Word to the Wise
Monday, December 13, 2010 - St. Lucy, Virgin and Martyr
[Numbers 24:2-7, 15-17a and Matthew 21:23-27]A star shall advance from Jacob, and a staff shall arise from Israel. [Numbers]
Balaam's star will make another appearance much later in the Gospel of Matthew when the Magi arrive! The "infancy narratives" of the gospels of Matthew and Luke are amazing in their use of Old Testament imagery to describe the origin of Jesus. This is not all. The infancy narratives are "mini-gospels" in themselves. We are told not only about the birth of Jesus but also that he will suffer and die.
In the case of Balaam, we have a "seer" who was hired to curse Israel's army before a battle. Instead he winds up prophesying the future triumph of God's people and his words about the star would be recalled by the author of Matthew's gospel in the account of the Magi. I would urge all my beloved congregation to take the opportunity to read both infancy narratives. The great American scripture scholar, Raymond Brown, S.S., distilled his huge study of these two scriptural accounts into a small volume entitled A COMING CHRIST IN ADVENT. Reading this after reading those scriptures will have the effect of sending you back to them to an even greater depth.
The image of a star is common in many cultures, and we have our own popular uses of it. But, after reading about it, when we set up the "crib" this Christmas, perhaps we will have a better appreciation of the image as a way of anticipating and finding the Christ Child! AMEN
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