Tenth Day of Christmas Reflection January 3

I have already observed that what Matthew recorded about the visit of the Magi belongs to the liturgical season of Epiphany, which comes after the Twelve Days of Christmas. While there certainly is a chronological rationale for that, liturgical sequences are independent of the Gospel texts, and my purpose for these twelve days is to strip back the accretions that have gotten attached to the Gospel accounts of Jesus’ birth and marvel at exactly and only with what Matthew and Luke have written. So I think considering Matthew 2:1-18 these days is completely appropriate, and I encourage you to continue to read Luke as the focus shifts over to Matthew.

We’ve already gotten past most of the traditions that have gotten associated with the story of the Magi beyond Matthew’s text: star, number, names, ethnicity, camels. One of the problems with mushing the Luke and Matthew accounts together is that it can make them seem contradictory. However, the chronology is obvious. Though we don’t know how long, clearly they arrived after Jesus’ presentation in the Temple. Though Matthew says nothing about Mary and Joseph coming to Bethlehem from Nazareth, Matthew is clear they were staying in a house in Bethlehem for a while and went to Nazareth upon returning from Egypt. So as you read Luke and Matthew today, focus on the visit of the Magi in Matthew 2:1-12. Don’t get distracted by the Slaughter of the Innocents so you can soak in the wonder of these visitors from afar who came to see the child Jesus.