Gospel of Matthew

In the Old Testament, God was hidden from us. His presence was felt through signs and prophets. With the coming of Christ, everything changed.

No more burning bushes, no more fire on the mountain, no more luminous clouds, no more terrifying winds. Now, God has shown His love to us in our own flesh. Luke’s story of the coming of Jesus is a happy, joyous scene of angels dancing with joy and amazed shepherds hurrying to accept the invitation to glory.

Matthew tells much the same story, full of awe and wonder. But humble shepherds give way to more regal guests–foreigners, magi, star gazers. Whatever the name we give them, they were wise; wise because they followed their consciences which led them to this little child in the manger. They were “overjoyed”, sensing the fullness of His kingdom. So they paid Him homage, and gave Him gifts.

Lurking in the background, however, was the evil face of Herod, an ersatz king; not by the grace of God, but by the tolerance of Caesar. Worse, Herod was a deceitful ruler, a man who would stoop to almost anything, even murder, to hold onto power. He was an evil presence, a preview of what was to come; the suffering and death of Jesus. Matthew shows us a Herod threatened when he received the news of the birth of the true king of the heart. Herod schemes to crush the threat. And he fails. And what cruel irony; the next time Jesus is called the King of the Jews is at his crucifixion.

The lesson of Christianity is this: the good news of Jesus isn’t measured by days, weeks or seasons. It’s a sense of the goodness and joy of Christ deep within us for His kingdom is within. It is the celebration of new life free from the cruelty of today’s Herods. It lets the bitter give way to the sweet; tears to laughter; and it never curses the darkness. It lights a candle instead.

May your lives be transformed by the ability to put on Christ and to see Him in one another. That is the good news.

Fr. Hugh Duffy

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