In our Christmas tradition, there are twelve days of Christmas starting with December 25th and ending on January 6th, the day that the Magi were thought to arrive with their gifts for the newly born King.
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. When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. 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. And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route.
Matthew 2: 9-12
The Magi have followed the star to Jerusalem and their arrival must have caused quite a stir. We do not know if they traveled alone or with an entourage but upon their arrival, they are eventually introduced to the king, Herod. As we read in yesterday’s passage, the news brought by the Magi caused the people of Jerusalem to be disturbed.
Why were they disturbed? Why didn’t the people of Jerusalem see the signs of the Lord’s coming? Had they completely lost faith in their own prophets of old? Were they just out of touch?
The Magi must have marveled at what they found in Jerusalem: Curiosity leading to guarded politeness. King Herod sent them on their way with instructions to return and “report to me” what they found. Did Herod really believe it was possible that the Messiah had been born? Did anyone in Jerusalem believe?
When the Magi left they left Jerusalem alone. There was not enough interest in all of Jerusalem to stir anyone to travel with the Magi to see what they might find. Just a few miles away, not even a full day’s walk, was the town of Bethlehem. In the shadow of Jerusalem was the baby Jesus and his mother. So close, and yet so far…
Q: About thirty years later the grown Jesus would be teaching in the temple at Jerusalem accused of being a Nazarene. Why didn’t the Pharisees remember the story of the Magi?
The Pharisees had the position and power, but the Magi had the wisdom. The Pharisees hearts are hard and blind.
I agree with Rob. The Pharisees were content with maintaining the status quo and didn’t want to bring trouble with the Romans.
Well, I agree with both Rob and Nathan 🙂
Some of the Pharisee’s may well have remembered, but if so, it did not matter. It did not even matter that Jesus fulfilled prophecy and really could be the Messiah. All that mattered was their position and power. There is a lesson in this for us.
Thank you all for your thoughts today! As Nathan pointed out in his sermon on Sunday, if it looks like a duck and walks like a duck and quacks like a duck it might be a duck! (Sorry Nathan, those aren’t your exact words! :- ) Even with all of the obvious clues, as Rob pointed out, their hearts were hard and blind. Rich: Will we hear more about the lesson you see in this? 🙂