the Incarnation, that it is meant to save us -- and that means God's grace works fully within us and among us.  At Jesus' Ascension, He tells the disciples His final command, called the Great Commission.  In the Greek of the Gospel of Mark, Jesus literally says, "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation" (Mark 16:15).  In fact, the word for "world" is cosmos/κόσμος, indicating all of created universe.   There is no place, and no thing, no creature left out.  What this, in fact, tells us is the very purpose of the Incarnation, that it is for the salvation and life of "the world" (John 6:33, 51).    In today's reading, the wise men from the East follow a star to find Jesus.  As my study bible says, the star does indeed indicate to us that all of creation participates in this central point in the history of the cosmos.  The Creator is born as creature, so that we all -- and indeed, all of creation -- may become more like Him, restored to the proper order of things in communion with Creator.  As we read, the grace of God is already working through all things:  even through the wisdom and "old testament" so to speak, of the pagan world of the East, in the dreams of these Gentiles forewarned of the danger from the murderous Herod.  And, as we can also see, this Child's life which He brings for the whole of the world is immediately in danger from the worldly power, as will be His story in its fullness.  Let us ponder how God may work through all things, through us, through all aspects of our lives and being, through all of creation -- as our Creator is born as human being in order to heal all the cosmos.

Wise men from the East

Damaskinos - Adoration of the Magi

Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, saying, "Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him." When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. So they said to him, "In Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it is written by the prophet:

'But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,

Are not the least among the rulers of Judah;

For out of you shall come a Ruler

Who will shepherd My people Israel.'"

Then Herod, when he had secretly called the wise men, determined from them what time the star appeared. And he sent them to Bethlehem and said, "Go and search carefully for the young Child, and when you have found Him, bring back word to me, that I may come and worship Him also."

When they heard the king, they departed; and behold, the star which they had seen in the East went before them, till it came and stood over where the young Child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy. And when they had come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him. And when they had opened their treasures, they presented gift to Him: gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Then, being divinely warned in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed for their own country another way.

- Matthew 2:1-12

Today we continue our Christmastide readings, with the story of the "wise men" from the East. Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, . . . My study notes here that "Matthew anticipates Jesus' mission to the Gentiles. The wise men, or Magi, who come from the East, that is, outside of Israel (perhaps from Persia), are the scholars of their time. In the Old Testament, Balaam (Numbers 23; 24) was one of their predecessors, a Gentile who also anticipated the Messiah. The worship of the Lord by the Magi is symbolic of the Church, the true Israel, in which membership is determined by faith, not by ethnic lineage." It continues, "One of the rare bits of chronological information in Matthew places this event in the reign of Herod the Great, king of Judea (37-4 B.C.). An underling of Rome, he was a great builder but a cruel ruler." I find it very important that we have a sense of "all things" being under this Creator, this Babe who is the king or Messiah. My study bible's commentary that this is Matthew's vision of Jesus' mission to the Gentiles, teaches us something very important about this Incarnation: it is the incarnation of Creator, the One who is Truth and Whose Spirit is called the Spirit of Truth. Therefore, we anticipate rightly, whatever is true in all religion in some sense serves the Person who is Truth, and is also found in Christ.

. . . saying, "Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him." A note here reads, "The star signifies the extraordinary importance of the birth of the Christ Child. In ancient times a star signified a god, a deified king (Num. 24:17). This star is a sign of the Messiah Himself, signifying the light He will shed upon the world." A kind of revelation leads the "wise men" to Jesus. The light of the star gives us part of the nature of this Messiah; He is the light coming into the world, and into the darkness, to illuminate the Way for those who would be wise. In this event, we have an understanding of the cosmic nature of Christ, this Messiah, who is not just for one people, but for a whole universe of beauty and creation, and those who understand, who see.

When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. A note here teaches: "Knowing little of the Jewish Messiah and fearful of losing his throne to a newborn king, Herod asks the chief priests and scribes . . . where the Christ was to be born. The chief priests of the temple in Jerusalem are the political and religious leaders of the Jews. They include the high priest, who alone can enter the Holiest of All (Heb. 9:7). They have no idea that the Messiah has been born. The scribes, high cabinet officers (2 Kin. 22; Jer. 36:10), know the Messiah is to be born, and where. But they have no revelation that He has come. God reveals His truth to those with 'a noble and good heart' (Luke 8:15)." Herod learns some intelligence (in the political sense) from the wise men - there is a threat to Herod's reign. We see this mysterious confluence of intelligence, of wisdom. The Magi come from the East, and they understand. Herod calls together his own intelligence counsel - those who know the Scriptures, whose business it is to understand the things that pertain to the awaited Messiah. All prepare for the arrival, born into our world, of the incarnate Deity of all - a cosmic event, in the form of a Babe. Indeed, all of the cosmos participates - even the star as a sign, and the gifts of the earth borne by the Magi of gold, frankincense and myrrh. And it is not only the realm of religion, wisdom and spiritual understanding that is preparing for this event, but the political realm as well. The question is, as the quotation from Luke 8:15 would teach us, how will each understand this event in their hearts? It is a universal question, open to us all.

