The Coming of the Messiah: A Reflection on Matthew 2:1-18 – Jooseup Keum

Most of you probably have a memory of participating in a Christmas play as one of three kings or camels during your childhood. There was a big shiny star in the sky, lambs outside, the Christ-baby was sleeping in heavenly peace and the camels took rest. When the holy family were with angels, the kings from the East came riding camels. On arriving at the inn house, they deeply bowed down and adored the newborn baby. They opened their treasures and presented them to him. How romantic it was! Wasn’t it? Let us depart our Christmas holiday with this feeling.

However, I have some questions. Were they really Kings? Were there camels? Did that really appear on Christmas day? Not really! In fact, the word Magi means wise-men or astrologers, or magicians. Magus is maybe a root of the word magic. It also means a religious or spiritual leader. It is also possible that they were from the eastern desert, and were the fathers of the desert, who were spiritual leaders. It is possible that they journeyed from the desert to Bethlehem as a pilgrimage. Maybe they appeared later than Christmas day because Herod killed all the boys in Bethlehem less than two years of age.

Furthermore, it is obvious that it was not a silent and peaceful night, but a screaming night for everybody. Firstly, for Mary and Joseph, it was a fearful night. Only recently, the Romans had killed about two thousand young people by hanging on the crosses in Galilee, where they came from, because of the uprising against Rome. In this situation, they were informed by an angel that their baby would be a new king of Israel, the Messiah. Therefore, the security of their baby was most important to them and they might be suspicious even of visitors such as shepherds and magi. Of course, it was a thrilling night for the magi as well because they had a narrow escape from Herod.

Secondly, the people in Galilee were also in a brutal situation. After the failure of their uprising, Rome wanted to punish them with severe tax. In order to do so, the Roman Empire introduced a new registration law in Israel. The journey of Galilee people to Jerusalem was one with anger, but with a sigh of a hopeless situation. The only hope for them was the coming of the messiah who their ancestors had spoken of before.

Lastly, it was a fearful night for Herod and his followers. They believed that their power and wealth, the only things worthy of belief in this world, would be continued forever with the protection of the Roman Empire. However, suddenly the magi appeared and informed them, “A new King will be born!” By this declaration, all of Jerusalem society became chaotic. Although the current king was still alive, the magi ignored the orthodoxy, quality and legitimacy of King Herod. Herod must have been very shocked. Even he ignored himself as the King and said, ‘I too may go and worship him.” On the other hand, he planned to kill all boys under two years old to secure his kingship. It was really a screaming night.

However, darkness cannot win over light. Even if the darkness is likely to kill the whole world, the darkness cannot win over even a small light. Moreover, when small lights march together empowering each other and encouraging together, the darkness never wins the light. King Herod was not able to kill the Messiah for the whole world.

On Christmas night in 1986, Seoul, a small group of Christian students appeared at Myungdong Cathedral. They wanted to pray for political prisoners. However, even before starting the prayer meeting, a group of police came and arrested them. The citizens, who saw the arrest of the students, lit the students’ candles in front of the cathedral. On that night, more than twenty thousand candles were lit there. Finally, Chun Doo-Whan’s dictatorship collapsed in the following year through the march of Christmas candles.

Sisters and brothers, for us who live in the western context, Christmas is a time for holiday, a time for taking rest. However, there are boy soldiers in Afghanistan, there are families who live with HIV/AIDS in Zambia, and there are young girls in India who are forced to become prostitutes because of religious reasons. Whilst we enjoy a romantic Christmas season, let us try to remember them as well. Let us do more for them in the New Year.

Archbishop Oscar Romero of San Salvador said, “In the name of God, in the name of this suffering people whose cries rise to heaven more loudly each day, I implore you, I beg you, I order you, in the name of God: stop the repression.”  Let there be light in the whole world. Darkness never wins over the light. O come, O come, Emmanuel!

The Rev. Dr. Jooseup Keum serves at the World Council of Churches, Geneva, Switzerland, as Director of the Commission on World Mission and Evangelism and Editor of the International Review of Mission.   Previously, he served as staff of the Council for World Mission.  He holds degrees from the Presbyterian College and Theological Seminary, Seoul, Korea, and the University of Edinburgh, Scotland.