After Pentecost Devotional - Day 02

"When Jesus was born in the village of Bethlehem in Judea, Herod was king. During this time some wise men from the East came to Jerusalem and said, 'Where is the child born to be king of the Jews? We saw his star in the East and have come to worship him.'" Matthew 2:1-2

Matthew's birth narrative has some surprising elements to it. Perhaps we are too accustomed to reading his narrative to recognize how surprising these elements are or should be. After all, these are stories we have heard and read from childhood, and they do not strike us with surprise in large part for their familiarity. Matthew recalls the foreigners in Jesus genealogy. He deals with Mary as being pregnant out of wedlock. Then he introduces the magi, foreigners who worshipped the stars as gods, coming to pay homage to Jesus.

They were foreigners. They did not belong. They worshipped other gods, believing they could discern the future in the stars they believed to be deities. Matthew introduces them in his narrative, however, to show that far beyond the bounds of Judaism there are people who are being granted access to God's plan for redemption while many from within are acting in opposition to God.

These magi come to worship Jesus, while Herod attempts to kill him. The foreigners bring presents fit for a king, while Jesus' birth is ignored in Judea. Earnest faith is pictured in the journey of these foreigners who come to pay homage to Yahweh, God of Israel. Israel is out of touch with what God is doing.

The standard doctrinal wisdom of the day was that the benefits of being descendants of Abraham were reserved for the nation of Israel. God's blessings were for the pure, the insiders, the holy, the upright, those applauded by society. In contrast, however, Matthew recalls Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, and Bathsheba as ancestors in David's line. He introduces Mary as pregnant out of wedlock. Then he sends in the magi, idolatrous, unclean men from regions far away. It is these outsiders, however, who hold the keys to participating in God's wonderful plan that is about to unfold within Israel.

Matthew's gospel takes us on a very purposeful journey to see these foreigners, outsiders to God's plan as participating centrally in the events unfolding before us. God's plan of redemption was not for the benefit of Israel alone. It was a plan for the benefit of all peoples the world over.

This is not the last time we will see foreigners show up in Matthew's narrative of Jesus. It is not the last time that these hated foreigners will demonstrate a quality of faith lacking in the inner circles of Israel. We will find more of the same throughout Matthew's account. We find in his words the fulfillment of the prophets who spoke of being a light to the nations and all nations finding redemption and blessing through Abraham's seed.

The gospel has not changed. It is still God's plan to redeem the entire world, not just people like ourselves. Jesus' story included foreigners, immigrants, and people of questionable reputation. Are my own attitudes open to God using those I would despise?

Determine to look anew at the strangers around you as participants in God's plan.


"Lord, help me to recognize your redemptive acts wherever they might be found."

—©Copyright 2016, Christopher B. Harbin
http://www.sermonsearch.com/contributors/104427/ 
My latest books can be found here on amazon

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