Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men

As he walked by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the lake—for they were fishermen. And he said to them, ‘Follow me, and I will make you fish for people.’ Immediately they left their nets and followed him. As he went from there, he saw two other brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John, in the boat with their father Zebedee, mending their nets, and he called them. Immediately they left the boat and their father, and followed him.

Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and curing every disease and every sickness among the people. So his fame spread throughout all Syria, and they brought to him all the sick, those who were afflicted with various diseases and pains, demoniacs, epileptics, and paralytics, and he cured them. And great crowds followed him from Galilee, the Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea, and from beyond the Jordan.

- Matthew 4:18-25

As Jesus comes upon those who will be his apostles, we must recall the great fame and influence of John the Baptist. This was considerable enough so that the historian Josephus felt Herod Antipas' execution of John was due to his fear of an uprising, should John instruct his followers to make one. These earliest chosen apostles, who respond immediately to Jesus' call, have already heard the preaching of John the Baptist, which prepared them to accept the Messiah. John's preaching concerned the imminence of that kingdom, and the One who would be the deliverer. Jesus himself, according to Luke, for example, has already been preaching and so is already known. According to my study bible, verse 19 may indicate the second time three of these men are called by Jesus to follow (see Luke 5:10).

In the second paragraph, we are given a summary of Jesus' early ministry. He goes throughout Galilee, teaching in synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom at hand, and healing every ailment - physical and spiritual. His fame spreads, and great crowds begin to follow him from all around: Galilee, the Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea, and from beyond the Jordan. The Decapolis is the region north and east of Galilee. (For a map of these regions of Jesus' early ministry, see here.)

We continue in this passage with themes from yesterday's reading: his followers are of the common people, considered by the various religious groups in Judaism to be "people of the land," peasants. They have not been formally trained in any sacred school, most of them are uneducated and illiterate. His ministry focuses on proclaiming the good news of the kingdom, teaching in the synagogues, and is characterized by healing of every kind. This has been so in each of the gospels, as we have already been through John, Luke, Mark and now begin Matthew. Matthew's special perspective is on prophecy and the appearance of the kingdom as a startling reality - so we must understand this reading from that perspective. The "light that shines in the darkness" begins in the areas considered to be without great teachings or spiritual manifestation; among men, Jesus' early followers are people who are not particularly trained or given spiritual education of a recognized nature. His early ministry in Galilee, in a region of the Gentiles, marks these beginnings as commonplace, not particularly remarkable. But out of this comes the ministry nevertheless, and in this very knowledge of the commonplace and unremarkable, we are given to understand the immanence of the kingdom: the kingdom lives where the Spirit is at work. The "wind that blows where it chooses" (as it says in John 3) is at work in the transformation of these men into apostles, in the teachings of Jesus, in the healings that follow where Jesus goes and preaches and ministers. These are all manifestations of the kingdom -- or rather they all bear witness to its presence. The transforming, powerful working of the leaven of this kingdom is being revealed in the land, from the commonplace, everyday and ordinary. That which bears witness gathers many followers. My study bible says that this witness to the kingdom, these miracles in this early activity of Jesus, serve as an introduction to the Sermon on the Mount, which we will read tomorrow. We continue to be taught what the kingdom is, its surprising Mystery which will always teach us its nature: prophesied yet unexpected. From this we learn the nature of belief that must always hold its eyes open and be prepared to accept, to repent (turn toward God) in the spirit of the confrontation of the new, the spiritual reality of the "wind" that shows us where it's been.

The people who sat in darkness have seen a great light

Now when Jesus heard that John had been arrested, he withdrew to Galilee. He left Nazareth and made his home in Capernaum by the lake, in the territory of Zebulun and Naphtali, so that what had been spoken through the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled:

‘Land of Zebulun, land of Naphtali,

on the road by the sea, across the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles—

the people who sat in darkness

have seen a great light,

and for those who sat in the region and shadow of death

light has dawned.’