So they said to him, "In Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it is written by the prophet: 'But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are not the least among the rulers of Judah; For out of you shall come a Ruler Who will shepherd My people Israel.'" The quotation is from the Book of the Prophet Micah chapter 5, verse 2. Micah's prophecy teaches us about One "who is, and was and is to come" (Rev. 1:8), as it teaches about a future ruler "whose origins are from of old, from ancient times" - a concept rooted in Mystery, and the depth of Creation.

Then Herod, when he had secretly called the wise men, determined from them what time the star appeared. And he sent them to Bethlehem and said, "Go and search carefully for the young Child, and when you have found Him, bring back word to me, that I may come and worship Him also." Herod, of course, has received this news in one way, that does not speak of him as having "a noble and good heart." For Herod, all is political, and about threats to his political power. Here he uses trickery on the wise men. The seed of the Word begins even before He is born. How does it fall in each of us, from Herod to the wise men from the East?

When they heard the king, they departed; and behold, the star which they had seen in the East went before them, till it came and stood over where the young Child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy. And when they had come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him. And when they had opened their treasures, they presented gift to Him: gold, frankincense, and myrrh. A note here reads: "Matthew, writing for Jewish Christians, cites Gentiles as the first worshipers of Jesus. Luke, writing for Gentile Christians, cites a the first worshipers the Jewish poor -- shepherds from surrounding fields (Luke 2:8-17 [see reading and commentary here and here]). The Magi, firstfruits of the Gentiles, come to Christ bearing gifts: gold, for King; frankincense, for God; and myrrh, for a Man who is to suffer and die. The wise men have received some knowledge about the newborn King through their observation of the star, but when they see Him, they recognize Him as the Sun of Righteousness (Mal. 4:2), the Orient (the rising sun) from on high (Is. 59:19), the Bright and Morning Star (Rev. 22:16)." In the presence of the Child, the Magi or wise men fall and worship Him. We are told, "they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy" as they have found their treasure, the Bright and Morning Star, the Sun of Righteousness, the Orient. We discussed the symbolism of the gifts of the Magi in an earlier commentary, on how the early church viewed Jesus' birth as a prefiguration of all that was to come (see Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill to men!) They understand Him as the Light coming into the world that brings exceedingly great joy.

Then, being divinely warned in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed for their own country another way. Again, the play of dreams divinely inspired with messages for those who are at work in these events that surround the birth of Christ comes into the Gospel. In so many of our Christmastide readings, we have received this sign over and over again, of God's grace at work through divine messengers and dreams.

What message do we get from this Gospel reading today? There is the great Light - Christ who is Himself "the East," the great "Star" of the morning, the "Sun of Righteousness." The wise men follow the light of the star to find the Star, and their hearts are illumined with a divine light, the understanding of exceeding joy at finding this Child and worshiping Him. How many ways can we find Christ? How many signs point the way in our lives? Do dreams help us to understand the way to God, and to the joy we find in finding Christ for ourselves? To my mind, this passage teaches us that all things lead to God, to that center of the great light we can find in our hearts. My study bible cites in commentary Luke's Gospel message about the word (from Jesus' parable of the Sower): But the seed on good soil stands for those with a noble and good heart, who hear the word, retain it, and by persevering produce a crop. The wise men come from the East, with such hearts noble and good. They can hear and they can see, in the spiritual sense in which Jesus will so often call on us to have true sight and hearing (see Matt. 13:15,16). People from every part of the world, from all backgrounds and understanding have this capability. The Child incarnate in Bethlehem is not just for one people but for all, from all traditions. All that is true comes from this cosmic Creator, the Person who is Truth, "whose origins are from of old, from ancient times." This mysterious root stretches through all of us, and through all of time, to the hearts of any who are ready to hear and understand the Word. Let us not bar in our hearts the wisdom of any person who can find the seed of this Word in their hearts where it can take hold and bear fruits. In a cosmic sense, we are all rooted in that Word, incarnate in the Babe born in Bethlehem, whose true origins begin before us all in Mystery, and are revealed to those to whom the Father wills, who are found everywhere. This is what the Gospel teaches us today. How many ways can the light of this Word reach into our lives? Let us understand that the answer to that question is unlimited, and open our hearts to the work of grace which cannot be contained by any human understanding or limitation we would put on the work of God in our world.