EPIPHANY - A

And on entering the house they saw the child with Mary his mother. They prostrated themselves and did him homage. Then they opened their treasures and offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

Mt 2:1-12

v. 1. When Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, in the days of King Herod, behold, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem…

The place is called Bethlehem of Judea because there is another Bethlehem in Zebulun (Jos 19:15). Lk 2:1-7 explains how Jesus came to be born in Bethlehem and then brought up at Nazareth.

King Herod ruled over Palestine from 37-4 B.C.

Magi (magoi ) may be used in two senses: a wise man or a magician. In the NT the only other magus was Elymas (Acts 13:6ff) and he was clearly a magician.

v. 2. …saying, "Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We saw his star at its rising and have come to do him homage."

The magi ask for the king of the Jews because they were gentiles. Jews would say the Christ (v. 4) o the King of Israel (27:42).

The star was the sign of a king. In Num 24:17 we read: “A star shall advance from Jacob, and a staff shall rise from Israel”.

In 7 B.C. there was an alignment of Jupiter, Venus and Saturn. Matthew might be referring to this phenomenon.

v. 3. When King Herod heard this, he was greatly troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.

We meet the word “troubled” again in Mt 14:26. “When the disciples saw him walking on the sea they were terrified.” In this passage the Greek word is translated as terrified. In both cases being troubled and being terrified arise from unbelief.

v. 4. Assembling all the chief priests and the scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born.

The chief priests and scribes make up the Sanhedrin, the supreme council of the Jews.

There might be a reference to Ps 2:2 “Kings on earth rise up and princes plot together against the LORD and his anointed”.

v. 5-6. They said to him, "In Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it has been written through the prophet: 'And you, Bethlehem, land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; since from you shall come a ruler, who is to shepherd my people Israel.'"

The prophecy of Micah might have been combined with a passage from Samuel.

Micah 5:1 - But you, Bethlehem-Ephrathah too small to be among the clans of Judah, From you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel; Whose origin is from of old, from ancient times.

2Samuel 5:2 - In days past, when Saul was our king, it was you who led the Israelites out and brought them back. And the LORD said to you, 'You shall shepherd my people Israel and shall be commander of Israel.'"

v. 7. Then Herod called the magi secretly and ascertained from them the time of the star's appearance.

From v. 16 it would seem that the star had appeared two years earlier. “When Herod realized that he had been deceived by the magi, he became furious. He ordered the massacre of all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity two years old and under, in accordance with the time he had ascertained from the magi.”

v. 8. He sent them to Bethlehem and said, "Go and search diligently for the child. When you have found him, bring me word, that I too may go and do him homage."

This is a lie. V. 13 “When they had departed, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, "Rise, take the child and his mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there until I tell you. Herod is going to search for the child to destroy him."

v. 10. They were overjoyed at seeing the star.

We see the same reaction in the women when angels announce the resurrection of Jesus and the command to give a message of Jesus to the disciples. “Then they went away quickly from the tomb, fearful yet overjoyed, and ran to announce this to his disciples” (Mt 28:8).

v. 11. …and on entering the house they saw the child with Mary his mother. They prostrated themselves and did him homage. Then they opened their treasures and offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

Worshipping Jesus is often cited in Matthew.

• 8:2 - And then a leper approached, did him homage, and said, "Lord, if you wish, you can make me clean."
• 28:16-17 - The eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had ordered them. When they saw him, they worshiped, but they doubted.

Symbolic meanings have been given to the gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.

• But they may all be gifts suitable for a king.
• They may be the materials used by a magus/magician. In this case the magi by surrendering them to Jesus may be declaring an end to their practices.

HOLY FAMILY

"Rise, take the child and his mother, flee to Egypt."

Mt 2:13-15. 19-23

This Sunday's gospel is divided into two parts:

• vv. 13-15. Flight into Egypt
• vv. 19-23. Return to Israel

v. 13. When they had departed, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, "Rise, take the child and his mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there until I tell you. Herod is going to search for the child to destroy him."

In v. 12 the Magi were warned not to return to Herod. V.13 reveals the reason. Herod wanted the baby dead.

In v. 8 Herod tells the Magi: “"Go and search diligently for the child… that I too may go and do him homage.” Contrast this with his real motive as revealed by the angel in this verse: “Herod is going to search for the child to destroy him.”