From that time Jesus began to proclaim, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.’

- Matthew 4:12-17

John has been arrested and imprisoned by Herod Antipas, and Jesus goes ("withdrew") to Galilee. He does not go back to his home in hilly Nazareth, but remains close to the lake. We are told in Matthew's gospel that this reflects the prophecy of Isaiah, quoted above.

Galilee is called "Galilee of the Gentiles" because it had been heavily populated with non-Jews. In 734 B.C. it became an Assyrian province. By Jesus' time it had a mixed population to the extent that it was no longer considered a genuinely Jewish land. Many non-Jewish residents, however, had converted to Judaism in the Maccabean period. According to my study bible, even the Jews who inhabited this area were influenced by Greek culture and were considered second-class by the Jews of Judea.

"Darkness" (in the quotation from Isaiah) means ungodliness. It is about spiritual darkness - to sit in "darkness," in this language, means to be overcome by spiritual ignorance and death. Christian tradition denotes "the great light" shining on these people as an anticipation of the gospel which will be preached to all after the Resurrection.

In the gospel of John, John the Baptist is quoted as saying that Jesus "must increase, but I must decrease" (John 3:30). Taking these sources together, we understand that Jesus starts his ministry as John is arrested. He goes to Galilee, to Capernaum on the shore of Sea of Galilee. Outside of Jerusalem, his ministry will focus on this land considered "second class" in Judea, influenced by Greek culture and a crossroads or mixture of many peoples of the region. It is a region influenced by trade and different empires - Greek was the cosmopolitan or international language of its time, the language of trade, diplomacy, literature, poetry and philosophy. This sounds quite wonderful to us; but in fact we could consider it in that time and context to be "worldly" or perhaps even more closely, a place tainted by the "common" -- not pure, not elite. It is a crossroads of many influences, of fishing and agriculture. Capernaum is also home to Jesus' first apostles.

So Isaiah's "light that shines in the darkness" has also prefigured the words in the first chapter of John's gospel. But according to Matthew, Jesus' beginning his ministry here in Capernaum, in Galilee, is all about that light that must come into the darkness. Jesus' home in Nazareth was also considered a place of insignificance, even having a negative reputation. His ministry begins here in this place of the common, a crossroads of the world, of the daily trade, of fishing, of agriculture, and influence from many cultural sources rather than the elitism or "purity" of Judea. The light is spread and shared in this place from which his disciples and apostles will be chosen. Matthew ties it to prophecy, but we can also see its significance in the need of the world for this light, and of its sharing of itself with all the world. In today's reading, we also have a selection from 1 Corinthians 1:

For Jews demand signs and Greeks desire wisdom, but we proclaim Christ crucified, a stumbling-block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those who are the called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For God’s foolishness is wiser than human wisdom, and God’s weakness is stronger than human strength.

Consider your own call, brothers and sisters: not many of you were wise by human standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, things that are not, to reduce to nothing things that are, so that no one might boast in the presence of God.

We have already had a glimmer of the Mystery, of the expected yet unexpected, and this passage in Matthew opens up yet further this mystery of that which has been prophesied and awaited, yet is so new in its revelation, and unexpected. Never let the surprise go: these words are still surprising, the effects are still surprises. We find God where we are likely to least expect and in ways we do not expect; yet somehow we have been told these words over and over again. Let us remain humble enough, our eyes open enough, to understand this and see it at work in our lives and the world around us.

One does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God

Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. He fasted for forty days and forty nights, and afterwards he was famished. The tempter came and said to him, ‘If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.’ But he answered, ‘It is written,

“One does not live by bread alone,

but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.” ’

Then the devil took him to the holy city and placed him on the pinnacle of the temple, saying to him, ‘If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down; for it is written,

“He will command his angels concerning you”,

and “On their hands they will bear you up,

so that you will not dash your foot against a stone.” ’

Jesus said to him, ‘Again it is written, “Do not put the Lord your God to the test.” ’

Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendour; and he said to him, ‘All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Away with you, Satan! for it is written,

“Worship the Lord your God,

and serve only him.” ’

Then the devil left him, and suddenly angels came and waited on him.

