ACC ~ Matthew 2 v9 - 12

OVERVIEW:

The star of Bethlehem was not an ordinary star, for no other star has this capacity to guide, not merely to move but to beckon (CHRYSOSTOM). The star went ahead of the magi, showing how all the cosmic elements pay tribute to Christ (ANONYMOUS). The Son of God, who is God of the universe, was born a human being in the flesh. He permitted himself to be placed in a manger while the heavens were being upheld by the same One who was within the manger (CHROMATIUS). The wise men saw a dark and lowly stable, more fit for animals than people, in which no human would be content to retreat unless compelled by the necessity of the journey (ANONYMOUS). Realizing that the baby was a king, they offered him costly gold, the fragrance of frankincense and myrrh (ANONYMOUS). Gold symbolizes wisdom, frankincense the fragrant pursuit of holy speech, and myrrh the mortification of the flesh. We too offer myrrh to God when we employ the spice of self-restraint to keep this earthly body of ours from decomposing through decadence (GREGORY THE GREAT). It was foretold that our Lord and infant Savior would be triumphant even at the beginning of his life in the flesh (CHROMATIUS). It was not possible for those who had come from Herod to Christ to return to Herod, so they came back by another route (ANONYMOUS). God thereby signified that he intended to heal both Babylon and Egypt (CHRYSOSTOM). So let us, like the magi, return to our home country (paradise) by another way than the way we left it (GREGORY THE GREAT).

2:9 | The Star Guides the Wise Men to Jesus

AN ORDINARY HOUSE, NOT AN ORDINARY STAR

CHRYSOSTOM: “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.” The star brought them to inquire of the Jews, that their discovery might be made evident to all, and then appeared to them again. Note how fitting was the order of events: the wise men saw the star, were received by the Jews and their king; they heard prophecy to explain what had appeared; the angel instructed them; and then they journeyed from Jerusalem to Bethlehem by the guidance of the star. From all this we learn that this was not an ordinary star, for no other star has this capacity to guide, not merely to move but to beckon, to “go before them,” drawing and guiding them along their way.

The star remained after bringing them to the place, in order that the child might also be seen. For there is nothing conspicuous about the place. The inn was ordinary. The mother was not celebrated or notable. The star was needed to manifest and illumine the lowly place, until they had reached their destination at the manger. THE GOSPEL OF MATTHEW, HOMILY 7.3. [1]

[1] PG 57:76; NPNF 1 10:46**. Did a single evidence enable their recognition? The divine economy worked in nature and through prophecy and angelic visitation to gradually bring this incomparable nativity to recognition.

THE ELEMENTS PAY TRIBUTE

ANONYMOUS: Considering the homage paid by the star, they became aware of the dignity of the king and said among themselves, “How can this be—an earthly king to whom a star pays tribute?” What wonder, then, that with the sun of justice about to arise, the heavenly star paid tribute to him! It went before them, that it might show how all the elements pay tribute to those who seek God. Therefore, if you think it a great thing that the star paid homage to Christ, see how much greater are those things which pay tribute to you who have been made human. Look at the sun that hastens to rise for you and the moon that does not cease to shine. If the elements pay tribute to you who have been made, what wonder if the star paid tribute to Christ? If the elements pay tribute to you who are a sinner, what wonder if the star hastened before those who were seeking Christ? And if angels pay tribute to people, whom God created not out of respect for humans but for himself, what great thing is it if the elements that were created for humans should pay tribute to humans? Hearing this, it behooves us both to rejoice and to be fearful, for the greater the benefits given to humanity, all the greater will be the judgments prepared for sinners. And the star stood above the child’s head, saying simply: Here he is. Though unable to point him out by speaking, it pointed him out by remaining in one place. INCOMPLETE WORK ON MATTHEW, HOMILY 2. [1]

[1] PG 56:641.

