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'The Journey of the Magi' (1894) by James Jacques Joseph Tissot (French painter and illustrator, 1836-1902), oil on canvas, Minneapolis Institute of Arts. Larger image. |
'1After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem 2and asked, 'Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him.'
3When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. 4When he had called together all the people's chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Christ 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 be the shepherd of my people Israel.' '
7Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. 8He sent them to Bethlehem and said, 'Go and make a careful search for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him.'
9After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen in the east went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. 10When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. 11On 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 and of incense and of myrrh. 12And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route.' (Matthew 2:1-12)
150 years ago John H. Hopkins, Jr. penned the words and music of this haunting carol of the wise men:
'We three kings of Orient are
bearing gifts, we traverse afar.'
They weren't kings. We're pretty sure of that. Nor were there necessarily three of them. Nor did they go by the names Caspar, Melchior and Balthasar.1 But who were they and why did they come? How do they fit into the story of Jesus' infancy?
Let's follow the story as Matthew tells it:
'After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, 'Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him.' (2:1-2)
All of a sudden an elaborate entourage from the East appears in Jerusalem at Herod's court inquiring about the birth of the 'King of the Jews.'
These men are described as 'Wise men' (NRSV, KJV) or 'Magi' (NIV). The word is magos, 'a (Persian, then also Babylonian) wise man and priest, who was expert in astrology, interpretation of dreams, and various other occult arts.'2
Where were they from? The text says 'the east' (anatolē), the direction from which the sun rises. Where could that be? There are three main possibilities:
Which of these is most likely? We can't really say. At any rate, they were men of wisdom and learning from an exotic, far away land bringing a caravan into the capital city of the Jews, seeking a newborn king. They must have attracted attention.
'. and asked, 'Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him.' (1:2)
'Star' (astēr) wasn't used in a modern scientific sense. Rather it referred to 'a luminous body (other than the sun) visible in the sky, star, single star, planet.'4 Foerster notes, 'astēr almost always denotes a single 'star,' whereas astron can also be used for a 'constellation.'5 The phrase 'in the east' (NIV, KJV, anatolē) in verses 2 and 9 may well carry the meaning 'at its rising' (NRSV), of the 'upward movement of celestial bodies.'6
Mapublisher 9 7 0. Here are some of the possibilities:
We just don't know enough to say authoritatively exactly what the Star of Bethlehem was.
There is a star spoken of in prophecy, however, in a prophecy of Balaam, the errant prophet:
'I see him, but not now;
I behold him, but not near.
A star will come out of Jacob;
a scepter will rise out of Israel.' (Numbers 24:17)
The initial reference seems to be to David. Prior to Christ, Jews of the Qumran community saw this prophecy as messianic. https://verkaboga1971.mystrikingly.com/blog/ifinance-4-v4-5-7. Later Judaism considered the messianic claims of Simon bar Kochba ('son of the star,' 132-135 AD).8 Could the messianic expectation based on this verse among Jewish communities in the East be the basis of the Magi's interpretation of the star? We don't know.
Q1. (Matthew 2:1-2; Numbers 24:17) What is the significance of the Star of Bethlehem that the Magi saw? Why do you think the Magi came to find the Christ-child when they saw the star? In what way was does prophecy prefigure this event? http://www.joyfulheart.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=724 |
'When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him.' (2:3)
A delegation of important people coming to Jerusalem to honor the king or to worship in the temple wouldn't be uncommon. But the Magi's search for a newborn king based on an astronomical phenomenon caused quite a stir. The passive of tarassō means to 'be troubled, frightened, terrified.'9
Herod was troubled because he saw this newborn as a threat to his own throne. The people were troubled because they had seen what their paranoid king had done when he felt his throne threatened. A later Roman philosopher quotes Roman emperor Caesar Augustus as joking 'I'd rather be Herod's sow than Herod's son.' Herod didn't eat pigs, but he murdered his sons. Afraid of intrigue among his many sons to become king, two were tried and executed by strangulation just the year before Jesus' birth -- about 7 BC.11 A third was executed five days before Herod's death in 4 BC.
Matthew's report of both Herod and his citizens being 'disturbed' at the Magi's report rings true.
Herod takes the Magi's quest seriously.
'4When he had called together all the people's chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Christ 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 be the shepherd of my people Israel.'' (2:4-6)
Note that the Magi came seeking 'the one who has been born king of the Jews' (2:1), but Herod asked the scholars where the Messiah (Greek Christos) would be born (2:4). He understood immediately that this child they sought was no normal king, but the Messiah himself.
Herod wasn't a descendent of David. He was rather a Edomite (Idumean) son of a ruling family in whom the Romans had seen a talent for controlling the populace. He had been appointed governor of Galilee (47 BC) and later King of the Jews (37 BC). https://demnnictilan1975.mystrikingly.com/blog/macbook-air-update. He realized that if a descendent of David were to rise, his reign and that of his descendents would be over. Messiah or not, this child must be destroyed.
The prophet Malachi (5:2) made it clear that Bethlehem would be the birthplace of the Messiah, so in Bethlehem the quest would continue.
'Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. He sent them to Bethlehem and said, 'Go and make a careful search for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him.' (2:7-8)
Herod's questioning of the scholars was public, but his interrogation of the Magi is secret.12 He finds out precisely13 when the star appeared. Later he uses this information to slaughter all the boy babies in Bethlehem two years and under (2:16). Apparently the Magi had seen the sign two years previous.
