The Gospel According to St. Matthew Chapter 2

The Gospel according to St. Matthew

 Chapter

2

1. In the time of King Herod after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem asking 2. "Where is the child who has been born king of the Jews? For we observed his star at its rising, and have come to pay him homage."

(Matthew chapter 2 verses 1 to 2)

In light of Christmas I also have issues to share in a spirit of prayer my God. Where are You today? Is Christmas still a means that helps us remember Your birth or has it become commercialised? Does this special day marking the birth of the Holy of ever Hollie's still have to do something with Your birth or does it mean presents, leave days of from work, parties, Christmas dinners and celebrations. Are You present in such activities, are we helping to make Your Holy presence felt and experienced in such environments are have we made you an ornament that we place in a cardboard box on the day after Christmas. 

The wise men were really wise because they learnt to find you through observing Your star. I stop and wonder about which 'Stars' we are currently following, football, formula 1, pop stars, actors, top models and many more. Its not bad to observe such stars but all is meaningless if we do not follow the one and only star that is You. People who were once stars came to an end either naturally or by sadly taking their own lives. Where is the light of their glory? Where does it come from? Maybe it comes from ambition or the drive to succeed and be a somebody? It is like a flame that starts with a small spark, reaches its climax and is followed by its withering end. A new star takes the place of another and then...

It is only Your light oh heavenly father that is of true significance. It is a pathway to our souls. Moreover it is our way of life that we are to adopt forever. The wise men sought to seek You in order to give You worship. Today I question our intentions. Are our prayers a means of praise and worship or one request after another?

If we had to pose the question of the meaning of Christmas I wonder what the responses would be. I invite you to click on the following link witness such responses;

Vox Pop about meaning of Christmas 

3. When King Herod heard this, he was frightened, and all Jerusalem with him:

(Matthew chapter 2 verse 3)


When King Herod heard of the presence of a new king, this created a strong feeling of fear and insecurity, which spread like a disease in all Jerusalem. Likewise a state of sin, also creates a circle of negativity that can cause the sinner to be in a state of utter confusion. On wondering and reflecting on the Word of God I cannot fail to pose the following question. It is wise to stop and reflect, whether the presence of God in our lives is the cause of peace and tranquillity or one of fear and chaos. If our lives are based on God the coming of God will not be a surprise or source of fear to us, however if our lives are sinful and corrupt the presence of God is enough to makes us feel worried and even disturbed and or feel uneasy, because God brings to light all those things that we have done or kept in darkness.


4. and calling together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born.

(Matthew chapter 2 verse 4)


Many people have different motives to become familiar with You oh God. There are some who simply want satisfy their curiosity, while others seek to want to be totally critical in order to try and disprove Your word oh God. God bless those of us, who seek You in order to deepen their relationship with You and become part of Your inner circles.


5. They told him, "In Bethlehem of Judea; for so it has been written by the prophet: 6. 'And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for from you shall come a ruler who is to shepherd my people Israel."

(Matthew chapter 2 verse 5 to 6)


Oh father how humble You are in your humility You did not choose to be born in the great cities of Your time, but in Judea. In Your humility You also choose to be born not in the hearts of the proud but in the hearts of the humble and those who are kind and generous both to You and to others.



7. Then Herod secretly called for the wise men and learned from them the exact time when the star had appeared. 8. Then he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, "Go and search diligently for the child; and when you have found him, bring me word so that I may also go and pay him homage."9. When they had heard the king, they set out; and there ahead of them, went the star that they had seen at its rising, until it stopped over the place where the child was.

(Matthew chapter 2 verses 7 to 9)


Another way to come to know about You oh God is through the vision and teachings of others. This means basing our belief on secondary information, that may not always be correct. However getting to know about You is not the same as coming to know You on a personal level as in prayer, or in making a peak and personal experience of You in our lives. Herod wanted word to be sent to him, however 'The Word' had already come to him by means of the wise men and the birth of the actual authentic 'Word' that is Jesus Christ Himself who was already alive in the womb of Mary and was soon to be born.



