Matthew 2:1-12

Matthew 2:1-12

1 When Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of King Herod, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem and said,

2 Where is the newborn King of the Jews? We have seen his star rise and have come to worship him.

3 When King Herod heard this, he was terrified, and all Jerusalem with him, 

4 and he summoned all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, and inquired of them where the Christ was to be born.

5 And they said to him, "In Bethlehem in Judea, for this is what is written by the prophet Micah 5:1: 

6"And you, Bethlehem in the land of Judah, are by no means the least of the princes of Judah; for out of you will come the prince who will shepherd my people Israel."

7 Then Herod called the wise men secretly to him and inquired from them exactly when the star had appeared,

8 and sent them to Bethlehem, saying, "Go and search diligently for the Infant; and if you find it, tell me again that I also will come and worship it.

9 When they heard the king, they went away. And behold, the star which they had seen rise went before them until it stood over the place where the Infant was.

10 When they saw the star, they rejoiced

11 and went into the house and saw the Infant with Mary his mother, and fell down and worshiped him, and opened her treasures, and gave her gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

12 And when they were commanded in a dream not to return to Herod, they went back to their land by another way.

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with us all. Amen

Dear congregation,

Today, a history lecture would perhaps be more appropriate to understand the story of Matthew 2 than a sermon.

Matthew begins with the simple remark: "In the time of King Herod!"

Back then, everyone knew what that meant – but today?

Who was this Herod? It is certainly known that the murder of the children in Bethlehem is framed for him because he feared for his throne.

In fact, on the one hand, he is known as a cruel ruler. He had his own sons of his ten wives murdered because he feared that they might take over his throne.

King Herod was a converted Jew – throughout his life it remained a controversial question: is he a Jew or not.

His father "Antipater" had impressed on his sons never to act independently or to the detriment of the Roman rulers. Evidently Herod complied with this. Thus, the time of his reign was in great tension between the expectations of the Roman rulers and his Jewish subjects. Officially, he was something like the king of the Jews, but on the other hand he was under the supervision of the Roman vassals. Similar to what we know from the history of Germany: the princes had their own kingdoms and yet were under the rule of the emperor.

Matthew immediately leads us into a political situation with the remark: "In the time of Herod". And with this he makes an important statement: everything that will be told about Jesus one day does not only have an impact on individual people such as the disciples or sick people who have been healed: everything also has a political dimension.

Herod stands for the conviction of maintaining peace by adapting to rule. In addition, there were rebellious Jews in the country. For them, Herod was far too weak: they did not want a kingdom that existed within the Roman Empire. They wanted to be independent. They were ready to wage civil war and fight for their independence.

Jesus is born into this mixed situation. Herod was terrified, and with him all Jerusalem – a newborn king of the Jews.

What will this king do? What will his rule bring? Herod is not only concerned about his throne – all of Jerusalem, i.e. the population, is afraid of war. Under Herod's rule, they were not able to live freely, but they could live somewhat peacefully. For forty years. Herod was known as a master builder – under his rule people built up.

Matthew also tells us about him as he told us about Pharaoh: a rule that tolerates no contradiction. What is better for the people now?

There is great turmoil in a politically explosive situation: Rome is strong and in the east, resistance to Rome is growing in the Parthian Empire.

Judea stands in between.

Herod had been a reliable partner for the Romans against the Parthians in the east. Herod was known for his cruelty and for the fact that under his rule the state coffers were filled – an economic rise – at a great price.

And now Jesus is born! Clean and wrapped in diaper. 

From the East come the wise men from the East. Oh, what has become of them in many nativity plays and representations? What kind of people were they? If you look at the gifts and the fact that they are summoned to Herod, you can assume that they are diplomats from the East. 

It is not war leaders who set out, but wise men who want to find out whether there is a lasting peace.

A newborn king of the Jews – one who is different from Herod: they are trying. And of course they meet Herod.

Can he trust these men? Could these be partners? Can he use them for his goals?

I often wonder what diplomatic talks are being held behind closed doors in the wide world to find out how peace beyond war is possible. That's not written in the stars. The heavens have less influence on this than we would like. We ordinary citizens also remain at the mercy of those in power to a large extent. If they decide to go to war, we will suffer. All of Jerusalem is worried. This is discussed at the kitchen tables; can a new king bring peace without war? What role do neighbouring countries play?

The Magi do not see the star above Herod's royal court. With this, Matthew tells us from the beginning that Herod's reign is bad.

Herod underestimates the diplomats. He wants to use them for his own purposes, meets with them and interrogates them. But they do not allow themselves to be co-opted. They look to the future: and Herod does not stand for a good future. In the future, it cannot go on in such a way that rulers determine the world with fear and terror, with arbitrary violence and with great personality disorders. Different in the future: a human king. A king who knows what he is talking about when he uses the word peace and freedom. Not just peace and freedom for a few, but a sigh of relief for everyone.

The Magi see a star and do not yet understand it. They do not yet know what a major rethink will be required of them.

But this is how Matthew tells us: he tells of the overwhelming experience with the man Jesus, which makes a conversion, a completely new way of thinking, possible.

They do not go back to Herod, but find a new way.

This is the Gospel of Matthew: In the encounter with Jesus, people find a way beyond power and violence.

Real peace is created by people who break new ground – peace does not come from the rulers, but from the people who are no longer afraid of rulers.

People who go their own way fearlessly, undeterred and willing to pay a high price for it – in the hope and with the deep conviction that this contributes to peace.

Jesus is placed in this tradition and the wise men join him!

From the beginning, Matthew takes up the disappointment he experiences among the followers of Jesus when he writes his Gospel. The disappointment that Jesus did not become the King of Peace that was expected: at least not as the successor of Herod on the throne.Matthew invites the attentive reader to see, beyond this disappointment, the real reason for hope: the wise decision to turn away from violence and to seek another way, like the Magi.

In this respect, this story has not lost any of its relevance: How do we interpret the balance of power in the world and who do we trust the most? Are we really waiting for individual strong men who are already armed to the point of horror to maintain world peace through even more weapons and cruelty – or are we ready to turn back: to make peace non-violently – not to rely on immediate success, but to trust in staying power.

A political and a personal story! A story that invites you to discuss, to exchange ideas, to become wise, to think carefully about which cart you let yourself be harnessed to.

Let us spell anew this year, where personal and social, political conversion is needed. The promise remains: Those who accept Jesus as King will always seek new ways for peace and justice: in a small personal circle and in our society.

May the peace of God, which is higher than our reason, keep our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen