The worshipping of the kings for the King When the messiah was born, the magicians came to accept his love and worship him. They represent the gentile church, attracted to her groom, the king. The church offers Him her life in love, in return for the sacrifice of his everlasting love: 1- The coming of the magicians 1-6 2- The wrath of Herod 7-8 3- The worshipping magicians 9-11 4- The magicians go away 12 5- The flight to Egypt 13-15 6- The killing of Bethlehem’s Children 16-18 1. The coming of the Magicians: Indeed, the coming of the word of God in the form of man has preoccupied God’s mind before our creation. The way was paved in various ways among his people by means of the father, the prophets and the law. Inspite of this, when it did come to pass, it was absolutely disregarded by the people, except for a very small numbers. This is why God put them to shame by means of some strangers, as the magicians who came to him as the first ones for the Gentile church. They came to a strange land to worship a little baby born in a manger, and not a royal baby in a castle. What led their procession was a heavenly star proclaiming a hidden mystery behind it. The magicians were priests, and at the same time they were Caldean or Persian kings, They spent most of their time studying astronomical phenomenon and guessing what the future holds. It is probable those magicians came in a splendid procession, with three important men of their going before them, carrying their gifts to the amazing king. These represent all the human races in their https://coptic-treasures.com/ chain from Noah’s three sons: Sam , Ham and Japhtheh. It is as if they are the eldest of the gentile people who came to meet the simple Jews – the shepherds- in worshipping the Messiah, forming one church for Him. ST. Augustine says, “who are these magicians other than the firstborns of the nations? The shepherds were Israelites and the magicians were gentiles. The first ones were close to him, but the last ones came to him from so far away. All have been quick to come to the cornerstone.” What is this star? St. John Chrysostom thinks it was not a real star like the others. It was an angel that appeared as a star, sent by God, to guide the magicians working on astronomy. He justifies this in the following: First: The path of the star that appeared was different than the motion of the natural stars. Second: The star shone brightly at noon, when the sun was still shining, not like the rest of the stars that shine at nighttime. Third: It appeared at times and disappeared at others Four: It was low, leading them exactly to where the manger was. Oreganus the scholar thinks it was a real star but of a unique kind. He says, “We believe what appeared in the East was a new star, unlike the ordinary ones. It is counted as one of the comets often observed, or the shooting stars or the meteors that are given different names by the greeks for their various shapes and forms.” Why has the star been used? Firstly: God used all different means to speak to his people, showing them the divine mystery of incarnation, and his deeds for salvation. But the eyes of their hearts were dimmed by the dark evil, and their hearts hardened. He therefore sent them strangers who were thirsty for the truth, so as to put them to shame. St John Chrysostom says, “This was to blame the Jews for their hardness, and to take away any excuse by which they object for their willful ignorance.” St. Jerome says, “ This was to make the Jews know the news of Jesus’ birth form the pagans, according to Balaam’s prophecy (one of their forefathers) that a star was to appear in the East. When the star guided the magicians until Judah, and they https://coptic-treasures.com/ asked about him, there was no more any pretext for the Jews regarding his coming.” Indeed, in every age the believers’ hearts get hardened, those who are the kingdom’s children, and sometimes the Lord speaks to them through the pagans and evil ones who have accepted the faith in fury zeal that puts them to shame. Secondly: God who loves the entire humanity, declares himself to all, speaking to each on in his own language. He spoke to the Jews by the law and the prophecies; and he used the Greek philosophy despite its many misleading, as a way by means of which many philosophers accepted the gospel of truth. Here he speaks to the magicians, the men of astronomy in their practical language. God speaks to each person in the language he understands. He sent angels to the shepherds, and a star to the magicians. St. Augustine says, “The angels made Jesus appear to the shepherds, and the star declared him to the magicians. They all spoke from heaven! The angels inhabit the heavens, and the it. Through both of these the heavens declare the glory of God. Father Gregory the great says, “It was appropriate that a sensible creature i.e. an angel be the one to declare to those who have used their common sense in knowing God. But as for the gentiles, they did not known how to use their mind in knowing him; therefore the angelic voice did not lead them, but rather the star. For this reason St. Paul says the prophecy is not for the unbelievers but for those who believe. But as for the symbol, the sign, this is not for the believers but rather for those who do not believe (1Cor 14:22). Some fathers such as the scholar Oreganus think the magicians realized their superstition have become obsolete. They felt during their work that something way above magic has happened in the world. They look up to the stars to see some sign form God in the sky. At this point they remembered the words of Balaam: (Numbers 34:17) that a star will proceed form Jacob and a steal track will proceed from Israel. St Jerome says, learn form the https://coptic-treasures.com/ appearance of this star from the prophecy of Balaam, for they are of his offspring? Thirdly: Some think the magicians have taken over this tradition of the star’s apparition at the coming of the king, the Savior from Daniel the prophet. The king had appointed him the commander for the magicians when in the Babylonian bondage. In his prophecies he assured us of the time for this coming. Fourthly: God wished to produce from the eater, food, and from the dry thing, sweetness. The stars that were used as a means of misleading the people’s worshipping (Amos 5:26) has become a means by which they enter to encounter God. Indeed, how amazing God’s work is with us. He does not destroy what we have, so that if this becomes and evil way, He would change its course and turns it to what is good. Instead of being a servant to the kingdom of darkness, it becomes a righteous device for the account of the kingdom of light. All what God has granted us as far as potentials, talents, emotions, motives… if defiled, God does not destroy them, but rather with his Holy Spirit he renews the, and sanctifies them, so they become the secret behind out spiritual construction, and means of witnessing to Him. What is amazing is that God used the stars for spreading the word among astronomers. Some of them tried to confirm their evil concepts with the same overwhelming work of God, and they claimed each person has his star, which defines his life, and he couldn’t deviate from it. But many fathers attempted to face these claims such as the fathers Gregory the great, St. John Chrysostom, and St Augustine. We mention as an example some of these quotes said by St. Augustine “ The star seen by the magicians had no authority over the recently newborn Christ. This star was not among those at the beginning of creation, and had the course according to its creator. It was a new star that appeared in this amazing birth of a virgin. Its service was reflected on the magicians who were searching for Christ. It went ahead of them to lighten up the way, until it led them to the place where the Word of God was as a child. The baby was not born because the stare was https://coptic-treasures.com/ there, but rather the star appeared because Jesus was born. If we have to speak about destiny, let us then say the star did not define the destiny of Christ as the fortunetellers say, but rather it was Christ who has defined the destiny of the star. Fifthly: The star came to complete Nature’s witnessing to the Lord. If the rational humanity did not know how to welcome him as should be, then the dumb solid nature had to witness to him in its own language. ST. Augustine says, “the heavens witnessed for him by means of the star, and the sea carried him when he walked on it (Matt 14:16). The winds have become calmed down and obedient to his orders (Matt 23:27). The earth witnessed to him and trembled when he was crucified (Matt27:51). In this way, nature presented praise in its own language to its creator. We too, since we have become a heaven, it is appropriate for us to witness to him in the appearance of his star in us. This star leads the sinners to the Messiah, the Savior, and they kneel down and worship in truth. What is this star but the living cross, declared in our inner life and our demeanor in the Lord. ST. Augustine says, “ The magicians knew him by means of the star, as a beautiful heavenly sign presented by the Lord. But he does not wish the believer to stamp a star on his forehead, but rather a cross. In this way the believer becomes modest and is also glorified. The Lord lifts up those that are humbled, He who in his modesty has condescended. When did the appearance of the star begin? St John Chrysostom thinks the star appeared early, before the birth, maybe around two years before. It let the magicians so as to reach Bethlehem at the time of birth. Some others think it appeared on his birth. The magicians took some time to reach Bethlehem. This is why Herod investigated and commanded the killing of children tow years old and under. He has calculated the time lapsed based on the appearance of the star. By means of the star, the magicians encountered the Jews: The evangelist relates to us the encounter done between the magicians and the Jews on every level, in particular between the king and the chief priests and scribes. He says (Matt 2:1-6) “In the time of King Herod, after Jesus was born https://coptic-treasures.com/ 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; calling together all the chief priest 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 Isreal.’ The Lord has been born in ‘Bethlehem’ which means ‘the house of bread’. Therefore the heavenly bread has come to us to be eaten by those hungry and thirsty for righteousness. Unfortunately the magicians came from the east, bearing the weariness of the journey, searching for their own food; whereas the king, the chief priests and scribes remained in their places guiding the strangers to the living bread. But as for themselves, they have not drawn near it. They might have become like the laborers in building Noah’s ark who had prepared the salvation ark and yet did not go in it! Indeed, what a great difference there is between the magicians and the Jewish chiefs; the aliens obtained the mystery of life, and the chiefs were deprived of it. ST Augustine says, “ The Jews have become like the carpenters who made Noah’s ark, and they paved for others the way of salvation, whereas they perished in the flood. They are similar to the landmarks put on the road, but are unable to walk in it. Those who ask have learned and completed the way, whereas the teachers uttered the teachings and yet they remained retarded and failed. “ St. Jacob El Serousy says, “They became preachers to him while walking on the road, preaching a King for the entire world has shone. Their preaching spread out for miles on the road, and they broke the hearts of the kings in their cities. The birth has urged them to preach in his name. The outsiders have become his witnesses and have reached the land of Judea. They looked upon it and found it to be peaceful, and silence overruling its wise ones who have not realized the king has come to save them. Those far https://coptic-treasures.com/ away have come to herald them of the king’s birth. The daughter of the caldeans sent a gift to the savior, whereas the daughter of Abraham who is in his home did not pay him any honor.” 2-Herod’s wrath: The name ‘Herod’ has been repeated among several Palestine rulers and kings, or some parts of it or some nearby ones. In the New Testament four kings have been mentioned in that name. This was during the Roman reign in Palestine, and among these was the great Herod. He was a born Adomite in whose blood was enmity towards the Jews. He had no right for kingship but had become one over Judea with the help of the Romans with whom his father made and alliance. He was violent and unusually strange, and in his last days he was exposed to hallucination. He was a blood thirsty man and killed a big number of the Jewish members of the Syndicate. Moreover, he killed his own two sons, Alexander and Aristopolis. Five days before his death he killed his son Anteapater. At his last breath he ordered the death of all the great ones on Jerusalem so that grief overcomes the city, and the new king would find no way for happiness. But he died before that last wish took effect. Herod died three months later after putting Bethlehem’s children to death. The Jewish historian Yousifous described how his ferocity in his last days was so awful that he ate meat in incredible amounts and was sick with gout and other diseases. He smelled so bad it was nauseating for anyone to come close to him. This portrayal reveals to us that beast’s fierce feelings on hearing of the magicians’ procession and their coming to worship the King of the Jews. This enemy of the Jews gathered the chief priests and the scribes asking them last the throne be taken from him. St. John Chrysostom says, “He feared the kingship be taken to a Jew, and hence they would expel him, he and his descendants and cut them off the kingdom. Indeed, it often happens that the great authority is exposed to severe fears. The top of the trees could be moved by a simple breeze; likewise are those who live at the topmost, any rumors could scare them. But as for these who live in the low lands, wherever they may be, they are https://coptic-treasures.com/ like trees in the valley which no wind could affect that much. St. Gregory the great also says, “The earthly king was disturbed when the heavenly king was born, because the earthly authority got confused when the heavenly splendor appeared.” The evil earthly Herod was disturbed when he realized that he who was served by the heavenly stars has come. The Lord of glory is shining gloriously in the heart just as he does in the manger, and this unbalanced Herod (Satan) the despot who reigned in evil. With the cross the Lord reigns in us and hence Satan’s Kingdom collapses and is unable to stay firm. Herod tried to hide his disturbance deceitfully, for the gospel says (Matt 2: 7,8) “ Then Herod secretly called for the wise men and learned form them the exact time when the star had appeared. Thus he sent them to Bethlehem saying go search diligently for the child, and when you have found him bring me word so that I may also go and pay him homage.” St John Chrysostom says “ to tempt them to do so he pretended to be a virtuous hiding the sword behind this. He drew colorfully a picture of simplicity so as to cover up the envy in his heart. This is the way all doers go; they plan secretly to wound others, so they pretend to be simple and truthful. 