10. When they saw that the star had stopped, they were overwhelmed with joy.

(Matthew chapter 2 verse 10)


The sign that the star had stopped moving meant that they had arrived at their destination. This also meant that after their intensive studies, explorations, experience with Herod they were finally going to make an experience of the baby who was the King of the World, the actual 'King of Kings.


After our life on earth oh God my father there is nothing so much rewarding as coming face to face with you and having direct contact with You as at the time of our death where our soul reunites with You in heaven. However we do not need to wait that much. The course of our lives in itself is a journey throughout which we experience You either or directly or indirectly. You send us people who act as milestones or signposts who guide us on our way to Bethlehem. At times we stop for brief breaks at Herod's palace when we experience periods of dryness and or feel sceptic about our faith, however Your Star is always before us ready to continue to show us the way and get us back on track to our heavenly home.


11. On entering the house they saw the child with Mary his mother and they knelt down and paid him homage. Then, opening their treasure chests, they offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

(Matthew chapter 2 verse 11)


On appearing before You oh God my father I pray that like the wise men, I do not appear before You empty handed. After such a long life of trials and tribulations and also of graces and blessings it would be a shame for me to appear downcast without nothing to offer. It would be more a shame if I appear to you not in a spirit of worship but up to my neck in grievous sin. Deliver me oh Father from such moments of bitterness, deliver me from my sinful self, so that I will also be worthy to appear before You in a spirit of praise and homage to You.


12. And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they left for their own country by another road.

(Matthew chapter 2 verse 12)


God speaks by means of dreams. In order oh Father to sustain the truth of this verse, I recall that one and only peak moment that was so strong that it changed my life forever. It was the great 'U" turn leading to my conversion. In a dream I felt a strong wind blowing around me and on my left and right side I saw an apparition of You and Your Mother. I recall that You were smiling, however Your voice was firm and authoritative. You told me to put my past behind me and follow You. At that time I did not fully understand the meaning of Your message and thought that You wanted me to be a priest. My heart was pounding so fast that I thought it was going to burst out of my rib cage. I awoke and could not stop talking about this dream.


I now realise oh Father after so many years, that You want me to place my entire trust in You and live the present moment, without thinking or looking back on the past. Throughout my days oh Father I have been trying to live this call. I lift my heart to You to heal me of my past and even present hurts so that I could be totally focused on You and stay on Your ways and not on the ways of the world.


13. Now after they had left an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, "Get up, and take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you; for Herod is about to search for the child to destroy him."

(Matthew chapter 2 verse 13)


Thanks oh Father for being aware of our every move. Moreover I would like to thank You for what we call those gut feelings. Today I realise that these have nothing to do with psychology but are all having to do with You. In truth it is You speaking to our hearts and mind.


14. Then Joseph got up, took the child and his mother by night, and went to Egypt. 15. and remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfil what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet, "Out of Egypt I have called my son."


(Matthew chapter 2 verses 14 to 15)


Following the example of Joseph, once we receive the message or feeling from God, we act on it. If the feeling is negative as in that of a wish to kill somebody this means that the feeling is surely not from God, however if the feeling is that of forgiveness we can rest assured that it is from God who is trying to talk to us by the feeling or situation.


16. When Herod saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, he was infuriated, and he sent and killed all the children in around Bethlehem who were two years old or under, according to the time that he had learned from the wise men. 17. Then was fulfilled what had been spoken through the prophet Jeremiah:

(Matthew chapter 2 verses 16 to 17)


When we lose control of our selves, the devil moves in and takes over. This evil spirit, gives us a huge surge of negative energy that gives us the strength and motivation even to kill a person. Some define this situation as a crime committed in a fit of passion. However on reflecting that person may have had his emotions stimulated by the evil one who compelled that person to commit that negative act. When the devil finds us in a state of anger we are the perfect instrument in his hands. Therefore, when we feel that our anger is escalating it is best to do a time out of the situation and reconcile with God in prayer till we calm down again. As a case in point it is helpful to keep in mind that as a consequence of our anger we might do or say something that we might regret for life. We might end up hurting our selves and or our loved ones forever. Once a scar is created in a relationship it is only God who can bring healing, because as humans we keep on reminding each other of what one did or said. Any communication that is said cannot be reversed. This means we remain attached and held responsible for both our acts and for what we ever said forever. When I used to work in cases of separation it was the case that both couples would remain stuck due to their being hurt about something that the partner or spouse had done or said. The evil one in us keeps on reminding us so that we do not reach a state of forgiveness.