- Matthew 4:1-11

Jesus is led up into the wilderness. After the revelatory experience of his baptism, he is led into the wilderness to be tempted. The Greek word used for "led up" (anago) is interesting, because it can mean at once "led up" and also "brought back" - Jesus is led up and he is also brought back from this exalted revelation of Sonship and Trinity at the baptism, to "the world" in which he is tempted as a man in this place of wilderness. Wilderness is a place of battleground, according to my study bible. It's a place where anything can happen, a picture of "the world" in which we have "good" and "bad" influences to choose from; my study bibles says, "at once the abode of demons and a source of divine tranquility and contemplation." When the earliest monastics began their desert dwelling, it was for precisely this reason; it is a place of spiritual battleground. Like Christ, both we and the desert fathers have aid in this battle. We are not alone. We have our "Emmanuel" or "God with us."

But we mustn't forget this place of wilderness as a place to focus, where we are able to see a sharp contrast between the things that are God's and the things that belong to "the world." So the temptations that Jesus faces are "worldly" in their nature. He is at once divine and human, and so his Sonship confers a will united with the Father, but his human reality is a state of free will, of choice, and of temptation by the "worldly." Let's examine the nature of Jesus' "worldly" temptations.

Firstly, he has been fasting. Fasting is a spiritual discipline precisely because it is a discipline: it is a way of choosing, of abstinence. Our great goal of personal spiritual discipline is abstinence from sin. But fasting becomes a way of expressing and developing our capacity for choice. We are not slaves to any impulse; we are capable of choice and personal discipline. My study bible notes that fasting gives us an example of our own power and its limitations. Jesus' answer, "Man does not live by bread alone" is a great statement of detachment. But there is more to this worldly temptation: Jesus is tempted, after revelation via the baptism in the Jordan, to create a great display of power, to test his spiritual identity. And this is really the "worldly" part of temptation: does he need to prove himself? To flex his spiritual muscles in the mode of power, a display for himself or others? No, this is not part of God's will for him - he will not do it. "If you are the Son of God" is the great temptation to prove identity - by acting in separation and in a "worldly" way to show or to prove something. "Worldly" temptation, we can conclude, will prey on our insecurity, our sense of need to prove ourselves, to prove the value of our faith, to give in to a perspective which does not include the spiritual, the presence of God. It will seek to test the reality of such relationship. Jesus rejects a kingdom based on materialism, earthly well-being, the "bread which perishes." It is an affirmation of reliance upon God, and a reflection of what it is to take up our cross in this struggle that will carry us through all the gospels. The spiritual life is not simply one of ease and comfort; we will not necessarily reconcile paradox and contradiction but make choices through the struggle.

The next temptation is again a temptation to create a great sign and wonder, and put that relationship to the test. Can he hurl himself down from the temple in Jerusalem? Prove God's power to save? Again, this same way of thinking will be present at the crucifixion, when Jesus is told to prove himself by saving himself from the cross. My study bible notes that God's Kingdom is not one of earthly spectacle and fame. The Church has long forbidden, since its earliest centuries, exposing ourselves to danger just to test God's protection. To do so is to "tempt the Lord," to "put God to the test." The worldly temptation is about our image in the eyes of others - what we can prove of that relationship to God in our spiritual reality and worship. Faith asks of us to dwell within a different reality of relationship and relatedness.

