Christmas, Season of Wonder and Hope by Catherine Upchurch

Author:Catherine Upchurch
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Liturgical Press
Published: 2018-03-16T00:00:00+00:00

Matthew 2:1-12 will be considered a few verses at a time, with occasional questions in the margin for your reflection or group discussion.

Understanding the Scene Itself

1When Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, in the days of King Herod, behold, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, 2saying, “Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We saw his star at its rising and have come to do him homage.”

Matthew does not spend time identifying where Mary and Joseph lived prior to Jesus’ birth in Bethlehem nor does he associate their being in Bethlehem with a census. This is not a matter of argument between Matthew and Luke but, rather, illustrates that each evangelist brings a particular purpose and insight to telling this all-important story.

King Herod, also known as Herod the Great, was king of Judea from 37 to 4 BC. (A later sixth century miscalculation in determining the Roman calendar explains how Jesus could have been born while Herod was still king.) Known for his monumental building campaigns in the region, including the rebuilt Jerusalem temple and a working aqueduct that carried water through the Judean desert, Herod was also known for his cruelty, even executing his own family members. A convert to Judaism and the local representative of the Romans who controlled the region, he was not trusted by the general population.

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