Matthew II

i. Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea, in the days of Herod the King, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem,

2. Saying: Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him.

3. When Herod the king had heard these things, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.

4. And when he had gathered all the Chief Priests and Scribes of the people together, he demanded of them where Christ should be born.

5. And they said unto him, in Bethlehem of Judaea; for thus it is written by the prophet,

6. And thou Bethlehem, in the land of Juda, art not the least among the princes of Juda; for out of thee shall come a Governor, that shall rule my people Israel.

7. Then Herod, when he had privily called the wise men, enquired of them diligently what time the star appeared.

8. And he sent them to Bethlehem, and said, Go and search diligently for the young child; and when ye have found him, bring me word again, that I may come and worship him also.

9. When they had heard the king, they departed; and, lo, the star which they saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was.

10. When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy.

Enquiry respecting Christ. — I. The world’s interest is in life, not in mere age; enquiry is made respecting “the young child.” Men should be interested in facts, not in accidents: “Born,” sets forth the fact; “young,” merely indicates a passing circumstance. II. All classes concerned in this birth — “Wise men, kings, chief priests and scribes of the people.” The power of one life to rouse a world. III. The different purposes of enquiry respecting Christ; to worship, to destroy (verse 13), to speculate upon. Every man enquires according to his own moral condition; — hope, fear, reverence, love, are expressions of moral life. Christ’s incarnation was a perpetual appeal to moral consciousness; his life was a daily judgment upon the race. IV. The different results of enquiry respecting Christ: Herod was “troubled;” the wise men “rejoiced with exceeding great joy.” (a) No man has “troubled” the human heart so much as Christ. His whole course was a rebuke of all evil. A babe “troubling” a king! See here the punitive force of goodness. The good have ever “troubled” the bad. The nefarious book-keeper is “troubled” by the eye of his honest companion; he fears that eye more than the lightning. The world’s bitterest trouble has ever arisen from moral causes. (b) No man has ever given such “joy” to the human heart as Christ. The highest joy, too, comes from moral causes. A right relation to Christ ever inspires gladness. V. Behind holy words there may be wicked designs, — Herod said “worship,” but meant “destroy.”

i. All men must, in one relation or another, come into contact with Christ. 2. Some have seen “His star,” but have not cared to see Himself. Go from the flame to the hand that kindled it. 3. It was well that a star should herald Him who was the light of the world. All light should lead to the Saviour. — Taking the 6th verse alone, it shows:

1. That the world has been taught to hope for Rulership.

2. That Rulership is right only in proportion as it is derived from Christ. 3. That all false Rulership trembles before the government of the Redeemer. 4. That Rulership is often connected with improbable circumstances — (a) improbable place — Bethlehem; (b) improbable person — “young child.” The Ruler does not come from the Metropolis — does not appear as an imposing personage. 5. True Rulership is moral. Gain a moral mastery if you seek a permanent triumph. (Collate the passages which announce the subjugation of all Rulerships to Christ.)

11. And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh.

12. And being warned of God in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed into their own country another way.

13. And when they were departed, behold, the angel of the Lord appeareth to Joseph in a dream, saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and flee into Egypt, and be thou there until I bring thee word: for Herod will seek the young child to destroy him.

14. When he arose, he took the young child and his mother by night, and departed into Egypt:

15. And was there until the death of Herod: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Out of Egypt have I called my son.

i. Worship is the true attitude of man towards Christ.

2. Worship associated with oblation indicates the proper spirit of the Christ-seeker. 3. The right position of wisdom is at the feet of Christ. Verses 12 — 15. I. God is in constant communication with the right-minded. 2. Distinguish between the dream of the spirit and the dream of the stomach; there are foolish fantasies arising from indigestion, as well as communications from Heaven vouchsafed to the restful spirit. Never mistake delusion for inspiration.

3. The angel of the Lord is watching the affairs of men; he warns Joseph, he watches Herod, he points out a safe retreat. How much we owe to the Invisible! How near is heaven to earth! A dream may connect the worlds — a vision of the night may reveal the unity of creation!

4. Man’s simple business in perplexity is to obey; sometimes obedience requires activity — “flee into Egypt;” sometimes it requires simple quiescence, patient waiting — “be thou there until I bring thee word.” 5. The true interpretation of human purposes is from God, — “Herod will seek the young child to destroy Him.” Herod had said “worship,” but God read the heart. 6. Egypt, the asylum of weakness, will become the starting-point of imperial and all-conquering power. A retreat need not be a tomb.

