Sunday Gospel Reflection
"They fell down and worshiped Jesus"
Introduction:
During these past several weeks of Advent we have been
conscious of Christ's light penetrating our darkened world. We have celebrated God's grace
manifested through His Son, Jesus, and gloried in this heavenly visitation. In the book On
Being Human, Bishop Fulton J. Sheen explains, "But
Christmas is not a man making himself a god,
but God becoming a man, without ever ceasing to be God. In the
first instance, there is exaltation or self-inflation by which man makes himself what he
is not. In the second instance, there is
humiliation, for God takes on the form and habit of man." What a glorious truth!
During Epiphany we celebrate the manifestation of Jesus the Christ to the Magi, which represent the manifestation of Christ to the Gentiles. About these Gentiles Paul later says "you were at that time separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world." No wonder the Magi fell down in praise and worship. Paul later explains, "Now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near in the blood of Christ." No wonder they experienced such joy.
For many of us who have not experienced ostracism because of our race or social standing it is difficult to fathom the importance of this early and inclusive manifestation. Perhaps only a country like India where the caste system is so pronounced between the "untouchables" and the elite can we find a modern day parallel. Throughout the Old Testament Scriptures, though God chose and blessed the nation Israel, He always maintained the witness that the salvation of ALL MANKIND was at the heart of His concern and plan. Consequently, right from the beginning of Jesus' earthly existence
In the midst of our rejoicing at the significance of this wonderful truth we must recognize that it also calls forth a gift response from us as it did the Magi. Not merely a gift of gold, frankincense and myrrh, but one of cooperation and participation in God's concern and plan that all mankind might be united in Christ. "This is a task I wish to invite all local churches to undertake," writes John Paul II in At the Beginning of the New Millennium.. "In each of them, gathered around their Bishop, as they listen to the word and 'break bread' in brotherhood, the 'one holy catholic and apostolic Church of Christ is truly present and operative.' It is above all in the actual situation of each local church that the mystery of the one People of God takes the particular form that fits it to each individual context and culture.
"In the final analysis, this rooting of the Church in time and space mirrors the movement of the Incarnation itself. Now is the time for each local Church [and each individual] to assess its fervor and find fresh enthusiasm for its spiritual and pastoral responsibilities, by reflecting on what the Spirit has been saying to the People of God..."
The Epiphany of the Lord, fall-ing as it does at the beginning of a new year, provides an ideal reminder and opportunity to reassess our commitment to our Lord's concerns and plans, and to align our lives and gifts with his. Begin this process by making a gift to Christ of a block of your time, where you can sit and allow the Holy Spirit to lead you through this realignment process. Every child adopted into a family receives not only the privileges and joys of belonging, but also the responsibilities. As Gentiles we should rejoice that we have been adopted into God's family, and we also should rejoice that we can affirm our significance by sharing in its responsibilities and purposes.
First Reading
Isaiah 60:1-6
1 Arise, shine; for your light has come, and the glory of
the LORD has risen upon you.
2 For behold, darkness shall cover the earth, and thick
darkness the peoples; but the LORD will arise upon you, and his glory
will be seen upon you.
3 And nations shall come to your light, and kings to the
brightness of your rising.
4 Lift up your eyes round about, and see; they all gather
together, they come to you; your sons shall come from
far, and your daughters shall be carried in the arms.
5 Then you shall see and be radiant, your heart shall thrill
and rejoice; because the abundance of the sea shall be turned to you, the wealth of the
nations shall come to you.
6 A multitude of camels shall cover you, the young camels of
Midian and Ephah; all those from Sheba shall come. They shall bring gold and
frankincense, and shall proclaim the praise of the LORD
Second Reading
Ephesians 3:2-3, 5-6
2 Assuming that you have heard of the stewardship of God's
grace that was given to me for you,
3 how the mystery was made known to me by revelation, as I
have written briefly.
...
5 which was not made known to the sons of men in other
generations as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit;
6 that is, how the Gentiles are fellow heirs, members of the
same body, and partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus
through the gospel
Gospel Reading
Matthew 2:1-12
1 When Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, in the days of
King Herod, behold, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem,
2 saying, "Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We saw
his star at its rising and have come to do him homage."
3 When King Herod heard this, he was greatly troubled, and all
Jerusalem with him.
4 Assembling all the chief priests and the scribes of the
people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born.
5 They said to him, "In Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it
has been written through the prophet:
6 'And you, Bethlehem, land of Judah, are by no means least
among the rulers of Judah; since from you shall come a ruler, who is to shepherd my people
Israel.'"
7 Then Herod called the magi secretly and ascertained from
them the time of the star's appearance.
8 He sent them to Bethlehem and said, "Go and search
diligently for the child. When you have found him,
bring me word, that I too may go and do him homage."
9 After their audience with the king they set out. And behold,
the star that they had seen at its rising preceded them, until it came and stopped over
the place where the child was.