Finally, Jesus is tempted with all the material wealth and power in the world. If he would but follow the "Prince of this world," all of this would be his. But again, our faith does not come from the desire to gain fame, wealth and power. The spiritual struggle is not one of seeking to conquer the world in this sense. "Worldly" temptation looks at life without this presence of God, without spiritual reality. The temptation to forget this relationship and its reality, its goals and purposes, and our identity in relationship to God, is one that still tempts. With our great focus on image in so many ways, it is perhaps more strongly felt as a "should" than ever. But Jesus rejects this image for his life of spiritual struggle, with its different goals and values. Jesus' Sonship is what his human mind chooses. "Away with you, Satan" is a command, rather than a rebuke.

I love this ending to this particular passage, that the angels came and ministered to him. We may find in our own lives a "saving grace" at any time. But it does not mean that we avoid our struggles and choices, and remember to rely on our understanding of faith - and that we go into that struggle in our own wilderness, just as he did, so that we make our choices.

This is my Son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased

Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan, to be baptized by him. John would have prevented him, saying, ‘I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?’ But Jesus answered him, ‘Let it be so now; for it is proper for us in this way to fulfil all righteousness.’ Then he consented. And when Jesus had been baptized, just as he came up from the water, suddenly the heavens were opened to him and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. And a voice from heaven said, ‘This is my Son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased.’

- Matthew 3:13-17

The old kingdom meets the new: the expected One arrives for Baptism. John says he would have prevented this baptism, being unworthy - that it is Jesus who should baptize him. But this particular baptism is for a purpose. Jesus says, 'Let it be so now; for it is proper for us in this way to fulfil all righteousness.' The time of fulfillment is at hand, the time of the kingdom is at hand.

In yesterday's reading, John has said of Jesus, 'I baptize you with water for repentance, but one who is more powerful than I is coming after me; I am not worthy to carry his sandals.' This is the language of a slave; in John's culture, a slave would carry a king's sandals. So, John has contrasted himself with Jesus - God's Son, the Messiah. But Jesus, prefiguring the washing of his apostles' feet and many of his sayings about greatness and service, insists that he himself be baptized by John.

In Genesis, it is written that the Spirit of God hovered over the water at the first creation. Here, Jesus himself, the Son, will immerse himself in the waters. What we have is the first instance of sacrament: what is blessed by the presence of the Lord, of the divine or holy, becomes itself blessed and holy. Jesus in this sense prepares the waters of the world for the baptism that is to come, in His name. Again, the gospels reflect a number of times the teaching that it is not the world that defiles, but rather the holy that makes sacred. Baptism itself, in the name of the Lord, also confers this transforming state in us.

Finally the Spirit of God descends, as in an anointing, upon Jesus as he comes up out of the water, and there are the words, "This is my Son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased." It is the revelation of the mystery of the kingdom, of the Holy Trinity: Father, Son and Spirit. In the Eastern church, this is called Epiphany (a manifestation or revelation), or Theophany (a manifestation of God). The phrase, ''This is my Son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased" is a composite quotation from Ps. 2:7, "You are my Son, today I have begotten You," and Is. 42:1, "Behold! My Servant whom I uphold, My Elect One, in whom My soul delights!" My study bible notes that the substitution of "Son" for "Servant" is a revelation of deity. So we also note the echo of Isaiah's Suffering Servant, and Jesus' example of service, which would characterize greatness in his kingdom "not of this world." The Spirit, descending upon Jesus in the form of the dove, the Voice of the Father, and Jesus as incarnate Son, baptized and anointed: these combine in this event to reveal the Holy Trinity - the intimation of the kingdom to come, and the age to come. Mystery reveals itself at this meeting of the old and new.

Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight

In those days John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness of Judea, proclaiming, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.’ This is the one of whom the prophet Isaiah spoke when he said,

‘The voice of one crying out in the wilderness:

“Prepare the way of the Lord,

make his paths straight.” ’

Now John wore clothing of camel’s hair with a leather belt around his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey. Then the people of Jerusalem and all Judea were going out to him, and all the region along the Jordan, and they were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins.

