Matthew 2:1-12

Matthew 2:1-12 (NRSV)

 In the time of King Herod, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, ² asking, “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.” ³ When King Herod heard this, he was frightened, and all Jerusalem with him; ⁴ and calling together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born. ⁵ They told him, “In Bethlehem of Judea; for so it has been written by the prophet:

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.’ ”

⁷ Then Herod secretly called for the wise men and learned from them the exact time when the star had appeared. ⁸ Then 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.” ⁹ When 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. ¹⁰ When they saw that the star had stopped, they were overwhelmed with joy. ¹¹ On 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. ¹² And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they left for their own country by another road.

2: 1-12 Pre-Gospel: Story of the visit of the magi (First Reaction to a Christological Revelation - Where of Jesus’ Birth)

The story of the visit of the magi (Matthew 2:1-12, Epiphany Day) is symbolic of the human journey as a seeker.[1] Those who are wise among the gentiles will be attracted to the light Jesus brings. The magi are in all of us as we seek for fulfillment and meaning. The prevalence of religion in human history is a testimony to the long search that has engaged humanity. Others may be content with home, symbolic here of the ideas and practices with which they grow up. The magi saw signs of something else awaiting them. They have trustworthy character, they follow a sign in the heavens, and they take significant risk to follow their vision. They did not have scripture to guide them, so they relied upon what nature taught them. The Bible does not treat such activities as astrology kindly, but Matthew is a notable exception. Balaam, a prophet with magical powers from the east, predicted that a star would rise from Jacob (Num 24:17), suggesting the formation of this story to Matthew. [2] The light in the heavens is symbolic of the light that has dawned upon humanity in the coming of Jesus. “God is light and in [God] there is no darkness at all” (1 John 1:5). “The Lord is my light and my salvation” (Psalm 27:1a), the fountain of life in whose light we see light (Psalm 36.9). Our favorite passages are full of it: “The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who lived in a land of deep darkness—on them light has shined” (Isaiah 9:2). The fourth gospel is full of it. “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life” (John 8:12). Such analogies are symbolic of the nations, the Gentiles, welcoming Jesus and bringing what they have to Jesus and worshipping him. They became part of Christian devotion long before the shepherds. Traditions concerning their names and personal stories arose early. The number varied from 2 to 12. The number of three comes from the list of gifts they brought. An obvious example of this story in Christian worship is a hymn by John Henry Hopkins (1857), We Three Kings of Orient Are. William C. Dox (1856) wrote another hymn, As With Gladness Men of Old, which invites those who listen to follow the example of the Magi in allowing God to guide them. These traditions are consistent with the story of Matthew, offering a positive example of bringing all that we are to the feet of Jesus and worship him. The strangeness here is that those who reject Jesus, the Jewish people, though they had the witness of scripture, would reject Jesus. They knew scripture, that the Messiah would come from Bethlehem. But they did not have the insight to see truly the scripture, for their knowledge of it blinded them to what it was saying. Given the forms of communication God takes with the Magi, once through observing the stars and another in a dream, it opens the door to a discussion of how God communicates with us. The magi become an example of the hidden neighbor who does good to the people of God, even if they never would consider themselves part of the people of God. ^[3] They have insight to see what God is doing in bringing to fulfillment the plan of God for the salvation of humanity.

We now learn that the story in 1:18-25 occurred during the time of King Herod, who ruled as a vasal king for Rome over Judea, Idumea, and Samaria (37 BC-4 BC) in Bethlehem (Luke 2:1-7). This story will involve wise persons from a vague and general place in the East. They travel to Jerusalem. They ask unidentified persons where the child born king of the Jews might be, since they observed his star rising (Num 24:17), the light of God dawning upon the world in Jesus. They did not have scripture to guide them, so they relied upon nature taught them. The Jewish people will oppose what the God of Israel is revealing in Jesus. Opposition to Jesus unites Herod and the religious leaders in Jerusalem, who historically had animosity toward each other. He asks them where the Christ (ὁ χριστὸς) was to be born. The religious leaders tell Herod that, based on Micah 5, he will be born in Bethlehem. They have scripture as a witness, but they did not listen in the same way the Magi had listened to nature. Herod calls the magi to him, informs them of where they will find the child, and ask them to return to him and inform him of who the child is, strangely not sending troops with them. The star they were following stood over the place where the child was. Matthew has in mind a miraculous star provided by God uniquely for this event. The story of the magi is notable exception to the general opposition of the Bible to listening the heavenly bodies. Matthew presupposes the possibility of astrology. It worked in this one unique case, as a sign of the divine plan coming to fulfillment.[4] Joy overwhelms them, as they discover the Holy Family in a house. They see the child and Mary, kneeling to pay homage to the child. The magi are symbolic that not everyone in the world will be hostile to Jesus. The wise in the world will always be open to wherever they can find what is true, good, and beautiful. Intellectuals can put themselves in a place of hostility to what Jesus brings, but there will aways be some who will practice having an open mind and heart. The people of God need to be discerning and appreciative of such persons who are good neighbors.[5]  They laid before the Holy Family gifts of gold, with frankincense and myrrh being resins that come from wounds in the bark of trees that grow only in northeast Africa and southern Arabia.  Both, along with being expensive, had a healthy quality to them.  Myrrh was a perfume as well as a cure for many ailments. Gentiles bringing gifts to Jerusalem became part of the prophetic eschatological vision (Ps 72:10-11, Mic 4:1-4, Isa 2:1-4, 60:4-11). As Matthew brings this story to a close, the magi again listen to another form of divine intervention provided through a dream, which warned them not to return to Herod, returning to their country in the East by another road.