3- The wise men kneel down and worship: (Matt 2:9-11) 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.” On leaving the king the star appeared to go ahead of them to take them where the Lord Jesus was laying. How badly in need we are get out of Herod’s secret circle, the circle so sinful with the work of Satan, so the royal way would be clearly revealed to us. ST. John Chrysostom thinks the star seen by the wise men, and its going ahead of them to Bethlehem means the service of the poor and the needy ones. He says “They saw the star and they were https://coptic-treasures.com/ overjoyed, and now you can see Jesus Himself a stranger and unclothed and yet you are untouched: They offered gold and yet you barely offer a piece of bread.” One seeing the Lord they were restful and no longer weary. As St. John Chrysostom says “Before seeing the Child, the fears and troubles were overpowering them on every side. But after kneeling down, peace and security overcame them. They have become priests through their worshipping Him, for they offered him gifts. What do the Gifts of the wise men mean? St John Chrysostom says, “ They did not offer cattle or sheep, but rather, they offered the things that draw them closer to the heart of the church; for they offered knowledge wisdom and love.” St. Gregory the great father says, “ Gold is offered as taxes to the king, and frankincense is offered to God, whereas myrrh is used in preserving the dead corpuses. The wise men declared their secret gifts to those who worship him by gold since he is the king, by frankincense since he is God and by myrrh since he accepts death. Let us offer the newborn Lord gold, whereby we confess he reigns over all. Let us offer him frankincense since we believe he is God who appeared at a certain time though he is before all ages. Let us offer him myrrh, for we believe, even though he is godly and unacceptable to pain, yet he has become acceptable to death in our bodies. Furthermore, with these symbols we can understand something else. Gold symbolizes wisdom as Solomon witnesses (Prov 21:20, 70th translation) “Precious treasure remains in the house of the wise.” The frankincense that burns before God symbolizes the power of prayer as the Psalm says (Ps141:2) “ Let my prayer be counted as incense before you.” Myrrh symbolizes the death of our bodies, since the holy church says to those serving God until death (Song of sol 5:5) “ May hands dripped with myrrh” We offer the new king gold if in his eyes we light up with heavenly wisdom. We offer him frankincense if we burn up physical thoughts on our hearts altar, then we uplift to God our eagerness for heaven in a sweet scent. We offer him myrrh when we deaden in asceticism the evil physical passions. Then we can say that with myrrh we https://coptic-treasures.com/ preserve the dead body from corruption. We also say about the body that it has become corrupted when overcome by indecency. The prophet has said “The animals rotted in their waste.” These animals that end in their waste point to the lusty people who end their life amidst the stupidity of their passions. “Let us offer God myrrh to preserve our dead bodies from the corruption of indecency, and preserve it in righteousness. 4. The magicians leave: (Matt 2:12) “ And having been washed in a dream not to return to Herod, they left for their own country by another road.” In real simple faith, these men accepted what they were inspired with in a dream, and have not doubted the child. In faith they left the way they came by and went another road so they would avoid Herod’s encounter. They tell believers a living example to the soul when it meets the Lord Jesus, and no longer goes the old way where Herod, or Satan reigns. Father Gregory the great says “this new way is the road to paradise where the soul has to be committed to when encountering the Lord Jesus! St. Ambrosios says, “Let us leave Herod, the one with earthly authority for a limited time, and come to the eternal dwelling, to our heavenly city.” In bitterness do I say, there is nothing that grieves the heart of God such as when he sees among us magicians who have seen the heavenly star, and their hearts got lit