But when he saw many Pharisees and Sadducees coming for baptism, he said to them, ‘You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bear fruit worthy of repentance. Do not presume to say to yourselves, “We have Abraham as our ancestor”; for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children to Abraham. Even now the axe is lying at the root of the trees; every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.

‘I baptize you with water for repentance, but one who is more powerful than I is coming after me; I am not worthy to carry his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing-fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing-floor and will gather his wheat into the granary; but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.’

- Matthew 3:1-12

John the Baptist makes his appearance in this gospel. He is baptizing for repentance, for the coming Kingdom that is at hand. His clothing marks him as a prophet, resembling that of Elijah, and his way of life is also that characteristic of the sects, such as the Essenes, who were preparing for the coming kingdom and lived ascetically in the wilderness.

The striking notion displayed here in John's practice and prophecy is that of preparation for the kingdom, especially via repentance. It is important to understand the significance of repentance, the notion conveyed in this Greek word of metanoia. It has a deeper and more transcendent meaning than that which we normally give it. In Greek it means literally "change of mind." But it conveys a notion of a deep internal turning, of personal change. My study bible notes it thusly: "Repentance, which always accompanies belief, is a total about-face. It is a radical change of one's spirit, mind and heart, a complete orientation of the whole of one's life and being. It is the necessary first step on the way of the Lord (see verse 3) and is followed by the confession of sins, the decisive act of baptism, and an actual change in one's life, the 'fruits worthy of repentance' (verses 6, 8-12)."

So, if we take a clear look at what John is preaching, it is the way of preparation for something expected yet completely new. He's asking us to "wipe our slates clean" in a sense, because something brand new is coming down the line; it is, in fact, at hand; imminent. What we want is to set ourselves aright, to orientate ourselves to something new and special, a change of reality, new conditions being added into life, replacing the old with the new. To set ourselves aright is to understand ourselves from a spiritual point of view: whatever we think we know, we must be prepared to face the fact that there are things we don't know, that in faith we must be prepared to embrace.

His harsh words for the Pharisees and Sadducees reflect that the notion of repentance is compatible with those for whom humility has value; those who understand that the Mystery of what is to come is something we cannot anticipate. Belief requires a willingness to open and change our minds, to orientate ourselves to the new, to the unknown, to the Mystery that is God and this kingdom. If we think we know, that life is a formula, leaving out this mystery of the coming kingdom, then we are far from its fruits. The warning that "from these stones" (Heb. 'ebanim) God can raise up children (Heb. banim) is, according to my study bible, a Hebrew play on words. But its meaning is clear: those whose understanding does not allow repentance or change, a willingness to look at oneself with humility, to wipe the slate clean, to understand that we "don't know," perhaps may not be a part of that kingdom - God has the power to raise children to Himself; what is expected might not be what is to come.

And finally, what is expected remains steeped in the mystery and reality of Judgment. That which will come is baptism of fire and of the Holy Spirit, a different sort of baptism altogether than John's preparation for that kingdom. This baptism of fire and Spirit is one that transforms, that gives rebirth - echoing the sentiment about God's children in the "living stones" (a phrase found elsewhere in the gospels). Altogether, we are still in the realm of prophecy and Mystery - although the kingdom is coming closer. John the Baptist speaks on themes that Jesus will echo about fruitfulness, about Judgment and repentance, about bearing fruit and transformation. We are to expect the unexpected. We are to prepare for that which is new, which will set us all in a new place, and, echoing Isaiah, we are to make the way straight for the Lord.

More than ever, this Mystery must never be neglected, and our resulting need for humility - to understand that we do not know everything, that life cannot be whittled down to formulas and good works, to rules and to abstract ideas of what is good: that we must turn again to Mystery, to that which is greater than ourselves, and to hold ourselves open to meet it.

We pray "Come, Holy Spirit" or words to that effect. But it is important that we meet grace in order to receive it, with openness, a pure heart and a sense in which we understand that to meet this Mystery in faith is to be ready to accept it, in humility, and that we don't know what its change in us will bring.