If you are interested, I include a brief survey of the Magi in Christian piety. The Magi were part of early Christian piety long before the Shepherds.  The catacombs, where the early Christians often met for worship, contain paintings of the magi 200 years before there are paintings of the Shepherds.  The number of relics for them far exceeds those of the shepherds.  It was not until the protestant reformation that the shepherds gained prominence, mainly because so much of what they considered superstition had begun to surround the magi.  As early as 207 AD, Tertullian described the magi as kings in this fashion: "For the East generally regarded the magi as kings...” and he goes on to say that this symbolized the riches of the East, and even idolatry, to be given up for Jesus.  This view prevailed so much that by 500 AD, authors simply assumed that they were kings.[6]  We do not know the first time anyone gave the number of Magi.  Some accounts have only two, and there are some in which there are twelve.  However, exceedingly early in most areas of the church the number was three, based on the analogy with the number of gifts.  

            The names of the magi differ, but one early description, dating from the 700's AD, goes like this:

The magi were the ones who gave gifts to the Lord.  The first is said to have been Melchior, an old man with white hair and a long beard...who offered gold to the Lord as to a king.  The second, Gaspar by name, young and beardless and ruddy complexioned...honored him as God by his gift of incense, and oblation worthy of divinity.  The third, black-skinned and heavily bearded, named Balthasar...by his gift of myrrh testified to the Son of Man who was to die.

 

The description of the gifts goes back to Irenaeus, writing between 182 and 188 AD, as he says:

...they showed, by these gifts which they offered, who it was they was worshipped; myrrh, because it was He who should die and be buried for the mortal human race; gold, because He was a king...and frankincense, because He was God, who also "was made known in Judea," and was "declared to those who sought Him not."[7]

 

There is even an ancient reference to the death of the magi:

 

Having undergone many trials and fatigues for the Gospel, the three wise men met at sewa (Sebaste in Armenia) in AD 54 to celebrate the feast of Christmas.  Thereupon, after the celebration of Mass, they died: St. Melchior on January 1st, aged 116; St. Balthasar on January 6th, aged 112; and St. Gaspar on January 11th, aged 109.

 

Though these traditions may seem to get far afield from the biblical text, they are true to the spirit of Matthew, who clearly wants readers to view the magi as a positive example of bringing all that we are to the feet of Jesus, and there worship him.

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[1] (Bultmann, The History of the Synoptic Tradition, 1921, 1931, 1958), 292-4. Chapter 2 is a story independent of Chapter 1. It makes use of folk saga. 

[2] (Brown, The Birth of the Messiah, 1977)117)

[3] (Barth K. , Church Dogmatics, 2004, 1932-67), I.2 [18.3], 425)

[4] (Barth K. , Church Dogmatics, 2004, 1932-67), III.1 (41.2), 165)

[5] (Barth K. , Church Dogmatics, 2004, 1932-67)I.2 [18.3], 425)

[6] Irenaeus (Against Marcion, III, 13)

[7] Irenaeus (Against Heresies, III, ix.2)

Ephesians 3:1-12

Ephesians 3:1-12 (NRSV)

 This is the reason that I Paul am a prisoner for Christ Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles— ² for surely you have already heard of the commission of God’s grace that was given me for you, ³ and how the mystery was made known to me by revelation, as I wrote above in a few words, ⁴ a reading of which will enable you to perceive my understanding of the mystery of Christ. ⁵ In former generations this mystery was not made known to humankind, as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit: ⁶ that is, the Gentiles have become fellow heirs, members of the same body, and sharers in the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.

⁷ Of this gospel I have become a servant according to the gift of God’s grace that was given me by the working of his power. ⁸ Although I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given to me to bring to the Gentiles the news of the boundless riches of Christ, ⁹ and to make everyone see what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God who created all things; ¹⁰ so that through the church the wisdom of God in its rich variety might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. ¹¹ This was in accordance with the eternal purpose that he has carried out in Christ Jesus our Lord, ¹² in whom we have access to God in boldness and confidence through faith in him.