10 They were overjoyed at seeing the star,
11 and on entering the house they saw the child with Mary his
mother. They prostrated themselves and did him homage. Then they opened their treasures
and offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
12 And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod,
they departed for their country by another way.
Bible Study
1 When Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, in the days of
King Herod,
---Four different Herods are mentioned in
the New Testament. The first is Herod the Great, referred to in this passage and the next;
the second is his son, Herod Antiapas, who had John the Baptist beheaded (Matthew 14:1-12)
and who abused our Lord during His Passion (Luke 23:7-11); the third, Herod Agrippa I, a
nephew of Herod the Great, who executed the apostle James the Greater (Acts 12:1-3),
imprisoned Peter (Acts 12:4-7), and died suddenly and mysteriously (Acts 12:20-23). The
fourth, Herod Agrippa II, was Herod Agrippa I's son -- it was before him that Paul
answered Jewish accusations when he was a prisoner in Caesarea (Acts 23:23). Herod the
Great, who appears here, was the son of non-Jewish (Arab) parents. He came to power with
the aid of and as a vassal of the Romans, particularly Marc Antony (see Josephus,
Antiquities of the Jews 14.13.1§324-326). He was a consummate politician and among other
things he rebuilt the temple in Jerusalem on a lavish
scale. Herod the Great had a persecution complex; everywhere he saw rivals to his throne.
He was notorious for his cruelty: he killed over half of his 10 wives, some of his
children, and many people of standing. He died in 4 BC.
1b behold, magi
-----Wise men, astrologers.
Originally the term designated the learned priestly caste of the Persians; later it came
to mean anyone skilled in occult knowledge and power (magicians), or a charlatan or
trickster. The word is not used in an abusive or derogatory sense here by Matthew and the
mention of the star shows that they are wise men who study the stars (astrologers).
Nothing else is said about them. Since they are not Jews, they can be considered to be the
very first gentiles to receive the call to salvation in Christ.
1c from the east arrived in Jerusalem,
-----This suggests Mesopotamia, the
home of astrology in the Greek (Hellenistic) world.
2 saying, "Where is the newborn king of the Jews?
------The Jews had made known throughout the East
their hope of a Messiah. The wise men knew of this expected Messiah, king of the Jews.
According to ideas widely accepted at the time, this sort of person, because of his
significance in world history, would have a star connected with his birth (Numbers
24:17-19, which many of the Church fathers have
interpreted as messianic prophecy, but it is not quoted in the New Testament).
2b We saw his star at its rising and have come to do him
homage."
3 When King Herod heard this, he was greatly troubled, and all
Jerusalem with him.
-----When the leader gets stirred up, the
populace gets agitated too; especially with the reputation which Herod had. In all Jewish
circles at the time of Jesus, the hope was widespread that the Messiah would come soon.
The general idea was that he would be a king, like a new and even greater David. Herod's
worry is therefore all the more understandable: he governed the Jews with the aid of the
Romans and cruelly and jealously guarded his crown. Due to his political ambition and lack
of a religious sense, Herod saw a potential messiah-king as a dangerous rival to his own worldly power.
4 Assembling all the chief priests and the scribes of the
people,
----In the time of Jesus, both Herod's monarchy
and the occupying Romans recognized the Sanhedrin as the representative body of the Jewish
people. The Sanhedrin was, therefore, the nation's supreme council which ruled on
day-to-day affairs, both religious and civil. Following Exodus 24:1-9 and Numbers 11:16,
the Sanhedrin was composed of 70 members presided over by the high priest. The members
were elected from three groupings:
a. The chief priests, that is, the leaders of the
principal priestly families; it was these families who appointed the high priest (the
chief priests also included anybody who had formerly held the high priesthood).
b. The elders, or leaders of the most important
families.
c. The scribes, who were teachers of the Law or
experts in legal and religious matters-- the majority
of these scribes were Pharisees.
In this passage, only the 1st and 3rd groups are mentioned. This is understandable since
the elders would have no authority in the matter of the birth
of the Messiah - a purely religious question.
4b he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born.
5 They said to him, "In Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it
has been written through the prophet:
6 'And you, Bethlehem, land of Judah, are by no means least
among the rulers of Judah;
since from you shall come a ruler, who is
to shepherd my people Israel.'"
-----Quotes Micah 5:2 (Micah 5:1 in NAB
& NJB). It is worth noting that Jewish tradition interpreted this prophecy as
predicting the Messiah's exact place of birth and as referring to a particular person. The
prophesies of the Old Testament are fulfilled in Jesus the Christ. The text quoted here is
not a direct quotation from either the Hebrew or Greek texts but is colored by 2 Samuel
5:2, the offer of kingship to David made by the elders of Israel.
7 Then Herod called the magi secretly and ascertained from
them the time of the star's appearance.
-----Looks forward to verses 13-23 when the
male children born around this time will be slain.
8 He sent them to Bethlehem and said, "Go and search
diligently for the child. When you have found him,
bring me word, that I too may go and do him homage."
----Not to adore Him, but to dispose of Him. Such
was Herod's exclusively political view of things.
