Scripture Study for

The city of Jerusalem is told to “Arise!” “Shine!” The illumination into which it emerges is the very light of God; it is the glory of the Lord. Jerusalem is not only delivered from its misfortune by God, it is re-established as a thriving city.  Its dispersed inhabitants return, its destroyed reputation is restored, and its despoiled prosperity is reconstituted. This is not a promise to be fulfilled in the future; Jerusalem’s salvation is an accomplished fact. It is happening before its very eyes. The wealth from land and sea pours into the city. Such good fortune is evidence of God’s favor. 

Paul tells the Ephesians that in Christ the Gentiles are co-heirs, co-members and co-partners with the Jews. Since what qualifies one as an heir is life in the  Spirit of Christ and not natural generation into a particular national group, there is no obstacle in the path of Gentile incorporation. The body to which all belong is the body of Christ, not the bloodline of Abraham. The promise in Paul’s preaching is the promise of universal salvation through Christ, not that of descendants and prosperity in a particular land. This is a radical insight for a church with Jewish roots and traditions. 

The three kings or wise men were probably astrologers who studied the heavenly bodies. Since they believed that astral marvels frequently accompanied the birth of great kings, it is understandable that they would go straight to the Judean king. Lest we think the story is a fanciful fabrication, the Gospel writer situates the events squarely in time and place: the reign of Herod, Bethlehem and Jerusalem.  

The astrologers read the astral signs, they recognized the true identity of the child, and they understood a message in a dream that told them to return home another way. Their openness brought them to the child, and they did not go away disappointed. This child draws Jew and Gentile alike.