Ephesians 3:1-12 has the theme of the mystery proclaimed to the Gentiles. The God of Israel revealed new dimensions of God and the people of God at various stages in history. For Paul, the fullness of time is now, this moment. We must never forget the significance of this event or moment in our history. The plan of God, a secret or mystery, finds it unveiling in Jesus Christ. We discover that plan all along, from Abraham, to Moses, to David, to the prophets, to wisdom teachers, was to include all persons within the people of God. The church exists to unveil and embody this mystery so that the plan of God is no longer a mystery. People will hear it and see it in the church. The secret is no longer a secret. The church exists to mediate this great spiritual truth. Paul needed a revelation in order to see this truth. He was in prison because he proclaimed and lived this truth. Both examples suggest that human beings often resist and oppose the truth. It will take revelation or at least a special insight to see what Paul sees in Christ. The secret is no longer a secret, but we must still have the eyes to see. Paul lets us know who he is in this passage. He lets us know what drives or motivates him. His belief in Christ was not simply an intellectual or philosophical exercise. He risked his life for the mission he believed God had given him. 

The passage begins with Paul writing that he is ¹a prisoner for Christ Jesus (Philemon 1, 9). He refers to his imprisonment with the imperial guard (Philippians 1:13), to believers who intend to increase his suffering during his imprisonment (Philippians 1:17), his readers to remember his chains (Colossians 4:18), to not experience shame in being a prisoner (II Timothy 1:8), and that while he remains in chains the gospel remains unchained (II Timothy 2:9).  He stresses that he is a prisoner for the sake of “you” gentiles. Behind what most of us would consider being reason for anxiety and anger, Paul sees meaning and purpose. Part of his identity as a Christian is that he accepts circumstances in the world as if from the parental care of God. He will offer a summary of what he has written thus far. We need to see that behind the circumstances is a divine presence moving us toward a larger purpose. He assumes they ²have already heard of his commission (oikonomia stewardship) of the grace of God that God gave to him for the sake of the Gentiles. God has entrusted him with the message of the gospel (I Thessalonians 2:4), made him a minister of the covenant (II Corinthians 3:6), and made him a servant of this gospel (Colossians 1:23). God ³made known the mystery to him by revelation. The apostle is not the source of this revelation, but the conveyor of this revelation to Gentiles. The point of the plan of salvation that God fulfilled in Jesus Christ is the bringing of all people into participation in salvation by faith. Contrary to Barth, then, the revealed Word is not the mystery, although we do find such a notion in Ignatius (Magn 8.2) and Irenaeus. Rather, the historical plan of the God of Israel to include Gentiles in salvation is the mystery that Jesus Christ reveals.[1] If they re-read what he has written thus far, they will ⁴perceive his understanding of the mystery of Christ. ⁵In former generations, God did not make known to humankind this mystery. We live in the moment or event of the revelation of God by the Spirit to the holy apostles and prophets. The heart of the mystery is that ⁶the Gentiles have become (in Greek three words with the Greek prefix syn, which means with or together) fellow heirs (heirs together or joint heirs), members of the same body (body together or joint body), and sharers (sharers together or joint sharers) in the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel. He has already explained the end of hostility between Israel and Gentiles in Chapter 2. It also sets the stage for the powerful portrait of the unity of the church in the Spirit Chapter 4. 

