NOTES for Mat 2:1-23
1 Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, |
2 Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him. |
3 When Herod the king had heard these things, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. |
4 And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he demanded of them where Christ should be born. |
5 And they said unto him, In Bethlehem of Judaea: for thus it is written by the prophet, |
6 And thou Bethlehem, in the land of Juda, art not the least among the princes of Juda: for out of thee shall come a Governor, that shall rule my people Israel. |
7 Then Herod, when he had privily called the wise men, inquired of them diligently what time the star appeared. |
8 And he sent them to Bethlehem, and said, Go and search diligently for the young child; and when ye have found him, bring me word again, that I may come and worship him also. |
9 When they had heard the king, they departed; and, lo, the star, which they saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was. |
10 When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy. |
11 And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh. |
12 And being warned of God in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed into their own country another way. |
13 And when they were departed, behold, the angel of the Lord appeareth to Joseph in a dream, saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and flee into Egypt, and be thou there until I bring thee word: for Herod will seek the young child to destroy him. |
14 When he arose, he took the young child and his mother by night, and departed into Egypt: |
15 And was there until the death of Herod: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Out of Egypt have I called my son. |
16 Then Herod, when he saw that he was mocked of the wise men, was exceeding wroth, and sent forth, and slew all the children that were in Bethlehem, and in all the coasts thereof, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had diligently inquired of the wise men. |
17 Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremy the prophet, saying, |
18 In Rama was there a voice heard, lamentation, and weeping, and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children, and would not be comforted, because they are not. |
19 But when Herod was dead, behold, an angel of the Lord appeareth in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, |
20 Saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and go into the land of Israel: for they are dead which sought the young child's life. |
21 And he arose, and took the young child and his mother, and came into the land of Israel. |
22 But when he heard that Archelaus did reign in Judaea in the room of his father Herod, he was afraid to go thither: notwithstanding, being warned of God in a dream, he turned aside into the parts of Galilee: |
23 And he came and dwelt in a city called Nazareth: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophets, He shall be called a Nazarene. |
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The appearance in Jerusalem, described in today's reading, of the "Magi" who came "from the east" (v. 1) raises a number of questions. Who were these "Magi"? Why were they interested at all in the birth of the Messiah-Christ, a question that in those days would seem to have been of interest only to Jews? And what mysterious "star" (v. 2) led them? The traditional answer to the last question has been to point to the fact that the "Magi," who knew the astronomy of their time well, could notice some unusual phenomenon in the starry sky and interpret it as a sign that the Messiah had indeed been born. But such an answer presupposes that these "Magi" not only knew astronomy well, but were awaiting the coming of the Messiah no less than the Jews themselves.
Palestine at that time was part of the Roman Empire, which in the east bordered Persia, a land the Romans never managed to conquer despite many attempts. The state religion of Persia at that time was Zoroastrianism, and in the Roman Empire the priests of this religion were called in Greek "magi" (in the Synodal translation these "magi" became "wise men"). Zoroastrianism was remarkable in that its followers, like the Jews, awaited the Messiah, who would come to earth at the end of time in order to lead here the last battle of the sons of Light against the sons of darkness. It appears that among the Zoroastrian priests there were some who decided to step beyond the limits prescribed by the tradition of their own religion. They were the ones who set out for Judea in order to find there the Messiah for whom they had been waiting so long.
Of course, traditional Zoroastrian messianic ideas differed significantly from biblical ones. But for those who set out for Palestine, the desire to find the truth was clearly stronger than the influence of accepted opinions and the pressure of their environment. And the pressure could be very strong: the Roman Empire and Persia were traditionally hostile to one another, and for the magi to set out for Judea meant going straight into the enemy camp. Moreover, of course, they had no guarantees that they would actually find the One they were seeking. But, as we can see, finding the Messiah of whom not only biblical books but also Zoroastrian books spoke was absolutely necessary for these people. And therefore they found the One they were seeking (vv. 9-11).
Not everyone is destined by God to be born among the people of God. But the search for truth is open to everyone. And if this search is sincere and persistent, sooner or later it will surely lead the seeker to Him who is the Way, the Truth, and the Life.
Readings for 3 April 2026
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