Matthew 2:1-12
Chapter 2
Homage of the Magi
When Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, during King Herod’s reign, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem.They asked:
“Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We saw the rising of his star in the East and have come to honor him.”
When Herod heard this, he was greatly disturbed, and everyone in Jerusalem with him.
He immediately gathered a meeting of all high-ranking priests and teachers of the law and asked them where the Messiah would be born.
“In the town of Bethlehem in Judea,” they told him, “for this is what the prophet wrote:
And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
you are by no means the least
among the clans of Judah,
for from you will come a leader,
one who is to shepherd my people Israel.”
Then Herod secretly called the wise men and inquired about the exact time the star appeared.
He sent them to Bethlehem with these instructions: “Go and get accurate information about the child. As soon as you have found him, report to me, so that I, too, may go and honor him.”
After the meeting with the king, they set out. The star they had seen in the East went ahead of them and stopped over the place where the child was.
The wise men were overjoyed when they saw the star again.
They entered the house, and when they saw the child with Mary his mother, they knelt and worshiped him. They opened their bags and presented him with their gifts of gold, incense, and myrrh.
In a dream, they were warned not to go back to Herod, so they took a different route back to their home country.
Commentaries
Homage of the Magi.
A beautiful episode from Jesus’ childhood that has captivated and continues to fascinate the imaginations of both believers and non-believers, as well as theologians, painters, and poets. Set against a backdrop of history and legend common to ancient peoples, the evangelist offers a reflection in the form of a staged story that already contains, in embryonic form, everything he will share throughout his Gospel: Jesus is the fulfillment of Israel’s promises and the hope of all nations; he is the Messiah-King and Son of God, now revealed as a fragile, vulnerable, and needy child, the son of Mary; his presence elicits rejection from his own people and acceptance from those who are distant and foreign.