Matthew 2:1-12
Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, saying, “Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we have seen his star in the East, and have come to worship him.”
When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him; and assembling all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born.
They told him, “In Bethlehem of Judea; for so it is written by the prophet: `And you, O Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for from you shall come a ruler who will govern my people Israel.'”
Then Herod summoned the wise men secretly and ascertained from them what time the star appeared; and he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, “Go and search diligently for the child, and when you have found him bring me word, that I too may come and worship him.”
When they had heard the king they went their way; and lo, the star which they had seen in the East went before them, till it came to rest over the place where the child was.
When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy; and going into the house they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh.
And being warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed to their own country by another way.
Homily:
Be prepared to see, recognise and interprete the signs in your life:
The three wise men (Balthasar, Caspar, and Melchior) saw and recognised the star in East and interpreted its meaning accurately.
Do not depend on established authority to guide you to new revelations.They know the premise, not the promise:
Logically, the wise men came to Jerusalem, assuming that the people must already know about the birth of the King. But none knew about Him, neither those to whom scripture was second nature, nor Herod the king.
Those that believe, follow immediately:
If Herod desired to truly know the new born king, he would have followed the wise men immediately, to seek the child out and worship. But his insecurity prevailed, and so he only called them secretly to bring him word. He was afraid to show openly that he endorses the Word.
Keep your focus always on the signs:
The lack of understanding shown by the people and Herod, did not deter the wise men. They continued to pay attention to the signs and it led them to the King of kings.
Come to the promise with your offerings:
When the wise men finally met the King, they fell down and worshiped him, each offering a unique gift – gold (virtue), frankincense (prayer) and myrrh (sacrifice).
There is no need to prove to anyone that you were right in your interpretation of the signs. Time will reveal to all, what was seen by few. Revealing the promise in its infancy, would have led to the death of the promise:
The wise men were warned in a dream not to return to Herod.