Paul affirms that he has ⁷become a servant of this gospel according to the gift of the grace of God that God gave him by the working of divine power. We see another part of his identity as a Christian. We rightly look back to Paul with admiration and respect for the dramatic change that occurred in his life and the influence he had, and continues to have, upon the church. Yet, he looked upon himself as a humble servant or slave of the mission of God and the mission of the church. He admits that he is ⁸the very least of all the saints. He is also one untimely born (I Corinthians 15:8) and the chief of sinners (I Timothy 1:15). His point is that the source of his authority is in his surrender to and serving the gracious initiatives of God in Christ. He stresses that God gave him this grace in order to bring to the Gentiles the news of the boundless riches of Christ, ⁹and to make everyone see (photisai, to make see or bring to light, to enlighten, to illuminate, making it part of the revelation he has received). What he desires people to perceive is the plan (oikonomia stewardship) of the mystery hidden for ages in God who created all things. We see yet another part of the identity Paul had as a Christian. Paul could see that behind his present circumstances, God has summoned him to be part of a larger plan. Paul understood himself to be an agent of that plan. Among Jewish writers of the time, this notion of mystery as a secret divine plan revealed at some critical moment was common. The beauty of it is that this mystery is on “open secret.” You can be part of the plan. I can be part of that plan. In fact, the greatest plan of all, the plan of God for the world, involves people like you and me. Paul can refer to the revelation of the mystery kept secret for long ages, but now God has disclosed it through prophetic writings and thus made known to Gentiles (Romans 16:25-7). He did not come to his readers to preach the mystery of God in lofty words (I Corinthians 2:1, 7-8). Jesus has given the disciples the mystery of the rule of God (Mark 4:11). Yet, the use of “mystery” here is more like the Thanksgiving Hymns found among the Dead Sea Scrolls. The writer of the hymns thanks God for revealing mysteries to him so that he can then impart them to the members of the community. We find an almost mystical emphasis on the special role of the writer, whom God has chosen to be a vessel of the revelation of the divine mysteries. Such an element is also present in Ephesians. As something of an aside, this word becomes “sacrament” in Latin. In a sense, given the reflections in this passage, the church is the mystery or sacrament that God has revealed in Jesus Christ of the inclusion of Jew and Gentile. The basis for such a statement is that the church participates in Jesus Christ.[2] At some level, most of us know the world needs redemption. We know the world needs wisdom. If human beings are to experience salvation, it will not come from us … It will come from God. The point of all this is ¹⁰that through the church the wisdom of God in its rich variety might now make known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. Paul will admit that the rulers of this age do not understand the wisdom of God (I Corinthians 2:7-9). Christ is the head of every ruler and authority, whom he disarmed (Colossians 2:10, 15). Who are such rulers and authorities? He could refer to the powers that fashion human history. He could refer to heavenly powers created for the sake of Christ whose function will end with the return of Christ.[3] They do not have a simple identification with political institutions. They are spiritual entities that inhabit the cosmos who visit good or ill upon people. In popular language, they are angels or demons. At times, political and spiritual powers will unite. The tendency in much of scholarship today is to demythologize this language and focus on the social and political structures. Everything he has written is ¹¹in accordance with the eternal purpose that Paul has carried out in Christ Jesus, who is our Lord, ¹²in whom we have access to God in boldness and confidence (II Corinthians 3:2-4) through faith in him. 

Life has its mysterious qualities. It can take us time to receive the insight we need to live our lives in accord with the will and purpose of God. Paul himself needed a revelation to him about Christ that transformed him from one who opposed the church into one of the servants and saints of the church. The fact that Paul endured so much suffering in bringing the good news to others also shows how difficult it can be for people to hear the truth of the gospel. Paul understood that he is not the source of this insight. Rather, he simply conveys the revelation of God in Christ to others. Now that Paul sees, he wants to help other people see the gracious plan of God. What Paul wants people to see is the plan of God that still remains hidden from so many people. At one level, the salvation of humanity depends upon the revelation of the God of Israel in Jesus Christ. At another level, the gospel places Jew and Gentile on the same footing. Both depend upon the grace of God. Paul could think of himself as a steward of this message. Today, the tensions that remain between Jew/Israel and the rest of the world are testimony that for many people, the plan of God remains a mystery. Many “principalities and powers” exist to perpetuate the hostility between Jew and Gentile. Yet, this gospel message is for them as well, inviting them to receive the insight they need into the plan of God that will truly transform their lives.

Sue Halpern is an author with a passion for monarch butterflys, one that drives her new book Four Wings and a Prayer: Caught in the Mystery of the Monarch Butterfly. Throwing herself fully into the subject, she hits the road and studies butterflies in Mexico with a "cowboy entomologist," tags and raises monarchs with her 8-year-old daughter at their home in the Adirondacks, and takes a glider ride to better understand the thermal forces that propel the butterflies for much of their journey. "Monarchs are not guided by memory," she explains, "since no single butterfly ever makes the round trip. Three or four generations separate those that spend one winter in Mexico from those that go there the next." A monarch butterfly born in August in the Adirondack Mountains of New York state, for instance, will fly all the way to Mexico, spend the winter there, and leave in March. Then it will fly north, laying eggs on milkweed along the Gulf Coast in Texas and Florida before dying. The butterflies born of those eggs will continue northward, breeding and laying more eggs along the way. So will their offspring. By August another monarch, four generations or so removed from the monarch that left New York for Mexico the previous summer, will emerge from its chrysalis and do the same thing. It will head south, aiming for a place it has never been, an acre or two of forest on the steep slopes of a particular mountain range. If you hike into those mountains, you can see monarch butterflies so heavy on the branches of the pine trees that the branches bend toward the ground. You see more butterflies than you ever dreamed possible, 20 or 30 million at a time. They take up every available place to roost. There are butterflies on your shoulders and shoes, butterflies in your hair. The clamor of butterfly wings is "as constant and irregular as surf cresting over rocks," says Halpern. It feels like a holy and blessed place.

