Daily Devotion for Saturday 11th October 2025
St Matthew 2: 1 – 12
In the time of King Herod, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, asking, ‘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.’ When King Herod heard this, he was frightened, and all Jerusalem with him; and calling together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born. They told him, ‘In Bethlehem of Judea; for so it has been written by the prophet:
“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.”’
Then Herod secretly called for the wise men and learned from them the exact time when the star had appeared. 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.’ 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. When they saw that the star had stopped, they were overwhelmed with joy. 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. And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they left for their own country by another road.
Reflection
It is likely that you have heard this passage countless times…but have you ever read it in early October? Maybe reading it out-of-season might bring a fresh perspective.
I consider the traditional nativity play to be both a blessing and a curse. A blessing with children learning the narrative of Jesus’ birth; but a curse in consigning it – along with Santa Claus – to the fairy-stories of childhood. Ever known a secondary school putting on a Nativity? For so many, the Nativity-play is the start and end of their contact with the Gospel.
Herod? He existed. In today’s reading, we get a glimpse into his plotting and scheming. His paranoid tyranny is recorded history. The wisemen’s coming frightens him. Frightened despots are dangerous. No wonder all Jerusalem was frightened, too. More of his violence in Tuesday’s devotion…The star? In 2019, the BBC’s Sky at Night explored possible explanations – They conclude it was probably a comet, attested by Chinese astronomers: “In the second year of the period of Ch’ien-p’ing, second month, a hui-hsing [‘broom star’] appeared in Ch’ien-niu for more than 70 days”.
For obvious reasons of the star’s visibility, we read that the wisemen visited the Holy Family during the hours of darkness. Our Christmas-card Nativity-scenes typically depict three, richly-garmented men, each carrying one gift. Our reading mentions that their gifts came from their opened “treasure-chests” (plural).
The hymn “We Three Kings” gives us one perspective of the meaning of each gift – Jesus the King, the Priest and the Sacrifice – but these expensive gifts will take on real monetary value once the Holy Family become refugees, fleeing Herod’s slaughter, and paying their way in Egypt.
There is a lot going on in today’s reading, and much of it is not the U-certificate of the Nativity-play or Nativity-scene. Imagine the complaints filling the primary-school headteacher’s inbox, were the play wholly faithful to the Biblical text!
God’s message remains real and relevant today to all ages.
Prayer
Loving God,
whenever we read a very familiar text,
like this narrative of the wisemen,
we pray for Your Holy Spirit
to open the Scriptures anew.
We pray for those
who have not yet heard of You.
We pray for those who are seeking,
taking the first steps in faith.
Help us to respond to Your Word,
whose servants we are
with all Your people through the years. Amen.