2:10 | Rejoicing Greatly

THEY FOUND WHAT THEY SOUGHT

CHRYSOSTOM: In this way marvel was linked to marvel: the magi were worshiping, the star was going before them. All this is enough to captivate a heart made of stone. If it had been only the wise men or only the prophets or only the angels who had said these things, they might have been disbelieved. But now with all this confluence of varied evidence, even the most skeptical mouths are stopped.

Moreover, the star, when it stood over the child, held still. This itself demonstrates a power greater than any star: first to hide itself, then to appear, then to stand still. From this all who beheld were encouraged to believe. This is why the magi rejoiced. They found what they were seeking. They had proved to be messengers of truth. Their long journey was not without fruit. Their longing for the Anointed One was fulfilled. He who was born was divine. They recognized this in their worship. THE GOSPEL OF MATTHEW, HOMILY 7.4. [1]

[1] PG 57:77; NPNF 1 10:46-47**.

WITH GREAT JOY

ANONYMOUS: “And when they saw the star they rejoiced exceedingly,” because they had not been deceived in their hope but rather confirmed even more that they had not undertaken the burden of so great a journey without reason. By the sign of the star appearing to them at the time, they understood that the birth of the King was revealed to them by divine authority. Through the mystery of the star they understood that the dignity of the King who was born exceeded the measure of all earthly kings. For it was inevitable that they considered this King more glorious than the star, which devotedly paid homage to him. What else could these men do but submit to him when even the stars in the sky saw they were subject to him? How could the earth be rebellious against him upon whom the heavens waited? INCOMPLETE WORK ON MATTHEW, HOMILY 2. [1]

[1] PG 56:641.

2:11 | The Wise Men Worship and Bring Gifts

A CRADLE THE WORLD CANNOT HOLD

CHROMATIUS: Let us now observe how glorious was the dignity that attended the King after his birth, after the magi in their journey remained obedient to the star. For immediately the magi fell to their knees and adored the one born as Lord. There in his very cradle they venerated him with offerings of gifts, though Jesus was merely a whimpering infant. They perceived one thing with the eyes of their bodies but another with the eyes of the mind. The lowliness of the body he assumed was discerned, but the glory of his divinity is now made manifest. A boy he is, but it is God who is adored. How inexpressible is the mystery of his divine honor! The invisible and eternal nature did not hesitate to take on the weaknesses of the flesh on our behalf. The Son of God, who is God of the universe, is born a human being in the flesh. He permits himself to be placed in a manger, and the heavens are within the manger. He is kept in a cradle, a cradle that the world cannot hold. He is heard in the voice of a crying infant. This is the same one for whose voice the whole world would tremble in the hour of his passion. Thus he is the One, the God of glory and the Lord of majesty, whom as a tiny infant the magi recognize. It is he who while a child was truly God and King eternal. To him Isaiah pointed, saying, “For a boy has been born to you; a son has been given to you, a son whose empire has been forged on his shoulders.” [1] TRACTATE ON MATTHEW 5.1. [2]

[1] Is 9:6.

[2] CCL 9a:216.

WHAT THEY SAW

ANONYMOUS: “And upon entering the house they saw the boy and his mother.” Do we understand why, on seeing such a glorious sight, they delighted in the boy, the boy whom they sought as King and for whom they undertook the labor of so great a journey? Did they see a palace splendid in its marble? Did they see his mother crowned with a diadem or reclining on a gilded couch? Did they see a boy swaddled in purple and gold, a royal hallway thronged with various peoples? What did they see? A dark and lowly stable, more fit for animals than people, in which no one would be content to hide unless compelled by the necessity of the journey. They saw his mother with scarcely one tunic to her name, and that tunic was not dressy clothing for her body but a covering for her nakedness, such as a carpenter’s wife might have—the garb of an immigrant. The child was covered in the most lowly swaddling clothes and placed in an even lowlier manger. The place was so confining that they could find no room to set him down.