up and they ran to where the Savior is, and he wiped away all estrangement to God, and have become so close to the father. He dwells in them, and they are sanctified to him by the Holy Spirit, yet, unfortunately, after they had offered their lives as precious gifts giving the Lord a lot of joy, yet they return once more to Herod’s way. They go back to their old self and yield again to Satan. It is as if they are handing over their inward Christ to Herod. He wipes out the enemy, that is God’s grace from heaven in them. In bitterness ST. Paul the apostle blames them saying, (Heb 10:28,29) “ Anyone who has violated the law of Moses dies without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. How much worse punishment do you think will be deserved by those who have spurned the Son of God , profaned the blood of the https://coptic-treasures.com/ covenant by which they were sanctified and outraged the Spirit of Grace?” Therefore, let us not backslide to the deceitful Herod’s way, and let us not hand over our inner Jesus in his hands, and be crucified a second time-it it is correctly expressed – and be exposed to scandal because of us, and the Spirit in us gets diminished. 5- The Escape to Egypt: (Matt 2:13,14) “Now after they had left, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Get up, 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. Then Joseph got up, took the Child and his mother by night, and went to Egypt.” St. John Chrysostom notices that the angel did not say about St. Mary ‘your wife’, But rather said ‘his mother’. Since the birth has become fulfilled, and no doubts are there at all, the saint has been related to the Lord Jesus and not to Joseph. The angel wished to confirm that the Lord Jesus is the focus to whom we relate. St. Augustine thinks the soul that is linked to the Lord Jesus through the live faith working lovingly and carries him in it spiritually, in just like St. Mary who carried him spiritually as much as she did physically. Why has the Lord Jesus fled to Egypt: Firstly: The flight to Egypt is only one part of the chain of suffering St. Joseph joyfully passed through. The inspiration testified he was a righteous men although this righteous life was blended with suffering without the believer’s losing his inward peace. St. John Chrysostom comments on the angel’s words to Joseph saying “ Joseph did not stumble on hearing this, and did not say that that was too difficult… hasn’t he said to me he would save his people? So how can’t he save himself, and why do we have to flee to Egypt, going on such a long journey, and live in another country? This is quite contrary to what you promised! Joseph said nothing of all this, because he was a man of faith. He didn’t even ask when he would return, since this was not said by the angel. The angel rather said, “Be there till I tell you.” He was not sorrowful, https://coptic-treasures.com/ but yielded and obeyed, standing all those trials joyfully. In this way God blends joy with toil, with all those who fear him. He provides for the life of the righteous blending one with the other. This is what God is doing here. Joseph saw the virgin pregnant and he was bewildered and skeptical. On the spot the angel stood next to him and wiped away his doubts and delivered him of his fears. When he saw the newborn baby he was greatly overwhelmed. Consequently this joy was followed by great turmoil, for the whole city became disturbed and the king was excessively angry and asked for the child to be delivered to him. Then joy followed this confusion by the appearance of the star and the worshipping of the kings. Once again, after this joy there was danger and fear because Herod asked for the child’s life. Joseph had to flee to another town.” This is an image of a true pious life. It is a continuous blend of hardships with joy which God allows for the sake of perfecting us and supporting us spiritually. With hardships we ar perfected before God, and with joy we are filled with hope in God’s protection and constant care. Secondly: The flight of the Lord Jesus from evil confirmed the truth of his incarnation. As St. John Chrysostom says, “ If since his early childhood he had performed his miracles, he would not have been considered a man.” Thirdly: His flight as a representative for humanity, offers us a spiritual program that has the basis of not resisting evil by evil. As St. John Chrysostom says “fire is not extinguished by fire, but by water.” Fourthly: Egypt was he head of gentile world. In the Old Testament, it pointed with its Pharaoh to slavery, and with its fertile soil it pointed to a life of luxury and love of the world. The Lord could have resorted to a city in Judea or in Galilee, but he wished to sanctify the land of Egypt so as to establish in the midst of this Gentile land an altar for him. Concerning this, Isaiah the prophet says (Is 19_ “See, the Lord is riding on a swift cloud and