Matthew 2:1-12 (NRSV)
Read Matthew 2:1-12 on biblegateway.com
Chapter 2In the time of King Herod, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, Verse 2asking, "Where is the child who has been born king of the Jews? For we observed his star at its rising, and have come to pay him homage." Verse 3When King Herod heard this, he was frightened, and all Jerusalem with him; Verse 4and calling together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born. Verse 5They told him, "In Bethlehem of Judea; for so it has been written by the prophet: Verse 6'And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for from you shall come a ruler who is to shepherd my people Israel.'" Verse 7Then Herod secretly called for the wise men and learned from them the exact time when the star had appeared. Verse 8Then he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, "Go and search diligently for the child; and when you have found him, bring me word so that I may also go and pay him homage."
Verse 9When 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. Verse 10When they saw that the star had stopped, they were overwhelmed with joy. Verse 11On entering the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother; and they knelt down and paid him homage. Then, opening their treasure chests, they offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Verse 12And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they left for their own country by another road.
Devotion
This is the last day of Christmas, the Twelfth Night. The poet W.H. Auden in his Christmas play, For the Time Being, wrote: Well, so that is that./ Now we must dismantle the tree,/ Putting the decorations back into their cardboard boxes—/Some have got broken--and carrying them up to the attic. /The holly and the mistletoe must be taken down and burnt, and the children got ready for school.
But even as we put away Christmas for another year, in the background we hear fearful murmuring from King Herod and his court in Jerusalem, and the faint ringing of camel bells as three kings from far-off lands prepare to follow the star of their dreaming. The Christmas feast may be ended, but the gift of Jesus is just beginning to be unwrapped.
Prayer
Oh, star of wonder, star of night, star with royal beauty bright; westward leading, still processing, guide us to thy perfect light! Amen.