According to the following link King Herod was a cultured and intelligent person as according to the evidence found by archaeologists, however like all humans he had the stain of sin in him and the devil made good use of it, thus turning the intelligent person into a person with the ability to perform a mass murder of innocent children. For more details please click on the following link:-


Massacre of King Herod


18. "A voice was heard in Ramah, wailing and loud lamentation, Rachel weeping for her children; she refused to be consoled, because they are no more."

(Matthew chapter 2 verse 18)


We can only imagine the pain and agony of mothers who have had their young ones slain in their presence. However this reality is still present today as is supported by the media. On reflecting as much as the human heart can experience remorse and pain, we can refer to the great heart of God, on witnessing the foul treatment and actual murder of His Son on the cross. We can also reflect on those children innocent at an early stage of their lives who are aborted each day, with the consent of those who were and are responsible for their well being, conception and even birth. I pray oh God for the souls of all children who are killed in the world. They are angels in your presence pure and innocent. I invite all the readers of this blog to join me in viewing the following video clip and prayer by clicking on the following link:-

Reflection and prayer re killing of children


19. When Herod died, an angel of the Lord suddenly appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt and said, 20. "Get up, take the child and his mother, and go to the land of Israel, for those who were seeking the child's life are dead."

(Matthew chapter 2 verses 19 to 20)


If you have ever been on the run you are very much like Jesus. Ever since His childhood there was somebody who was in his pursuit. At the time of His childhood it was Herod. When He grew up it was the Chief Priest and his gang. On the other hand among His inner circles there was Judas who for thirty pieces of money sold Jesus to the High Priest. If like me you feel pursued by the forces of evil that take the form of many different temptations refer to Jesus, who always referred to His father and to moments of prayer in order to find a solution or comfort in order to deal with the knots and dilemmas of life.


21. Then Joseph got up, took the child and his mother and went to the land of Israel. 22. But when he heard that Archelaus was ruling over Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. And after being warned in a dream, he went away to the district of Galilee.

(Matthew chapter 2 verses 21 to 22)


God respects our discretion he permits us to act on our own instinct, even though our decisions may not be the result of prayer, however even though this is the case God still intervenes in our lives and shows us the way leading to way that is according to His will. What is important is that like Joseph we are to be humble enough to go against our own plans and accept to obey the will of God.


23. There he made his home in a town called Nazareth, so that what had been spoken through the prophets might be fulfilled, "He will be called a Nazzarean."

(Matthew chapter 2 verse 23)


I would like to end this chapter with the following prayer:-

Oh God my father I would like to wish You a "Happy Birthday". I would also like to thank You for deciding to intervene in the story of the human race by deciding to become a human like us in order to save us from our sins. Moreover I would like to thank You for being born in me. May your presence be always present in me, so that I can be a sign that leads others to You. May this Christmas be special to all the world especially to the followers of this blog.


I dedicate this song to all the people of the World wishing you all a "Happy and Blessed Christmas" and a happy and Blessed New Year. May the Holy Spirit of God be with you now and forever.



Please click on the following link:- Video clip a Happy Christmas

The Gospel According to St. Matthew Chapter 1

The Gospel according to St. Matthew

 Chapter

1

1. An account of the genealogy of Jesus the Messiah, the son of David, the son of Abraham.

(Matthew chapter 1 verse 1)

On reflecting on this definition given to Jesus, I cannot fail to stop and wonder how others would remember. Maybe I would be remembered as Vince who had a blog on line, however the most important thing that I would like to be remembered for is for how much I tried to live according to the ways of God even though there were many times when I acted simply as a carnal human being instead of a man who loves God. 