Matthew sees in Jesus the New Moses. This is probably why he shows what happened to Moses repeated in Jesus. The King of Egypt, Pharaoh, wanted the Jewish children dead. Moses was hidden and was saved. Now a King wanted Jesus dead but was saved by fleeing to Egypt.

v. 14. Joseph rose and took the child and his mother by night and departed for Egypt.

The verb used for “departed” is “anachorein”. Matthew uses this verb when he writes that Jesus departed from a certain place due to unbelief. See 2:22; 4:12; 12:15; 14:13 and 15:21.

It is possible that Matthew’s use of the verb “anachorein” was influenced by the Greek version of the OT (LXX or Septuagint). “Moses fled (anachorein) from Pharaoh, and stayed in the land of Midian” (Ex 2:15).

The verb “anachorein” was used in the for the following contexts:
• Withdrawal from public life
• Withdrawal to the desert by peasants who were oppressed by taxes
• Withdrawal into oneself in contemplation

Monasticism took the word in order to describe the withdrawal of monks from the world. Hence, eastern monks were called “anchorites”.

v. 15. He stayed there until the death of Herod, that what the Lord had said through the prophet might be fulfilled, "Out of Egypt I called my son."

The quotation is taken from Hosea 11:1. It originally referred to God’s calling Israel out of Egypt at the time of the Exodus.

v. 19. When Herod had died, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt…

Did Matthew make a mistake here? Herod died in 4 B.C. (Before Christ!). There is a mistake here but the mistake was made by Dionysius Exiguus who wrongly accepted the year 753 after the founding of Rome as the year of Christ’s birth.

v. 20. …and said, "Rise, take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel, for those who sought the child's life are dead."

There is an allusion here to Moses. In Exodus 4:19 we read: “In Midian the LORD said to Moses, ‘Go back to Egypt, for all the men who sought your life are dead.’"

Notice the contrast between the OT and the NT.

• In the OT the king of Egypt is the enemy of Israel. In the NT it is the king of Jerusalem that is the enemy.
• In the OT Moses flees FROM Egypt to save himself and later returns. In the NT the Holy Family flees TO Egypt to save Jesus and late returns to Israel.
• In the OT Pharaoh and Egypt are symbols of unbelief and hardness of heart. In the NT it is Herod and Jerusalem.

v. 22. But when he heard that Archelaus was ruling over Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go back there. And because he had been warned in a dream, he departed for the region of Galilee.

Archelaus reigned over Judea from 4BC to 6AD. Herod Antipas reigned over Galilee from 4BC to 39AD.
Take note of the verb “departed” (anachorein). Again there is a withdrawal from unbelief (Judea) to a place where Jesus will find faith, Galilee of the Gentiles.

v. 23. He went and dwelt in a town called Nazareth, so that what had been spo-ken through the prophets might be fulfilled, "He shall be called a Nazorean."

The source of this prophecy is unknown. It has been suggested that Is 11:1 might have something to do with this prophecy. “But a shoot shall sprout from the stump of Jesse, and from his roots a bud shall blossom.” Bud is “neser” which has similarity to the name of the town of Nazareth.

4TH SUNDAY OF ADVENT - A

She will bear a son and you are to name him Jesus,because he will save his people from their sins.

Mt 1: 18-24

v. 18 - When his mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, 7 but before they lived together….

Jewish marriage consists of three steps. (1) Engagement. When the couple are still children, their parents or a match-maker arranges their marriage. (2) Betrothal. It is a one-year period when the engaged couple are already considered husband and wife but not yet living together. The betrothal may be broken if the girl does not want to go through with it. Once entered into, it can only be ended through divorce. This was the stage in which the gospel of today finds Joseph and Mary. (3) Marriage proper – at the end of the one-year betrothal.

v. 19. Joseph her husband, since he was a righteous man, yet unwilling to ex-pose her to shame, decided to divorce her quietly.

A just man is one who observes the Law. St. Jerome asks: How can Joseph be a just man if he seeks to hide the sin of his spouse (adultery)? He will only be a just man if he had insight into the origin of the child, that is, the child to be born was not the fruit of adultery but of divine intervention.

v. 20. Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home. For it is through the holy Spirit that this child has been conceived in her.