Get up, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt

Now after they had left, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, ‘Get up, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you; for Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy him.’ Then Joseph got up, took the child and his mother by night, and went to Egypt, and remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfil what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet, ‘Out of Egypt I have called my son.’

When Herod saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, he was infuriated, and he sent and killed all the children in and around Bethlehem who were two years old or under, according to the time that he had learned from the wise men. Then was fulfilled what had been spoken through the prophet Jeremiah:

‘A voice was heard in Ramah,

wailing and loud lamentation,

Rachel weeping for her children;

she refused to be consoled, because they are no more.’

When Herod died, an angel of the Lord suddenly appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt and said, ‘Get up, take the child and his mother, and go to the land of Israel, for those who were seeking the child’s life are dead.’ Then Joseph got up, took the child and his mother, and went to the land of Israel. But when he heard that Archelaus was ruling over Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. And after being warned in a dream, he went away to the district of Galilee. There he made his home in a town called Nazareth, so that what had been spoken through the prophets might be fulfilled, ‘He will be called a Nazorean.’

- Matthew 2:13-23

In this passage we come to understand Jesus' link to the history of Israel, to prophecy, and to the notion of exile. Jesus' father once again has a dream, revealing to him what is to be done with regard to his fledgling family and this child of Mystery. An angel appears to him in a dream, saying, "Get up, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you; for Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy him." Joseph's flight to Egypt is reflective of the history of the people of Israel, who once took refuge in Egypt and was made captive. As the Israelites fled Egypt, my study bible points out, so Joseph flees into Egypt, by night. Perhaps it is the gifts of the Magi that pay for this journey. My study bible also points out that this is one of a number of instances in Scripture where God's people must elude civil power in order to do His will. For me, the notion of exile is and remains an important one: we are seeking to do the will of that which rules in a kingdom not of this world. I find that it is often that what appears in prayer as the right solution to a problem is not necessarily conventional nor what others' opinions would dictate as a social rule.

"Out of Egypt I have called My Son" refers to Israel in Hos. 11:1. In the Old Testament the son of God is Israel; here in Matthew's gospel Jesus is now the true Israel. The cruelty of Herod is prefigured at Moses' birth, when Pharaoh tried to kill all male children in order to destroy the first Israel. In the book of Jeremiah the people of Jerusalem are recorded being led away to exile - they pass Rachel's tomb at Ramah. In his prophecy, Jeremiah pictures Rachel, long dead, weeping even in her tomb for the fate of her children, the people of Israel. Now the mothers of Israel weep for the children slaughtered by Herod. In many branches of the Church, these children are remembered as the Holy Innocents, and are regarded as saints and martyrs.

Herod died in 4 B.C. Archelaus was eventually banished to Gaul in A.D. 6, after the Jews petitioned for his removal because of his cruelty. It's this cruelty Joseph is warned about, so he returns not to Judea but to Nazareth, a town in Galilee. Galilee was governed by Herod Antipas, another son of Herod.

So in the gospel of Matthew, Jesus' early life is already portrayed as reflective of prophecy and the history of the people of Israel. We read of exile and return, of fleeing from the cruelty of the authorities -- and even the return is to a new place, to Nazareth in Galilee. We recall Moses' words in Exodus 2: "I have been a stranger in a strange land." Woven in with mystical history, prophecy, and the immediacy and reality of the cruelty of tyrannical political rule, is also the thread of the presence of God. An angel appears in a dream to Joseph, caretaker and guardian of mother and child, and guides his way as a father who is, yet, not a father. Woven into the thread of all of this paradox and wonder is the presence of God, of grace. We must recall that in our "exile" - wherever we are - there is a place of "home" in our hearts. This is where we take peace and rest, and find ourselves, no matter where we are or what cruel reality is pressing down on us with fear.