2. Abraham was the father of Isaac, and Isaac the father of Jacob, and Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers, 3. and Judah the father of Perez and Zerah by Tamar, and Perez the father of Hezron, and Hezron the father of Aram, 4. and Aram the father of Aminadab, and Aminadab the father of Nahshon the father of Salmon, 5. and Salmon the father of Boaz by Rahab, and Boaz the father of Obed by Ruth, and Obed the father of Jesse, 6. and Jesse the father of King David. And David was the father of Solomon by the wife of Uriah, 7. and Solomon the father of Rehoboam, and Rehoboam the father of Abijah, and Abijah the father of Asaph, 8. and Asaph the father of Jehohaphat, and Jehoshaphat the father of Joram, and Joram the father of Uzziah,

(Matthew chapter 1 verses 2 to 8)


On reflecting the family of Jesus or his descendants consisted of many different people, who carried out different roles. Some of them were God fearing people but others may have been of not that good a reputation, therefore if you do not feel that proud with a particular member of your family, be consoled that even the son of God did not originate from 100% a pure stock human breed.


9. and Uzziah the father of Jotham, and Jotham the father of Ahaz, and Ahaz the father of Hezekiah,

(Matthew chapter 1 verse 9)


On reflecting we can build up a genogram of our own family. It is similar to the family tree, that shows the members of our family and leaves spaces to mark what type of family or relationships there existed between each member during their daily interactions with one another. Whatever the type of relationship be it positive or negative or neutral God for some reason that we may not always understand the situation wanted, or permitted the situation to be as it is. Even if it was a stressful situation as in the case of my family, that led to the wedding becoming annulled God permitted that good would also result from such a chaotic state of disorder. God works in strange ways but 'He is always at Work!


10. And Hezekiah the father of Manasseh, and Manasseh the father of Amos, and Amos the father of Josiah,

(Matthew chapter 1 verse 10)


On going back throughout the biblical history of our salvation there were people from the chosen people of God who carried out major roles, people such as Abraham and Moses among others, moreover there were other people such as Pope John Paul, Mother Theresa and many others even secular who were chosen to carry minor roles such as the altar boy and the people who collect our waste. Everybody has a minor or major role to fulfil.


11. and Josiah the father of Jechoniah and his brothers, at the time of the deportation to Babylon.

(Matthew chapter 1 verse 11)

Even though people may become separated from each other as in the case of deportation or legal separation, they can still fulfil their God given call anywhere they happen to be. We are Christians everywhere we go. It is our identity deep beneath the skin not only on the lips.


12. And after the deportation to Babylon; Jechoniah was the father of Salathiel, and Salathiel the father of Zerubbabel,

(Matthew chapter 1 verse 12)


Since the beginning of time God had already been preparing the way, for the coming of His son Jesus. God has been doing the same thing about You and me. He has been planning our line of descent even before we were born along with a plan for our salvation.


13. and Zerubbabel the father of Ablud, and Ablud the father of Eliakim, and Eliakim the father of Azor, 14. and Azor the father of Zadok, and Zadok the father of Achim, and Achim the father of Eliud, 15. and Eliud the father of Eleazar, and Eleazar the father of Matthan, and Matthan the father of Jacob, 16. and Jacob the father of Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom Jesus was born, who is called the Messiah

(Matthew chapter 1 verses 13 to 16)


The underlined message that was transmitted to Matthew's audience and even to us who are meditating on the word of God is that Jesus who is the Son of God had two natures that was in part human and in part Supernatural. On reflecting we also have a Supernatural father that is God and for those who still have a biological father also a father of human descent.



17. So all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations; and from David to the deportation to Babylon, fourteen generations; and from the deportation to Babyolon to the Messiah, fourteen generations.

(Matthew chapter 1 verse 17)


On reflecting it took God 42 generations to send His Son Jesus to put in effect the plan for our salvation. Even though many years passed God still kept His word which contrasts widely to the many times the people of God and us gave our word of obedience to God's will and broke the covenant. God is always faithful to His covenant.


18. Now the birth of Jesus the Messiah took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been engaged to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit.

