Matthew 2:1-12… “When they had heard the king, they set out; and there, ahead of them, went the star that they had seen at its rising, until it stopped over the place where the child was.” vs. 9
Matthew demonstrates scribal skills in the writing of his gospel. He always looks for connections between the life of Jesus and the promises of the Hebrew scripture. And while sometimes the references he chooses seem unrelated we can’t deny that there are definite threads that bind our bible together. In this instance he connects a passage from Micah about a future king to the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem. And even his story of Herod’s cruelty has a basis in historical records. He’s not just making stuff up! And the linkage makes for a great story! Even a baby is not safe in this broken world. A mad king hears a story from Eastern Astrologers and slaughters the innocents of Bethlehem. But the child visited by the Magi and destined for death is whisked away in the nick of time to the land of Egypt. And the story still hasn’t ended. That star that marked the house where Jesus lay has become for us the symbol of Epiphany. Political tyrants can’t crush the Light of the World, and today begins our celebration of the Star’s resilience. The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it!
Thought for the Day: How will I celebrate Light today?
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