Jesus did not become a man through ordinary means.

v. 21. She will bear a son and you are to name him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.

Naming the child Jesus means that Joseph was adopting Mary’s son. Since Joseph belonged to the House of David, Jesus also becomes part of David’s House. In this way Scripture was fulfilled. The Messiah was to come from David’s House.

Jesus is the Greek form of Yehoshuah. Joshua is the Jewish form. It means “Yahweh saves”. Jesus was born to be a savior.

v. 22. All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet….

The Greek word that is translated as “fulfill” can mean two things: (1) To realize, for example, a prophecy; (2) to fill, for example, a container. Here it means to realize the full meaning of the prophecy or to bring it to perfection.

3RD SUNDAY OF ADVENT - A

Jesus began to speak to the crowds about John, “What did you go out to the desert to see?"

Mt 11:2-11

The Gospel consists of two parts:
• Mt 11:2-6. Who is Jesus?
• Mt 11:7-11. Who is John the Baptist?

v. 2. When John heard in prison of the works of the Messiah, he sent his disciples to him….

According to Josephus, Herod put John the Baptist in jail for fear that he might start a rebellion. Mt 14:3-12 instead blames it on Herodias who took offense when John told Herod that it was not right to take his brother’s wife.

The works of THE Messiah. “The Christ” or "the Messiah" - for it was a title. And this is how Matthew uses it in his gospel – 1:17; 2:4; 16:16. 20; 22:42; 23:10; 24:5. 23; 26:63. 68.

v. 3. “Are you the one who is to come, or should we look for another?"

“He who is to come” may be a title of the Messiah (3:11; 21:9; 23:39) and may have been derived from Ps 118:26 (Blessed is he who enters in the name of the Lord).

“Or shall we look for another”. In Greek “proskdokomen” means “wait for” or “expect” as in 24:50.

v. 4. Jesus said to them in reply, "Go and tell John what you hear and see."

Jesus does not answer directly but asks John to consider what the messengers see and hear – the deeds and words of Jesus. These are the way to come to faith. Hence, those who do not believe are said to be deaf and blind (cf. 13:16).

v. 5. The blind regain their sight, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor have the good news proclaimed to them.

The miracles of chapters 8 and 9 of Matthew are summarized in this list. They (the miracles) accompany the preaching of the Kingdom.

• Blind – 9:27ff
• Lame – 8:5ff; 9:1ff
• Lepers – 3:1ff
• Deaf – 9:32ff. The Greek “kophos” translate either as deaf or dumb.
• Dead – 9:18ff

The climax of the list is the poor having the good news preached to them (Is 61:1).

See also Is 29:18ff; 35:5f; 9:27ff; 61:1f.

v. 6. And blessed is the one who takes no offense at me.

To take offense is to sin. Jesus cause the Pharisees to sin. Their sin is their unbelief in him (12:24. 31ff).

v. 7. As they were going off, Jesus began to speak to the crowds about John, "What did you go out to the desert to see? A reed swayed by the wind?

John preached in the wilderness as Isaiah prophesied in 40:3 (Greek transla-tion). An abundance of reed can be seen in the Jordan valley shaken by the wind and not in the desert.

The reed can also stand for a weak and vacillating person, carried away by what people say. This cannot be said of John who was imprisoned for denouncing the behavior of Herod (Mt 14:3f).

v. 8. Then what did you go out to see? Someone dressed in fine clothing? Those who wear fine clothing are in royal palaces.

Those who dress in fine clothing are people of the King’s court. John in fact is in prison and his clothing was that of a prophet: woven camel’s hair and leather belt.

v. 9. Then why did you go out? To see a prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet.

A prophet is not one who foretells the future. He is one who speaks the word of God. When the last of the prophets died—Haggai, Zechariah and Malachi, the Jews believed that the Holy Spirit ceased to be present in Israel. The appearance of another prophet meant a new epoch in the history of Israel.
Jesus says that John was more than a prophet for he is the messenger who comes before the Messiah and prepares his way.

v. 10. This is the one about whom it is written: 'Behold, I am sending my mes-senger ahead of you; he will prepare your way before you.'

This seems to be a fusion of two verses: Ex 23:20 and Mal 3:1.

Although Ex 23:30 is traditionally translated as “Behold, I send an angel before you”, angel may also be translated as “messenger”.