16. Then Herod, when he saw that he was mocked of the wise men, was exceeding wroth, and sent forth, and slew all the children that were

D in Bethlehem, and in all the coasts thereof, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had diligently enquired of the wise men.

17. Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremy the prophet, saying,

18. In Rama was there a voice heard, lamentation, and weeping, and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children, and would not be comforted, because they are not.

19. But when Herod was dead, behold an angel of the Lord appeareth in a dream to Joseph in Egypt,

20. Saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and go into the land of Israel: for they are dead which sought the young child’s life.

21. And he arose, and took the young child and his mother, and came into the land of Israel.

22. But when he heard that Archelaus did reign in Judaea in the room of his father Herod, he was afraid to go thither; notwithstanding, being warned of God in a dream, he turned aside into the parts of Galilee:

23. And he came and dwelt in a city called Nazareth: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophets, He shall be called a Nazarene.

Verses 16 — 18. 1. The power of goodness is moral; the power of selfishness is physical. 2. The spirit of goodness is preservative; the spirit of selfishness is destructive. 3. The result of goodness is “Good-will towards men;” the result of selfishness is “lamentation, and mourning, and great weeping.” 4. See what the world would come to under a selfish Rulership! Passion flees to the sword; disappointment thirsts for blood! Say, who shall be king — Christ or Herod? The apparent blessings connected with the reign of Herod are connected with danger. It is always dangerous to be seeking flowers on the slopes of a volcano.

Verses 19 — 23. 1. The angel of the Lord is ever mindful of the good. 2. The good have everything to hope from time. 3. The good have everything to fear from the family of sinners, forasmuch as sons may be sworn to their father’s purposes. 4. The bad perish, but the good live; “they are dead which sought the young child’s life.” This is the summing up of all attempts to arrest the Messianic progress. Again and again, from age to age, until every rival be subdued, shall men say — “They are dead which sought the young child’s life.” The “young child” cannot die! His enemies go down to the dust, and are buried in shame and confusion, but the “young child” lives on without a wrinkle on His brow; He shall hear of many deaths, but no arrow shall strike His own heart, — the grave shall cover His foes, but He shall be the light and joy of the universe for ever.

GENERAL NOTE ON THE SECOND CHAPTER.

This chapter presents the difficulties which always attend the setting up of the Kingdom of Heaven among men. Here, for example, are: — i. Trials of the individual: Joseph and Mary. 2. Trials of the regnant power: Herod. 3. Trials of families: the massacre of infants. 4. Trials of the Coming Sovereign: withdrawal of Christ into Egypt. Concerning these trials three things are to be critically noted: —

I. The Kingdom of Heaven is not responsible for them. Is the surgeon responsible for the pain inflicted by the excision of a limb? Truly not; the limb was diseased; the limb was so diseased as to be endangering the life of the sufferer; therefore, pain was associated with a beneficent application of scientific skill. The Kingdom of Heaven came to operate upon morally putrid humanity; and the putridity must be blamed for the agony, not the Kingdom of Heaven.

II. They are the necessary attendants of all widening civilisation. Education always involves pain. Whenever the age receives a wider or deeper truth into its heart, there is a massacre somewhere in the social sphere. It is so even in material civilisation; when civilisation so liberalised itself as to receive the locomotive engine, what unsettlement, what temporary loss, what re-arrangement of parties, took place! So it is everywhere; the greater the change, the greater the pain. Hence, when the Kingdom of

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Heaven came to be established in the person and work of Christ, it was through much rending and shaking of the old condition of things. The innocent suffered through the guilty, yet who can tell what place in Heaven the Bethlehem infants fill who were slain instead of Christ? For the passing hour the parents wailed in great agony, but what is their feeling now?

III. They are but hints of the greater suffering of God. When Christ was thus received, did God suffer nothing? And, if suffering be in proportion to the capacity of the sufferer, to what insignificance are all human sufferings reduced? We forget that the sensibilities of God are wounded by every rejection of His mercy, and that the establishment of His kingdom costs Him greater pain than any of His creatures can endure or comprehend.

(a). The Kingdom of Heaven does not fight with hand

against hand. (6). The Kingdom of Heaven is introduced into every soul,

much as Christ was introduced into the world,

through struggle, trial, difficulty, &c. (c). The Kingdom of Heaven, though withdrawn for a

time, is not defeated. (Refluent wave.)