Tuesday, January 29, 2008

Matthew, chapter 2

1 Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem.
The magi were men specialized in astronomy and astrology or, in other words, people with a great tendency to the superstitious. So much also for the 'three kings'. The number three is only extrapolated from the three gifts. It's never explicitly said that there were only three men.
2 "Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we saw His star in the east and have come to worship Him."
Which star was it? And how did they know it was his star? Did it have a name tag on it?
7 Then Herod secretly called the magi and determined from them the exact time the star appeared.
Stars don't just appear like that. Comets or meteorites do though. Another proof that they didn't know what stars really were (distant suns).

8 And he sent them to Bethlehem and said, "Go and search carefully for the Child; and when you have found Him, report to me, so that I too may come and worship Him." 9 After hearing the king, they went their way; and the star, which they had seen in the east, went on before them until it came and stood over the place where the Child was. 10 When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy.
This seems to be quite a funny star! Let me get this right: The star appears and the Magi follow it to Jerusalem. But then it disappears (since the Magi have to ask Herod where the king got born) and then after Herod tells them, behold, the star is there again and now 'goes' on before them until they reached the house! So why didn't it immediately lead them to Bethlehem? Oh, wait, I think it maybe just have been a diversion to get the plot going and to create some drama ... And how does a star 'go on'? How can it stay over an exact house in order to single it out? It must have been hovering a meter above its roof? So it definitely wasn't a star. I can't understand how people can literally believe in such bad fiction writing.
14 So Joseph got up and took the Child and His mother while it was still night, and left for Egypt.15 He remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet: "OUT OF EGYPT I CALLED MY SON."
Rejoice! Another element of God's Play has been acted out.
22 But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning over Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. Then after being warned by God in a dream, he left for the regions of Galilee, 23 and came and lived in a city called Nazareth This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophets: "He shall be called a Nazarene."
God really likes to play with his puppets: Joseph, turn left! Joseph, turn right! Jump, Joseph! And thus yet another prophecy was fulfilled! Praise the Lord!