Matthew 2:1-23, 39-52
Matt. 2:2 – It’s interesting that these men, ‘Magi’, would come looking for Jesus. Where did they learn about him? Where did they learn that it was his star? Certainly not in the scriptures, for they would have then known that they should be looking in Bethlehem, not Jeruselem. (I’m not even sure that the OT predicts that there would be a star.) I suppose the easy answer here is that the spirit made it known to them. For some reason I find that reason not good enough. I want something more concrete, less mystical or miraculous. Why is that? Why is it that I want to make things practical and easily explained? Why can’t I just leave it at face value, God made it known to them. I think this way of thinking spills over into my spiritual life. I want all of my Christianity to be neat and tidy, easily figured out. Do I miss much of what the spirit is trying to tell me? Is it trying to lead but I won’t follow? I want to be led by God’s spirit, to be receptive to it’s proddings. I’m not looking for magical stars here, but I think I’m a little too skeptical.
Matt. 2:3 – Why was all Jeruslem disturbed? What were they afraid of? Political unrest? Potential trouble with Rome? Fear of the unknown? Or maybe just perplexed or confused rather than fearful or worried.
Matt. 2:12 – Warned in a dream, perhaps a clue to how this all was revealed to them.
Matt. 2:16-18 – How can one man have such a selfish and cold heart as to do such a thing. Can you imagine having to carry out his order? The wailing of mothers and the anger of fathers (and probably the reverse as well). I wonder, if I were a Roman soldier, would I have carried out the order? I think of evil men like Hitler, Sadam, bin Laden and others. None of these men could have carried out their massive evil schemes without dozens, even hundreds of others willing to do the dirty work. History does not look at these men in the same light as their evil masters, yet they were the ones actually doing the killing. And even here, no mention of the soldiers doing the killing, just Herod who ordered it. I bet he did not kill one child. How many soldiers refused to carry out the order, I wonder? They did it, so if I were there, would I have gone through with it too?