Lent day 8

Matthew 2:1-12New International Version (NIV)

The Magi Visit the Messiah

2 After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod,Magi[a] from the east came to Jerusalem 2 and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.”

3 When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him.4 When he had called together all the people’s chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Messiah was to be born. 5 “In Bethlehem in Judea,” they replied.......they went on their way, and the star they had seen when it rose went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. 10 When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. 11 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, frankincense and myrrh. 12 And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route.

I wonder what it was about the Magi which convinced Herod that they were serious in their quest.   I wonder what it was that actually got them an audience with Herod in the first place.   Had the Magi been foreign kings or dignitaries I suppose they might have been entitled to an audience - and of course our christmas cards always depict them in regal splendour .  We three Kings of Orient are.   But they weren't.  More than likely they were star gazing scientific sorts.  Unlikely to have been wealthy.  Possibly considered to be eccentric and a bit odd?   And we dont know how long they had been travelling by the time they got to Herod .  They might have been well worn round the edges after weeks of hot dusty travelling.  But nevertheless on arrival at his palace they are not only invited in, but are taken terribly seriously, not only by Herod but by ' all Jerusalem'.

It is easy to read and pass over those few words in the passage.  But what does it mean that Herod was ' disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him' ?   In some translations it says he was ' afraid'.   Why?  Why did he believe these three odd star gazers who had turned up out of the blue looking for a new king?   Why did he agree to see them in the first place?  Was it because Herod had seen the star moving inexorably towards his palace and wondered what it signified?  Clearly he was insecure and worried that he was going to be usurped by some new king .  But why was all of Jerusalem fearful of a new king?  And how did all of Jerusalem know anything about it?  How did the word spread out from the palace into the city about these visitors from the east?    I dont have the answers.  Im just interested in why the Bible throws in these comments about what was going on.

Herod missed his chance to worship Jesus because he was afraid.  He didnt want to lose his position of privilege and power.  He did not want to be succeeded by a new generation.  In his attempts to hold on to everything he lost everything.    So many leaders have missed the chance to herald in God's new thing because they have not wanted to relinquish power, lay down position and kneel before God's new thing.  They dont recognise that the small, insignificant, weak, vulnerable thing is in fact God's plan.   Wise men see it.  Wise men seek it and bow down.   Self- serving leaders miss it every time.    We always think it wont be us.  We shall recognise what God is doing and be willing to lay it all down for Him.   But the problem is that position and power and responsibility by its very nature leads to inflexibility and tunnel vision.   May God guard us from being Herod and cause us to be wise men who keep our eyes fixed on the things above and who can read the signs of the times.