Matthew 2 - Be an outsider!

Hey guys, I wanted to share some more things I learned from Matthew 2 in the last couple of weeks. Here's the text:

Matthew 2

Visitors from the East

Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the reign of King Herod. About that time some wise men^[a] from eastern lands arrived in Jerusalem, asking, 2 “Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We saw his star as it rose,^[b] and we have come to worship him.”

3 King Herod was deeply disturbed when he heard this, as was everyone in Jerusalem. 4 He called a meeting of the leading priests and teachers of religious law and asked, “Where is the Messiah supposed to be born?”

5 “In Bethlehem in Judea,” they said, “for this is what the prophet wrote:

6 ‘And you, O Bethlehem in the land of Judah,
are not least among the ruling cities^[c] of Judah,
for a ruler will come from you
who will be the shepherd for my people Israel.’^[d]”

7 Then Herod called for a private meeting with the wise men, and he learned from them the time when the star first appeared. 8 Then he told them, “Go to Bethlehem and search carefully for the child. And when you find him, come back and tell me so that I can go and worship him, too!”

9 After this interview the wise men went their way. And the star they had seen in the east guided them to Bethlehem. It went ahead of them and stopped over the place where the child was. 10 When they saw the star, they were filled with joy! 11 They entered the house and saw the child with his mother, Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasure chests and gave him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

12 When it was time to leave, they returned to their own country by another route, for God had warned them in a dream not to return to Herod.

Footnotes:

1. Matthew 2:1 Or royal astrologers; Greek reads magi; also in 2:7, 16.
2. Matthew 2:2 Or star in the east.
3. Matthew 2:6 Greek the rulers.
4. Matthew 2:6 Mic 5:2; 2 Sam 5:2.

So this is the classic story of the wisemen. It's the only mention of the wisemen that we have in the gospels, and it's only about 10 verses long. For the most part, we see the wisemen in a pretty positive light. After all, we do traditionally call them "wisemen", even though the word in the Greek was "Magi". The New Living Translation even uses the word in the text, whereas the New International Version says "Magi". We hear about the wisemen, and we think about these three guys that follow this star to where Jesus is being born. They join the shepherds and the angels, and the baby Jesus and Mary and Joseph at the Nativity to worship Jesus, the Messiah.

Of course, this probably isn't how it happened at all. The song "We Three Kings" would be better off being titled "We Indeterminable Number of Astrologers from the East". They probably came to see Jesus sometime well after He was born. But this isn't my point.

Like we've said before, Matthew has a point for writing. I wrote about how the point of the geneology was that Matthew was showing that God is merciful and just and he was bringing all of history to the point where Jesus would join us on Earth and He would liberate us. He's doing the same thing in the story of the Magi.

Again, when we think about the wisemen, we have good thoughts. This wouldn't have been the case for the early church that was reading Matthew's story. The Jews reading this story would have read that the Magi were astrologers. The story says it clearly. They were watching the stars, and the word Magi is where we get the word magician. These guys were basically sorcerers. They did things that the Jewish law specifically spoke out against. Again and again in the Old Testament it says that we are not to look to the stars for them to tell us our future, or for advice. This was destestable to God!

So, when the Jewish Christians read this story, they are thinking, "These guys were terrible! They are obviously not on the list of 'chosen people'". They were "outsiders"

And, even though Jews would hate to hear this, Matthew decided to include the story. These "outsiders" were used by God. They travelled thousands upon thousands of miles from their homes to see the King of the Jews and to worship him. Somehow, looking at the stars, God led them to Christ. These outsiders never should have had a chance to worship the Messiah!

And yet God brought them to His Son. They go to Herod and ask where the prophets say the Messiah will be born, and the priests and teachers of religious law tell them Bethlehem. There, right under the noses of the Jews, just 6 miles south of Jerusalem, the Messiah is to be born. The "outsiders" have come thousands of miles to see the Messiah, but the Jews won't travel 6 miles to see Him! What a stubborn people!

And this is what Matthew is saying. God desires "outsiders". He desires to use those we wouldn't normally accept, the people who are detestable and sinful. The people we whisper about and judge, the people who are poor in Spirit and unacceptable to the religious rulers and majority. God accepts them.

And he changes them.

Of course, we can't really know for sure if these sorcerers came to Bethlehem to see Christ and became Christians afterwards when they returned home, but Matthew does offer us some clues. First, the angel reported to them that they should return by a different route instead of going back to Herod. They did this. But look how Matthew's words are phrased in the King James Version:

12And being warned of God in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed into their own country another way.

They returned "another way". They were different when they went home! They encountered Christ and they could not help but be changed. He does that. When you encounter Him, you will be a different person. Even if you are an outsider and not acceptable to the religious establishment. He'll accept you, and use you, and change you. Expect it.

Of course, Matthew has more in this chapter. Right in the middle of the story of the outsider Magi is a story about an insider, Herod. Herod was rejected by God. Notice something. At the beginning of the passage, Matthew writes "King" Herod twice. The next person referred to as "King" is Jesus, and Herod is never given the title again. Even though he had Jewish blood in him, he chose not to worship Christ, and instead tried to kill Christ. He was part of the family of the chosen, and yet he was not chosen. Matthew is making a statement. Woe to the Jews who think they alone have access to God!

This chapter offers such hope to the people in the world. Christ was a different kind of person. He desired the untouchables, the tax collectors, the prostitutes, lepers, the religious and political extremists, the terrorists. Anyone on the outside, Christ wanted them. Gives me some hope, with all of my sin.

Be encouraged if you find yourself outside!

Later guys,
Matt