If then they had been seeking a king of this world and thus had found him, they would have been more perplexed than delighted, because they would have undertaken the effort of so great a journey for nothing. Yet because they were seeking the heavenly king, even if they saw nothing regal in him, they were nevertheless delighted, content in the testimony of the star. Their eyes could not see an unworthy boy, because the spirit in their hearts was revealing him to them as an awesome thing. If, moreover, they had sought him as a king of this world, they would have stayed with him, as is often the case when people abandon one king and transfer their allegiance to another. Instead they adored him and returned home that they might have Jesus as the just, heavenly king over their souls and the king of their home country as ruler over their bodies. INCOMPLETE WORK ON MATTHEW, HOMILY 2. [1]

[1] PG 56:641-42.

INTIMATIONS OF DIVINITY

ANONYMOUS: “And they adored him.” Do you think they would have adored a boy who did not understand the honor of their adoration unless they had believed that God was in him? Therefore they did not postpone their honoring of him, as to one childishly lacking understanding. They treated him as one whose divinity is aware of everything. Even the very nature of the gifts they offered gave witness that they had a certain intimation of the infant divinity. INCOMPLETE WORK ON MATTHEW, HOMILY 2. [1]

[1] PG 56:642.

GIFTS FIT FOR NATIONS

ANONYMOUS: “For they opened their treasure chests, and gave him gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.” Thus they were fulfilling the acknowledgment of Christ on behalf of all nations. They were signifying the fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy: “All those who are in Sheba shall come, offering gold and precious stones and spreading the good news of the Lord; all the sheep of Kedar shall be gathered together, and the rams of Nebaioth shall come, and they will offer pleasing incense on your altar.” [1] They recognized him at once. They opened their treasure chests. They displayed their offerings, gifts in themselves fit for nations to give. For, realizing that he was king, they offered him their elegant and costly first fruits, fit for the Holy One. They offered him gold they had stored up for themselves. Moreover, recognizing his divine and heavenly coming to them, they made an offering of frankincense, a beautiful gift like the soothing speech of the Holy Spirit. Moreover, understanding as they did that human life is but a sepulcher, they offered myrrh. INCOMPLETE WORK ON MATTHEW, HOMILY 2. [2]

[1] Is 60:6-7.

[2] PG 56:642.

OFFERING OF THE HALLOWED MIND, SPEECH AND WILL

GREGORY THE GREAT: There is something more that must be understood about the gold, incense and myrrh. Solomon testifies that gold symbolizes wisdom when he says, “A pleasing treasure lies in the mouth of the wise.” [1] The psalmist bears witness to that incense which prayer offers to God when he says, “Let my prayer ascend as incense in your sight.” [2] The myrrh indicates the mortification of our bodies, of which the holy church speaks of its workmen who strive even unto death on behalf of God, “My hands dripped with myrrh.” [3] And so do we too offer gold to the newborn king if we shine in his sight with the brightness of the wisdom from on high. We too offer him incense if we enkindle on the altar of our hearts the thoughts of our human minds by our holy pursuit of prayer, so as to give forth a sweet smell to God by our heavenly desire. And we offer him myrrh if we mortify the vices of our bodies by our self-denial. Myrrh brings it about, as I have said, that dead bodies do not decompose. For a dead body to decompose is the same as for the human body of ours to become a slave to the decay of dissoluteness, as is said by the prophet: “The pack animals have decomposed in their own dung.” [4] This indicates fleshly minded persons who end their lives in the stench of dissoluteness. Therefore we are offering myrrh to God when we employ the spice of self-restraint to keep this earthly body of ours from decomposing through decadence. FORTY GOSPEL HOMILIES 10.6. [5]

[1] Prov 21:20 LXX.

[2] Ps 141:2 (140:2 LXX).

[3] Song 5:5.

[4] Joel 1:17.

[5] PL 76:1113; CS 123:58-59** (Homily 8). The gold of wisdom, the incense of prayer and the myrrh of self-denial are the gifts offered to the Christ child.

2:12 | The Wise Men Warned to Avoid Herod

THEY DEPARTED ANOTHER WAY

ANONYMOUS: Oh, the faith of the magi! They did not speak disparagingly of the warning, saying, “We have come a long way, passing through a multitude of nations, feeling no fear. We did not tremble at all before the dread kings when we were there, but we stood our ground and faithfully foretold the king who had been born and, as if to a god, we brought him worthy gifts. And now like slaves you bid us flee further and return by a different route from that we would normally travel?”

