REJECT, NEGLECT, ACCEPT
Opening Prayer
Lord, we rejoice over Your arrival to earth.
Read MATTHEW 2:1–12
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, “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 shepherd my people Israel.’[b]”
7 Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. 8 He sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him.”
9 After they had heard the king, 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.
Footnotes:
a Matthew 2:1 Traditionally wise men
b Matthew 2:6 Micah 5:2,4
New International Version (NIV)
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Meditate
“You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.” (Jeremiah 29:13)
Think Further
We have seen that Matthew purports to help his Jewish readers understand that the birth of Jesus is the arrival of the long-awaited Messiah. He also has a higher purpose. He is an evangelist, declaring that Jesus is not only the one who fulfills the expectations of Israel but is also the Savior of the world.
There is irony in this chapter. Matthew mentions three attitudes – the antagonism of Herod (3, 16), the indifference of the religious people (4–6) and the true worship of foreigners (9–12). The same attitudes prevail today, perhaps even in our own hearts. First, there is the rejection by Herod, threatened by talk of an infant king. Like so many today, he would not submit to any other authority. Second, it is sobering to realize that those who best know the Old Testament prophecies about Messiah are the ones least interested in discovering the truth about Jesus. They know their scriptures and are aware of Micah’s pivotal prophecy (6), but they keep a professional distance. This peril is possible even today. We can know a great deal about the Bible, but know very little about the promised Savior. Matthew tells us about a third response: the dedication of the wise men. They know from their studies that something significant has happened. At considerable personal cost they investigate with diligence and determination – “they bowed down and worshipped him. Then they opened their treasures” (11).
It has been well said that this section of Matthew reminds us of the three reactions to Christ: to reject, to neglect, or to accept. On this Christmas Day, let us open our lives to welcome Jesus and worship him wholeheartedly.
Apply
Christmas Day can be busy, or it can be lonely. Either way, let’s ensure that we give time today to welcoming Jesus into our homes, our lives and our community.
Closing prayer
Lord, we don’t reject You, we don’t neglect You, but rather we fully accept You as the King that You truly are.
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