The wording in all the synoptic gospels (“before you”) differs from the Greek and Hebrew Malachi, which has “before my face” or “before me”.

v. 11. Amen, I say to you, among those born of women there has been none greater than John the Baptist; yet the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.

No one has appeared in the world with a greater function than that of John, which is to proclaim the coming of the Messiah.

Anyone who shall gain entry into the Kingdom will be greater than John the Baptist is now.

Yet "the least in the kingdom" may also be interpreted as Jesus who came to serve and not to be served. This would agree with what John said that he who is coming after me is great then I (Mt 3:11).

2nd SUNDAY OF ADVENT - A

John the Baptist appeared, preaching in the desert of Judea and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!”

Mt 3:1-12

Today’s gospel is divided into three parts:
• vv. 1-6. John the Baptist in the wilderness.
• vv. 7-10. John warns the Sadducees and Pharisees.
• vv. 11-12. John preaches the coming Judge.

Who is John the Baptist?

John is the herald of the King and announces the nearness of the Kingdom. He fulfills the prophecy of Isaiah: he preaches in the wilderness and prepares the way of the Lord. He dresses like Elijah who was expected to return before the Messiah. He preaches repentance and Baptism and people come to him. He baptizes them and they confess their sins.

According to Josephus in Antiquities of the Jews, Herod was afraid of John because of his influence over the people. He put him to death so that he would not raise a rebellion.

There is a similarity between the teachings of John the Baptist and the Essenes.

v. 2. "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!"

The word used for repent is metanoia which means a change of mind. It involves turning from one’s evil ways to the commandment and love of God.

The message of John the Baptist is the same as that of Jesus in Mk 1:14-15.

Kingdom of heaven is the same as Kingdom of God. These terms do not refer to heaven in the after-life. Instead, it refers to the condition where man is in perfect harmony with God and each other and where man lives in a way that he reflects perfectly the image of God.

v. 3. It was of him that the prophet Isaiah had spoken when he said: "A voice of one crying out in the desert, 'Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his paths.'"

The Hebrew version states: “"A voice of one cries out: In the desert prepare the way of the Lord….”

v. 4. John wore clothing made of camel's hair and had a leather belt around his waist. His food was locusts and wild honey.

The clothing of John the Baptist is the same as that of Elijah (2Kings 1:8). This was to identify John as the Elijah who was believed to return before the Messiah.

Locusts was the food of poor people in Arabia, Africa and Syria.

v. 7. When he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, "You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?

The Pharisees recognize both the written and unwritten law. The Sadducees accept only the written law, the Pentateuch. They lived mainly around and in Jerusalem.

Viper stands for wickedness and murder.

“Who told you to flee….” The Pharisees and Sadducees come to John as if repenting to escape the wrath. But in fact, they have not repented.

v. 8. Produce good fruit as evidence of your repentance.

Produce fruit (or bear fruit) is “poiein” which also translates as “do”. Fruit stand for deeds. To produce good fruits, therefore, means “to do good deeds”.

v. 9. For I tell you, God can raise up children to Abraham from these stones.

In Aramaic, “stone” and “children” sound almost the same.

v. 10. Therefore every tree that does not bear good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.

To cut down a fruitless tree is to pass judgment.

Fire stands for condemnation. See 3:12; 5:22; 7:19; 13:40.42; 18:8; 25:41.

vv. 11-12.
The coming Judge is greater than John himself, greater than John’s baptism nad divide men for reward and punishment.

v. 11. I am baptizing you with water, for repentance, but the one who is coming after me is mightier than I. I am not worthy to carry his sandals. He will baptize you with the holy Spirit and fire.

The baptism of John is baptism of repentance. The baptism of Jesus is baptism with Holy Spirit and fire.

Joel 2:28 speaks about the gift of the Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit and fire are mentioned together as an allusion to the coming of the Holy Spirit in the form of tongues of fire (Acts 2:3).

Fire may also be an allusion to the coming judgment which either purifies o destroys (1Cor 3:13).

v. 12. His winnowing fan is in his hand. He will clear his threshing floor and gather his wheat into his barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire."

Wheat and chaff stands for the wicked and the righteous. The wicked will receive punishment and the righteous, reward. Jesus also speaks of reward and punishment (Mt 25:46 ).