(Matthew chapter 1 verse 18)


For those of us who studied literary criticism the birth of Jesus started with a bad omen that would eventually lead to a tragedy or even death. This is marked by the fact that even before He was actually born there was already a state of disorder. However as witnessed in the first chapter of the book of Genesis, from a state of utter disorder during the creation process, God created a state of renewed order leading to the process of creation itself as a whole.


19. Her husband Joseph being a righteous man and unwilling to expose her to public disgrace, planned to dismiss her quietly.

(Matthew chapter 1 verse 19)


As in the case of many of us, in order to cover up our sins or maybe even that of others we resort to quick solutions such as abortions in order to cover up the negative act and avoid being exposed to public humiliation. None of us are spared from such circumstances even those of us who consider themselves as being righteous and just people, even though our intentions may be good what is wrong is still considered as being wrong and vice versa.



20. But just when he had resolved to do this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, "Joseph, Son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.

(Matthew chapter 1 verse 20)



Oh God our father who loves us more than we can ever imagine, thanks for intervening in our lives just at the right moment. Thanks for showing us the light from what we may have considered to be a situation of darkness and confusion. Thanks for empowering and encouraging us during our moments of weakness. You are the rock of my salvation.

I invite you to join me in this moment of praise and worship to God please click on the following link:

Song You are the rock of my salvation



21. She will bear a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins."

(Matthew chapter 1 verse 21)


As declared by Matthew in this gospel the birth of Jesus was not haphazard but for a particular reason. His role was to be that of the Saviour who would save us from our sins and not to overthrow the Romans or government of the day. Your role was to be purely spiritual, however in order to walk in your ways oh God, we also need to make radical changes in our lifestyle therefore this new form of living also required a change in our values slants and beliefs.



22. All this took place to fulfil what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet: 23. "Look, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel," which means, "God is with us." 


(Matthew chapter 1 verses 22 to 23)



God always keeps His promise as had been promised by God through His prophets He was to send His son for our salvation. God is not bound by the laws of time and space. God uses people who are just and pure in heart in order to speak to us. He does not make extraordinary events such as nuclear wars but uses simple means in order to reach glorious ends.



24. When Joseph awoke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him: he took her as his wife, 25. but had no marital relations with her until she had borne a son; and he named him Jesus.

(Matthew chapter 1 verse 24)


Oh how wonderful is the gift of obedience! May we all be like Joseph oh father. He manifested no opposition to Your will but immediately responded positively to Your holy will. Joseph sought to achieve a balance between the meeting the requirements of God, that is taking Mary as his wife, to the abstinence from having marital relations with his wife until Jesus was born. Thanks Joseph for not contaminating what Your Holy Spirit had done in the womb of Mary.


I would like to end this chapter with a prayer given to us by Mary Geveetha:

Almighty Father;


Glory and Praise be unto You Lord God for some of the great men that you created in the history of mankind and who therefore existed from Your divine family tree.  We thank You greatly for Jesus our Lord and Saviour, Your beloved Son who was conceived according to Your promise for mankind through the descendants of Abraham and David. Glory Glory Glory Lord for Your Power reigns so mighty in all existence.

We thank You greatly for the promise of a Messiah, who came to redeem us from our wretchedness and save the human race from sin and destruction.  The genealogy of Lord Jesus is so great and so meaningful, that He was born in a pure divine state. He came from Your throne and was born into the womb of a pure Virgin Mary.  Your angels appeared in manifestation of  Your word and the power of Your Holy Spirit conceived Him in the womb of the simple maiden. You also chose a righteous man who listened to Your commands and concealed the holy birth.

ready 

We thank You for creating mankind and us your people who still experience, Your glory and reigns with us as Lord and God Jesus who as a baby was to be named Emmanuel,  which means  “God is with us”. You became the Son of Man so that we could become the Sons of God. You oh God was born supernatural but was so humble to live in poverty and in obscurity. You had no wealth or influence but He was Glorified and Dignified and startled the rulers of this world by Your birth. We thank You Father for fulfilling this great promise, which You fulfilled on earth by the Great Mystery of your conception and birth which brought Grace and redemption to mankind and also our salvation from our sins.

 We thank You God for Lord Jesus. AMEN