Now Herod seeks to enlist the Magi as his secret agents: 'As soon as you find him, report to me.' (2:8) He claims to desire to worship the newborn Messiah, but his real desire is assassination. 'Worship' (NIV, KJV) or 'pay homage' (NRSV) isproskuneō, literally, 'kiss towards.' It means 'to express in attitude or gesture one's complete dependence on or submission to a high authority figure, (fall down and) worship, do obeisance to, prostrate oneself before, do reverence to, welcome respectfully.'14
'After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen in the east went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they were overjoyed.' (2:9-10)
It seems that they had seen the star 'at its rising' (or 'in the East') and had come to Jerusalem, since that is where they expected to find a newborn King of the Jews. Sublime text 3 3211 license. But now the star, which seems to have disappeared for a while, now reappears and 'went ahead of them.' Proagō means 'to move ahead or in front of, go before, lead the way, precede.'15 Finally it 'stopped' (NIV, NRSV) or 'stood' (KJV) over the place where the child was.' Histēmi, 'set, place,' here means 'to desist from movement and be in a stationary position, stand still, stop.'16
The star that inspired their trip in the first place now leads them directly to the very home where the Christ-child dwelt.
'On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him.' (2:11a)
By this time, presumably nearly two years after Jesus' birth, Mary and Joseph were living in a house (oikia17). While most nativity scenes have shepherds bumping into wise men and angels, this almost certainly was not the case. The Holy Family had left the stable and found a house. Probably Joseph had found employment as a carpenter. They had apparently decided not to return to Nazareth, perhaps because of the scandal over Mary's pregnancy prior to marriage. Even though Joseph publicly accepted the child as his own, premarital relations were considered a sin; the couple would have had to deal with considerable prejudice.
But now, outside their home, a caravan of exotic travelers has stopped. Strangely dressed men are approaching while their camels are attended by servants, while other servants are carrying gifts in their hands. Mary scurries around to straighten up while Joseph goes out to meet the strangers.
Rembrandt, detail of 'The Adoration of the Magi' (1632), Oil on paper pasted on canvas, 45x39 cm, Hermitage Museum, St. Petersburg. Full image. |
We're not told the details, of course, but when the Magi see the child, now a toddler, they bow down (piptō18) and worship (proskuneō) him. Imagine these old men, finely dressed, prostrating themselves on a dirt floor before a small child. They had seen the star and it had reappeared to guide them. These men were convinced -- rightly -- that they were standing before the Messiah, the King of the Jews. Their obeisance was fitting.
Q2. (Matthew 2:11a) What do we learn from seeing the Magi prostrating themselves before the child Jesus? What was the significance of this for them? How can we emulate this kind of worship? http://www.joyfulheart.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=725 |
After lying prostrate for some time, they rise, perhaps at the urging of Joseph.
'Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold and of incense and of myrrh.' (2:11b)
Whenever foreign dignitaries would appear before a great king they would bring gifts as a sign of obeisance and honor. 'Treasures' (NIV, KJV) is probably better translated 'treasure chests' (NRSV).19 And as the lids were lifted, the glitter of gold and aroma of precious spices filled the room.
These may seem inappropriate gifts for a baby, but as munificent gifts from distinguished personages appearing before a king, they would be considered quite appropriate, perhaps as specimens of the products of their country.23 Later Christian writers, including John H. Hopkins, Jr. who wrote 'We Three Kings,' have seen significance in gold for Christ's royalty, frankincense for his deity, and myrrh for his humanity, ultimately his burial, though none of this is in Matthew's account.24I can't help think of the song 'The Little Drummer Boy' (1958):
'I have no gift to bring . that's fit to give the King .
I played my drum for Him .I played my best for Him .
Then He smiled at me . me and my drum.'25
The song is popular, though the sentiment is profound. Our best, no matter how seemingly insignificant, is what we owe the King. That is what characterized the Magi's gifts.
Though the Magi's quest had brought Herod's scrutiny upon the child, these gifts were probably sold gradually to provide for the Holy Family during three years of exile in Egypt where they fled to escape Herod's wrath.
Q3. (Matthew 2:11b) Why was it appropriate for the Magi bring gifts to the Christ-child? How does the extravagance of their gifts reflect their heart attitude? What kinds of gifts are appropriate for us to bring? http://www.joyfulheart.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=726 |
'And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route.' (Matthew 2:12)
Though Herod had recruited the Magi for his evil plot, God warned them in a dream not to participate, so they left the area without returning through Jerusalem, only six miles to the north. This probably bought the Holy Family a day or two of time to make good their escape.
The story concludes in 2:13-23 with Joseph being warned in a dream and that very night taking his young family -- with the treasures -- and fleeing for Egypt, out of Herod's jurisdiction and reach. It was good that they did flee rather than question God's messenger. As soon as Herod discovered that the Magi had betrayed him, in a furious rage he gave orders to kill all the male children in Bethlehem who were two years of age or under. This amounted to perhaps twenty baby boys, the first martyrs for the Messiah.
Why does Matthew include the story of the wise men in his Gospel? There were many incidents that he chose to exclude that we find, for example, in Luke's and John's gospels. I see in this account several themes:
Q4. Read Matthew 8:5-13; 21:33-44; 22:2-13; 24:14; and 28:19. What do they have in common? What relation does the visit of the wise men have to Matthew's theme of bringing the Gospel to the Gentiles? How should we be applying this mandate in our own lives? http://www.joyfulheart.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=727 |
Father, thank you for letting us hear the story of the Magi who knelt before you with devotion and brought you rich gifts. Let us have that kind of wisdom, that we may bring before you with extravagant worship the gifts you have given to us. 010 editor portable. We love you, Lord Jesus. In your holy name, we pray. Amen.
'After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, 'Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him.' (Matthew 2:1-2)
'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 and of incense and of myrrh.' (Matthew 2:11)
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