No, having already faithfully stood their ground, they did not fear to become known, nor were they ashamed to withdraw in secret. It was not possible that those who had come from Herod to Christ would return to Herod. For those who, abandoning Christ, make their way to Herod still can readily return to Christ. But those who abandon Herod and come to Christ with all their heart do not wish to return to Herod. This is to say: the one who by sinning crosses over from Christ to the devil may readily return through repentance to Christ. But those who abandon the devil for Christ do not easily return to the devil. This is because the one who has never been involved in evil but has known only innocence, so long as evil has not been experienced, is easily deceived and crosses over to the devil. But when he has had experience of evil and has recalled the good that he has squandered, he quickly returns to God, from whom he strayed. The man who has been involved in evil, moreover, and has converted to good, so long as he rejoices in the goodness he has found and recalls the evil he has escaped, with difficulty is called back to evil. INCOMPLETE WORK ON MATTHEW, HOMILY 2. [1]

[1] PG 56:643.

THE WILES OF THE TYRANT OVERCOME

CHROMATIUS: This is an example to us of modesty and faith, that once we have come to know and adore Christ as King, we may abandon the path we were traveling before, which was the path of error. We may now proceed by the other path, on which Christ is our guide. We may return to our place, paradise, from which Adam was driven out. This place is mentioned in the psalm as one where we will please the Lord in the land of the living. [1] Thus it was that the magi, having been advised to follow another road, frustrated the tyrant’s cruel designs in their return. It was in this manner, through the magi, that the boy who was born a king became known, while at the same time the wiles of the tyrant Herod were overcome. It was predicted that our infant Lord and Savior would be triumphant even at the very beginning of his life in the flesh. This was foretold in advance by Isaiah when he said, “For before the child shall have knowledge to cry ‘father’ and ‘mother,’ the riches of Damascus and the spoil of Samaria shall be taken away before the king of Assyria.” [2] By “riches of Damascus” is meant the gold that the boy, born the Son of God, received as offered to him by the magi. The “spoils of Samaria” represent the worship of idols, the superstitious error of Samaria from which he diverted those same magi. Those who previously were the prey of the devil because of their false religion became the plunder of God through their knowledge of Christ. The “king of the Assyrians” refers to Herod, or in fact to the devil, to whom the magi themselves became enemies, reverencing as they did the Son of God, our Lord and Savior. TRACTATE ON MATTHEW 5.2. [3]

[1] Ps 116:9 (114:9 LXX).

[2] Is 8:4.

[3] CCL 9a:217-18.

THE OTHER WAY HOME

GREGORY THE GREAT: The return of the magi “by another way” home suggests a spiritual interpretation: As they were advised to take another way, so are we. Our home country is the paradise from which we have fallen. We are forbidden to return to it. When we come to know Jesus, we can return along the way by which he returned. We left our paradise by our pride and disobedience, by overvaluing visible things, by succumbing to the tasting of forbidden fruit. We now can return only by weeping and obedience, rejecting visible things, and by curbing our bodily appetites. So let us, like the magi, return to our home country by another way than the way we left it. Our evil inclination led us away from the joys of paradise. Our turning around in repentance summons us to return by another way. In this way, dearly beloved, we are being awakened to the fear of God. Be vigilant. Set before the eyes of your heart the deceitfulness of your works. Take seriously the severity of the final judgment. Consider how strict a judge is coming. He threatens the impenitent with terror. Yet he still gives them time for repentance. He bears with us. He puts off coming for this reason, that he may find fewer to condemn. FORTY GOSPEL HOMILIES 10.7. [1]

[1] PL 76:1113-14; CS 123:59-60** (Homily 8). By returning home by another way, the magi suggested to Gregory a broader analogy: our return home to our original relation with God by means of repentance and faith.