Human beings do not have the ease that monarch butterflies seem to have of knowing the right community with whom to identify and knowing the direction they are to take their lives. Human beings have to figure these things out as they travel along the journey of life. We must give our identity its shape as we make our choices of what to say and of what to do. 

This passage offers us some clues as to how Christians can think of their personal identity. We have been forming our identities from the beginning of our lives. We do things, or do not do things, because they reflect either conscious or unconscious needs or desires that already reflect whom we are and what we want to be. More pointedly, such rules may pull us back from whom we desire to be. Our lives are already following a rule, whether we have consciously chosen it or not, a rule that accomplishes something that we need, desire, or want, again, whether we are aware or not. If we are to grow our souls, we will need some type of structure. We need to look honestly at our character and our circumstances as we develop a realistic rule of life for this stage of our lives. If we are to be successful at incorporating a new structure in our lives, we will need to share with a friend or spiritual director and be part of the Body of Christ. 

Why am I a Christian? Each Christian has a personal account of the relationships that lead one to identify as a Christian. Yet, it may also be healthy to pause and reflect upon the question. As Paul reflects upon his life and ministry, he may give us some clues as to how we can look upon our identity as Christians. We are learning new rules by which we live our lives.

First, Paul has a commission he has received from God (3:1-2). Paul wants his readers to know that he did not come across his profession and practice through his own intellectual or philosophical musings. You can read the account of Paul in Galatians 1 and of Luke in Acts 9. Paul the violent persecutor of the first Christians becomes the greatest advocate for Christ in the Gentile world.  

Most of us, however, do not have that kind of lightning flash call from God. Instead, it usually comes more subtly, gradually and subversively. Our conversion might have including the loving influence of family, the preaching of a pastor, or the influence of a friend. We might be able to trace the patient working of the prevenient grace of God that brought us to faith in Christ. I hope we understand that it was not so much our efforts, but the grace of God, that called us to be children of God and united us to the Body of Christ. 

Second, Paul believed that behind all circumstances was a divine meaning. He is a "prisoner of Jesus Christ" for the sake of the "Gentiles" (3.1). He goes on to explain how his work and his present circumstances are necessary for the larger purpose of bringing the good news to those outside of Judaism. We may have experienced imprisonment at certain times of our lives, or times when we lost our way. Like Paul, we need to see that behind the circumstances is a divine presence moving us toward a larger purpose. 

Third, Paul believed God has a plan for the world. Paul expresses this "larger purpose" as the "mystery" of God's will, "a plan for the fullness of time, to gather up all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth" (1:10). "Mystery" here is a word that implies a kind of secret plan that kings would make before going to battle. Paul understood himself to be an agent of that plan -- the one whose orders were to bring its revelation to the Gentiles (3:1-6). The beauty of it is that this mystery is on “open secret.” You can be part of the plan. I can be part of that plan. In fact, the greatest plan of all, the plan of God for the world, involves people like you and me. I find that amazing.

Do you do not think people care about trying to save at least some corner of the world? Just think of the huge interest in superhero movies ... from Thor, or The Incredible Hulk, Captain America, The Avengers, Spiderman or Superman. We love this stuff. We know the world needs redemption. We know the world needs wisdom. At some level, we know that if human beings are to experience salvation, it will not come from us … It will come from God. We do not believe in superheroes, but we do believe in God.

Fourth, Paul viewed himself as a servant or slave of the gospel. Paul is a prisoner, he is the least of all the saints, because he is a "servant" (v. 7). God has gifted him for this: "according to the gift of God's grace that was given to me by the working of his power" (3:7). 

The "why" of Christian faith is all about the plan of God to reconcile the whole creation, remaking and renewing it in his image. Jesus himself spoke most often about the "Kingdom of God," or the reign and rule of God on the earth for the purpose of its transformation. Those who believe that God has called them also believe that God has given them a mission within God's own larger mission for the world.

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[1] Pannenberg, Systematic Theology, Volume I, 211, 235-36.

[2] Pannenberg, Systematic Theology, Volume III, 39-42.

[3] Barth Church Dogmatics III.3 [51.2] 458.

Isaiah 60:1-6

Isaiah 60:1-6 (NRSV)

 Arise, shine; for your light has come,

and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you.

² For darkness shall cover the earth,

and thick darkness the peoples;

but the Lord will arise upon you,

and his glory will appear over you.

³ Nations shall come to your light,

and kings to the brightness of your dawn. 

⁴ Lift up your eyes and look around;

they all gather together, they come to you;

your sons shall come from far away,

and your daughters shall be carried on their nurses’ arms.