9 After their audience with the king they set out. And
behold, the star that they had seen at its rising
preceded them, until it came and stopped over the place where the child was.
10 They were overjoyed at seeing the star,
11 and on entering the house they saw the child with
Mary his mother. They prostrated
themselves and did him homage. Then
they opened their treasures and offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
-----The prophets and the
psalmists foretold that the kings of the earth would pay homage to God at the time of the Messiah (Isaiah 49:23). They would offer him their
treasures (Isaiah 60:5-6) and adore Him (Psalm
72:10-15). Through the action of these wise men, these prophecies begin to be fulfilled;
although there is no indication that these wise men were
kings or emissaries of kings. The gifts offered were those most valued in the East and
have symbolic meanings:
Gold - A symbol
of royalty and Jesus' kingship
Frankincense - A
symbol of Jesus' divine priesthood
Myrrh - A burial
spice and symbol of Jesus' death to redeem us.
12 And having been warned in a dream not to return to
Herod, they departed for their country by another way.
-----The involvement of the wise men
ends with an act of obedience and cooperation with God's plan.
Notice that throughout this story, nowhere is it stated how many magi there were. In later Christian tradition they became known as kings (in fulfillment of the prophecy) and their number was settled at three; deduced from the number of gifts. Eventually, they were named Caspar, Balthasar and Melchior in the Western Church, and Caspar became a black. They were understood as representatives of the Gentile world in all its racial diversity who come to Christ
Meditation
If Jesus truly is who he claims to be, the eternal Son of God and Savior of the world, then why is he not recognized by everyone who hears his word and sees his works? John the Evangelist states that when Jesus came into the world the world knew him not and his own people received him not (John 1:10-11). Jesus was born in obscurity. Only the lowly shepherds recognized him at his birth. Some wise men also found their way to Bethlehem to pay homage to the newborn King of Israel. These men were not Israelites, but foreigners. They likely had read and discussed the Messianic prophecies and were anxious to see when this Messianic King would appear. God led them by means of an extraordinary star across the desert to the little town where Jesus was born. In their thirst for the knowledge of God, they willingly left everything, their home and country, in pursuit of that quest. In their diligent search they were led to the source of true knowledge -- to Jesus Christ, the Light and Wisdom of God. When they found the newborn King they humbly worshiped him and gave him gifts fitting for a king.
What fueled their search for the Messianic King? Faith in the promise of God to send a Redeemer, a King who would establish God's reign of peace and righteousness. Faith is an entirely free gift that God makes to us. It is through the help of the Holy Spirit, who moves the heart and opens the eyes of the mind, that we are able to understand, accept, and believe the truth which God reveals to us. In faith, the human will and intellect cooperate with grace. "Believing is an act of the intellect assenting to the divine truth by command of the will moved by God through grace" (Thomas Aquinas).
To know and to encounter Jesus Christ is to know God personally. In the encounter of the wise men with Jesus we see the plan of God to give his only Son as King and Savior, not just for the Jewish people but for all the nations as well. The Lord Jesus came that both Jew and Gentile might find true and lasting peace with God. Let us pray today that Jew and Gentile alike will find the Lord and Savior on their journey of life. Do you bring the light of Jesus Christ to those you meet through the witness of your life and testimony?
Reflections:
· Please re-read the phrase(s)/sentence(s) that move(s)/touche(s) you.
· After their audience with the king they set out.
And behold, the star that they had seen at its rising preceded them, until it came and
stopped over the place where the child was. They were overjoyed at seeing the star,
(Matthew 2:9-10)
----- This star was the main reason that
attracted the magi's attention. How important was the star to the magi? What or who is
your guiding star in life? In my daily life, how do I
recognize God's wills?
· and on entering the house they saw the child with
Mary his mother. They prostrated themselves and did him homage. (Matthew 2:11a)
----The three Magi recognized God through
the image of an infant born in the manger. How do you
think the magi could regconize Jesus in such a humble environment? How does my daily
life reflect the image of God? Share one experience in which you treated someone
with respect, especially those are looked down upon in society, with the thought that he
or she is the image of God.
· Then they opened their treasures and offered him
gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. (Matthew 2:11b)
-----If the infant Christ is born today,
what presents do I offer Him?
· The infant Christ was born in the manger and revealed himself to the three Magi and to the uneducated shepherds. How do I "reveal" myself to others? How do I treat others?
· And having been warned in a dream not to return to
Herod, they departed for their country by another way.
(Matthew 2:12)
----After the encounter with God, the three Magi
returned home via another route. Believe in God, which
"path" do I take in my daily life?
To Live His Word This Week
. As a custom in the US, people make a resolution for the new year. What is yours?
.Say "Good Night" with love to your spouse, your children and your siblings before going to bed
Prayer
Lord Jesus Christ, we thank you for bringing salvation to all the nations. May the gospel of salvation be proclaimed to every nation today and to every person on the face of the earth. Help me to be a good witness of the joy of the gospel to all I meet.