Where is the child who has been born king of the Jews?

In the time of King Herod, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, asking, ‘Where is the child who has been born king of the Jews? For we observed his star at its rising, and have come to pay him homage.’ When King Herod heard this, he was frightened, and all Jerusalem with him; and calling together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born. They told him, ‘In Bethlehem of Judea; for so it has been written by the prophet:

“And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,

are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;

for from you shall come a ruler

who is to shepherd my people Israel.” ’

Then Herod secretly called for the wise men and learned from them the exact time when the star had appeared. Then he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, ‘Go and search diligently for the child; and when you have found him, bring me word so that I may also go and pay him homage.’ When they had heard the king, they set out; and there, ahead of them, went the star that they had seen at its rising, until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw that the star had stopped, they were overwhelmed with joy. On entering the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother; and they knelt down and paid him homage. Then, opening their treasure-chests, they offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they left for their own country by another road.

- Matthew 2:1-12

Our first reading in Matthew begins with chapter 2. This is quite a marvelous picture of these wise men who have come from the East. That is, they have come from outside of Israel (perhaps from Persia, my study bible notes), and they are the scholars of their time. In the Old Testament, Balaam (Num. 23; 24) was one of their predecessors, a Gentile who also anticipated the Messiah. My study bible notes that the worship of the Lord by the Magi is symbolic of the Church, in which membership is determined by faith, and not by ethnic lineage.

The star is a great sign of extraordinary importance. In ancient times, a star signified a god, a deified king. This star, says my study bible, is a sign of the Messiah Himself, signifying the light He will shed upon the world.

Herod knows little about the Jewish Messiah and is fearful of losing his throne. He calls his chief priests and scribes together to find where the child is born. The chief priests are the political and religious leaders of Israel; they include the high priest who alone can enter the Holiest of All. They have no idea that the Messiah has been born. The scribes are high cabinet officers and know the Messiah is to be born, and where. But they have no revelation that He has come. The truth is revealed in the heart; according to Luke 8:15, a "noble and good heart." It is interesting to note that Matthew, writing for Jewish Christians (most likely at Antioch), cites Gentiles as the first worshipers of Jesus - while Luke, writing for Gentile Christians, cites as the first worshipers the Jewish poor -- shepherds from surrounding fields.

The Magi are therefore the firstfruits of the Gentiles. They come to Christ bearing gifts of gold, for a King; frankincense, for God; and myrrh, for a Man who is to suffer and die. It is important to note that although they have received information from the star, when they see Jesus they recognize him. My study bible says that Jesus is recognized 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).

The marvelous thing about the beginning of this gospel of Matthew is its wondrous, awe-filled portrait of a world poised on the cusp of revelation, and how that revelation unfolds. Although we have skipped the genealogy of the first chapter in our reading, a close reading of that particular chapter reveals anomalies that also give us great insight into the birth of this Messiah. For example, genealogies did not normally include women's names but Matthew's does. And those who are named are either Gentiles or sinners. What is to be inferred therefore, is God's grace at work, the quality of mercy and graciousness. And, the crucial role of women in this particular history anticipates the role of Mary, called "God-bearer" in so many branches of the Church.

So, in this one reading, and in this beginning to the gospel of Matthew, we are already given great signs that convey insight into what is at work and how it is at work. We unite the past with the present, Gentile and Jew, revelation and expectation. We are already filled with paradox: the child is unknown to those experts who have expected him, a king trembles. And yet this child is born into a family while his mother is yet betrothed, the father's faith relies on the strength of revelation in a dream. The wise men of the East understand a star, and recognize the infant as the One. Another dream warns them about Herod, a great builder but a cruel ruler, and so they go home by a different route. The heart is open to revelation, then and now. We must take note of the role of faith, despite prediction and prophecy, and how great its importance is in revelation, to anyone; and how truth is revealed via our own means of understanding.

Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. (Matthew 5:8)