⁵ Then you shall see and be radiant;

your heart shall thrill and rejoice,

because the abundance of the sea shall be brought to you,

the wealth of the nations shall come to you.

⁶ A multitude of camels shall cover you,

the young camels of Midian and Ephah;

all those from Sheba shall come.

They shall bring gold and frankincense,

and shall proclaim the praise of the Lord.

Isaiah 60:1-6, part of a segment that extends to verse 22, has the theme of the glory of the New Jerusalem. Most scholars will assign this passage to III Isaiah, the prophet who was part of those who returned to Jerusalem after the exile. The chapter has a close relation to Chapter 62 and to the Zion poems of 49-53. The Lord is the speaker. The light is the presence of the Lord that draws all nations to Jerusalem. The metaphor of light and darkness will be important in this oracle. The nations bring their wealth to Israel. They submit to Israel because Israel is the place where the Lord finds a people who worship the Lord. The emphasis is peace and security. The text may envision an Israelite empire. The focus is the coming good fortune of Zion as the epicenter of a new world order promised by the God of Israel. Deliverance, healing, restoration, and forgiveness are for the chosen people, of course, but now we find it to be a promise to the world. 

In Isaiah 60:1-6, the oracle begins by addressing Israel to ¹arise, shine, for its light (unique to III Isaiah) has come. If we put ourselves with the first listeners of this oracle, we will probably respond with some skepticism. The prophet invites them to stand up and be ready for a new day. They were downcast, understandably discouraged. He is seeking to awaken the powers they already have within them. Further, this view of the light of Israel reflects the theology of the covenantal relationship between and the Lord that forms the basis of these prophecies. As a parallel affirmation, the glory of the Lord has risen upon them. Yes, ²darkness shall cover the earth, and thick darkness the peoples; but the Lord and the glory of the Lord will arise upon Israel. Isaiah 9:1 is similar in thought. The Day of Judgment and redemption for the nations is a time when they will see the divine plan for Israel. Israel will see its election as an event in its history that becomes a divine mission. At that point, ³nations shall come to the light of Israel. The purpose of Israel was universal in scope. It was to provide a light for all people. Yes, people would overlook the light. Yet, in the end, this light will shine out unmistakably in the vast darkness that covered the earth.[1] The point is that Zion shall shine with the reflected radiance of the divine light that has now arrived. Let us pause for a moment with this notion. What does the prophet see that others do not see? I can imagine they were cynical and rational. War had ravaged Zion. The people are in conflict with each other. Very little exists in the way of political or religious leadership. What does this prophet see that people around him do not see? Further, many of us cannot see the light that has already come. At least half of our problem is that we do not have confidence in or believe in God when the dark times come to our lives. In any case, the prophet sees that Kings will come. Isaiah 2:2-3 = Micah 4:1-2, say that in the future, nations will stream to Zion, desiring to come to the house of the Lord in order to learn the ways or paths of the Lord. Instruction and the word of the Lord will flow from Zion. III Isaiah envisions a fulfillment of this prophecy. The prophet encourages Zion to ⁴look around and see sons and daughters coming, carried on the arms of their nurses. Israel had experienced divine judgment in the dispersion and exile, for it had forsaken its side of the covenant. The Lord promises to reverse the exile here. Long held captive among the nations, those dispersed will return home. At that point, they ⁵shall see and be radiant (Psalm 34:5), for they shall grasp the full significance of what they are seeing. Their heart shall thrill and rejoice, for the abundance of the sea (usually a sign of evil or chaos in the Old Testament) and the wealth of the nations shall come to them. We see a sign of the liberation of Israel and the compassion of the Lord. Further, ⁶camels shall be in Israel in abundance, especially from Midian, Ephah, and Sheba. People shall bring gold and frankincense, and shall proclaim the praise of the Lord. This suggests Arab lands and luxuriant and royal abundance brought to Zion. The Christian will think of the visit of the Magi in Matthew 2:1-12 as a partial fulfillment of this prophecy.

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[1] Barth, Church Dogmatics IV.1 [57.2] 31.

Psalm 72:1-7, 10-14

Psalm 72:1-7, 10-14 (NRSV)

¹ Give the king your justice, O God,

and your righteousness to a king’s son.

² May he judge your people with righteousness,

and your poor with justice.

³ May the mountains yield prosperity for the people,

and the hills, in righteousness.

⁴ May he defend the cause of the poor of the people,

give deliverance to the needy,

and crush the oppressor. 

⁵ May he live while the sun endures,

and as long as the moon, throughout all generations.

⁶ May he be like rain that falls on the mown grass,

like showers that water the earth.

⁷ In his days may righteousness flourish

and peace abound, until the moon is no more. 
...

¹⁰ May the kings of Tarshish and of the isles

render him tribute,

may the kings of Sheba and Seba

bring gifts.

¹¹ May all kings fall down before him,

all nations give him service. 

¹² For he delivers the needy when they call,

the poor and those who have no helper.

¹³ He has pity on the weak and the needy,

and saves the lives of the needy.

¹⁴ From oppression and violence he redeems their life;

and precious is their blood in his sight.

Psalm 72:1-7, 10-14 is part of a royal Psalm. The well-known hymns “Hail to the Lord’s Anointed” and “Jesus Shall Reign” find the inspiration here. This was a hymn sung at the time of the enthronement of the Davidic king. It may come from the time of Solomon.[1] Its superscription, Of Solomon, is a later addition describing the content of the Psalm. It concludes Book II of the Psalter, which some describe as the Davidic Psalter.[2] It approaches the enthronement from an ideal perspective. It has some affinity with prophetic eschatology. It becomes a prayer, using hyperbolic language as it asks God to grant wisdom and justice to the ruler of Israel. It celebrates the wealth and glory of Solomon, evoking images of the future ideal king. Early sacral kingship closely associated the kingship of the Lord with the enthronement of the king. The king is entering the public life of the nation. The psalm expresses the hopes the people have in their monarch, who is also the representative of God. It dwells upon the health of the community. The act of God in sending a king and the responsibility of the king to protect the poor and weak unite in this hymn. The Septuagint sees it as referring to Solomon, while the Mishnah refers it to the Messiah.  Jewish and Christian traditions view it as messianic.

In Psalm 72:1-7, we have reminder that the kings of Israel never had absolute authority. He was subject to the covenant Israel had with the Lord. Righteousness must come first. Only later will power, peace, and salvation come. Behind the earthly king is the divine king.  ¹ Give the king your justice, O God, and your righteousness to a king’s son.  The hymn places righteousness and justice parallel to each other, meaning that divine revelation in the covenant defined justice. Historically, this notion will contrast with the Enlightenment notion of justice finding its basis in natural law. The covenant expects justice and righteousness from all Israelites. It urges all Israelites not to side with the majority so as to pervert justice (Exodus 23:2). It urges all Israelites to render justice in their judgment, even to the point of refusing to be partial to the poor or to defer to the great, for they are to deal justly with their neighbor (Leviticus 19:15). All Israelites must reject justice and not show partiality (Deuteronomy 16:19). The Lord expected justice and righteousness, but instead saw violence and the cry of the oppressed (Isaiah 5:7). However, the king had the particular responsibility to practice such virtues due to his power and influence. ² May he judge your people with righteousness, and your poor (referring to God’s poor, only other occurrence in Psalm 74:19) with justice. The phrase may suggest that the general population has treated the poor as outsiders, and thus, they belong to God now. Eventually, the righteous remnant belongs to God, in distinction from the rest of the Israelite people. With other passages defining the most vulnerable as the alien, the orphan, and the widow. A curse resides upon anyone who deprives the alien, orphan, and widow justice (Deuteronomy 27:19). The prophet urges them not to oppress the alien, orphan, or widow (Jeremiah 7:6). Parents, as well as alien, orphan, and widow, suffer extortion (Ezekiel 22:7). The prophet urges them not to oppress the widow, orphan, alien, the poor, nor devise evil plans against each other (Zechariah 7:10,).  The Lord will move swiftly against, sorcerers, adulterers, those who bear false witness, those who oppress hired workers, widow, orphan, and alien. (Malachi 3:5). Such sentiments was characteristic concern of surrounding cultures as well. Isaiah 1:17 has God commanding the entire people to seek justice, rescue the oppressed, defend the orphan, and plead for the widow. They do so in imitation of their heavenly ruler rather than their corrupt earthly king. ³ May the mountains yield prosperity for the people, and the hills, in righteousness. Ancient Israel was a subsistence agrarian economy. It connects human moral behavior as having direct consequence in the natural world, as we also find in Deuteronomy 7:12-13.  ⁴ May he defend the cause of the poor of the people, give deliverance to the needy, and crush the oppressor. ⁵ May he live while the sun endures (following the Septuagint, while the Hebrew reads, “May they fear you,” referring to the oppressors of the poor and the needy), and as long as the moon, throughout all generations. The text is an example of poetic hyperbole, as in Psalm 61:6, 89:36-37, where the king is to live “throughout all generations.” ⁶ May he be like rain that falls on the mown grass, Farmers needed such rain to mature crops after the clearing of weeds and before the onset of the summer drought. He prays the king will be like showers that water the earth. ⁷ In his days may righteousness flourish and peace abound, a unique phrasing in the Old Testament, until the moon is no more. The messianic age will last until the end of time.

In Psalm 72:10-14, ¹⁰ May the kings of Tarshish and of the isles render him tribute, may the kings of Sheba and Seba bring gifts. ¹¹ May all kings fall down before him, all nations give him service. ¹² For he delivers the needy when they call, the poor and those who have no helper. ¹³ He has pity on the weak and the needy, and saves the lives of the needy. ¹⁴ From oppression and violence he redeems their life; and precious is their blood in his sight.

The Septuagint thought of the hymn as referring to Solomon. However, the Mishnah saw it as referring to the reign of the Messiah. One can see why Jewish and Christian tradition viewed the hymn as messianic. For most churches who follow the lectionary, this psalm is the reading every year for Epiphany Day. The hymn by James Montgomery (1771-1854), “Hail to the Lord’s Anointed,” refers to “greater David’s greater Son,” as he comes to break oppression, set the captive free, and rule in equity. He comes to bring help for those who suffer wrong, such as the poor and needy. Such persons are precious in the sight of the Lord’s anointed. He shall be like a shower upon the fruitful earth of love, joy, and hope. Peace and righteousness will flow. His rule still increases and is without end. “The tide of time shall never his covenant remove, his name shall stand forever, that name to us is love.” In the hymn by Isaac Watts (1674-1748), “Jesus Shall Reign,” the final two verses have a special affinity with this psalm, as it suggests that blessings about wherever Jesus reigns, for prisoners lose their chains, the weary find rest, and those who suffer from want find blessing. Every creature is to bring honors to “our King.” 

One could reflect upon the notion of the virtuous leader or the virtuous government. One could do so with Machiavelli and Rousseau. One could also do so with Confucius. Confucius gave attention to two overarching matters: what makes for good government, and what makes for a morally good individual. His answers were elegant — and compelling — in their simplicity. Good government rules not by physical force but through moral force. The ideal ruler embodies virtue, which one expresses in unfailingly benevolent treatment of the people. In turn, the people voluntarily, even eagerly, choose to follow the ruler. Because government, to be good, requires a good ruler — and good officials — Confucius also characterizes what makes for a good person: someone who possesses a love of learning; strives to achieve benevolence, righteousness, propriety and wisdom; treats others as he would wish to be treated; is trustworthy and loyal as a friend, filial as a son and obedient as a subject; and, reciprocally, is affectionate and caring as a parent or an official.[3] Confucius differed from the Psalm in that while he respect religion, he interpreted it ethically. Confucianism has little room for the divine. The psalmist clearly viewed the ruler as answerable to God. They may also differ in their views of human nature and eternal life. 

We can see the concern of this psalm is for the king to endure. Such a prayer recognizes that certain types of human rulers are a force for good in the world. Government can be beastly, of course, but it can also contain elements of goodness, justice, and peace. Thus, I would hope and pray for the brief reign of Putin, or the Communist Party in China and North Korea. I would pray for the brief reign of dictators in Latin America. Of course, all of this suggests I would pray for the longevity of any nation that promotes freedom and justice, as America, along with many other nations, has done. Humanity has had to live under tyranny far too often. We need to cherish nations that hold to steadily expanding freedom, and with it respect for the worth and dignity of the individuals who live within the bounds of the nation. We can also pray that such nations will extend such respect to other nations and cultures as well. Freedom hangs by slender threads due to dangers from within and from tyrannical forces outside; it will always take vigilance to defend it. 

If we apply the concern of this passage in a personal way, we might think of it as making a difference as we consider our legacy. Some people will be wealthy and powerful enough to leave a legacy of love for their fellow human beings in a public way. However, all of us can consider the ways we invest our lives. As the covenant in the Old Testament expected all Israelites to practice righteousness and justice, and therefore care for the poor, needy, orphan, and widow, so we as part of the “royal priesthood” (I Peter 2:9) have a responsibility to bring peace and prosperity to our world. Regardless of the size of our wealth, we can invest what personal and physical resources we have into social and economic justice for the poor and oppressed. If the blood of the needy is precious in the sight of the Lord, then they need to be precious to us as well. Such a concern does not automatically lead to any particular view of the political arrangements of society. Thus, if you think the powers of government should have definite limits, then this will free individuals to band together for the most effective way to redeem the lives of the most vulnerable. In a free society, such a view recognizes that people are vulnerable for diverse reasons, each of which requires differing responses from those who have the resources to help. Even if the reason is personal self-destructive choices, it breaks the heart of God. Those who have the eyes to see need to respond the way the Lord responds.

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[1] Dahood

[2] C. A. Briggs, in his commentary The Book of Psalms, in The International Critical Commentary in 1907.

[3] David Gardner, latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2010-oct-01-la-oe-gardner-confucius-20101001-story.html.