comes to Egypt, the idols of Egypt will tremble at his presence, and the heart of the Egyptians will melt within them…. On that https://coptic-treasures.com/ day there will be and altar to the Lord in the center of the land of Egypt and a pillar to the Lord at its border. It will be a sign and an witness to the Lord of hosts in the land of Egypt… The Lord will make himself known to the Egyptians, and the Egyptians will know the Lord on that day, and will worship with sacrifice and burnt offering, and they will make vows to the Lord and perform them… Blessed be Egypt my people” The inspiration was much concerned about this matchless journey, with it Egypt became a beaming center of live faith. Just as Joseph in Egypt stored wheat as a support to the world during the famine for seven long years, likewise the Lord Jesus offered bountiful blessings in Egypt to become a mysterious essential blessing for the entire world. This was made clean during the Alexandria school, and then emerging of monastic life and missionary work… St John Chrysostom says, “Let us go to the wilderness of Egypt where you will see it even better than paradise! There are numberless angelic hosts in human form, and endless martyrs and of the virgins…. Satan’s despotism has collapsed, and Jesus’ kingdom shone in all glory! This Egypt is the homeland of poets, wise men and magicians… it has shielded itself with the cross! Heaven with all its splendid planets is not more glorious than the wilderness of Egypt filled with hermit’s cells. At any rate, he who confesses that the old ancient Egypt is the on that forgot God in coldness and has worshiper cats, and feared onions and trembled of it.. someone like this will well realize the power of Christ.” St. John Chrysostom also speaks of this blessed visit to Egypt for its sanctification, sighing “ Because Egypt and Babylon were countries most kindled by the evil fire, the Lord declared since the beginning he wished to correct the two places for His account so he would bring them to a better existence. At the same time they would be an example to the entire world, and hence ask for his blessings. This is why he sent the wise men to one of them and to the other he himself with his mother went there.” He furthermore says, “Contemplate this unusual thing: Palestine was expecting him, Egypt welcomed him and saved him form revenge.” https://coptic-treasures.com/ 7- The killing of the Children of Bethlehem: 8- (Matt 2:16-18) “When Herod saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, he was infuriated, and he sent and killed all the children in and around Bethlehem who were two years old and under, according to the time that he had learned form the wise men. Then was fulfilled what had been spoken through the prophet Jeremiah: Avoia was heard in Ramah, wailing and loud lamentation, Rachel weeping for her children; she refused to be consoled because they were no more.” The killing of Bethlehem’s children was not mere coincidence. It represents past and parcel as stage of the life of our Savior. If the inspiration was concerned about in the Old and New Testaments. Jeremiah the prophet saw Rachel, Jacob’s wife buried there, crying over her children and her grandchildren, because of Herod’s cruelty against them. Some may ask: why has the king of peace allowed this tragedy to occur because of his birth? Whereas at that very same time the angels began praising God and blessing humanity with the joy of heavenly peace, as well as the strangers came carrying gifts to the child in the manger, and all of the sudden the Hebrew children get slaughtered for no sin of theirs. Those children presented a work of true witness and testimony for the entire world. They represent the church of the New Testament, which carried the simplicity of the Spirit first like children do. Herod could not stand this and thus persecutes it. Yet he couldn’t choke the voice of its testimony, because the children were like the prince blessed with the unity of the divine lamb wherever he may be. The crossing of Bethlehem’s children to above represents the church of princehood as a sanctified spiritual procession with the crucified Firstborn ahead. They are uplifted by him and with him though his true sacrifice so to share the heavenly host in their liturgies and new praises above. Briefly speaking, I say this occurrence despite the wailing and lamentatin in grievous bitterness can never be denied. It signifies a revelation of the New Testament Church as a simple one with no complexity. It https://coptic-treasures.com/ carries the cross as an essential sign that concerns its nature. It is the church of firstborns, uplifted above, practicing its divine life while it is firm in the crucified heavenly head. 7- The Return to Nazareth: St. Joseph was inspired to leave towards Galilee. He came to live in the a town called Nazareth. This is to fulfill what the prophets spoke of “he will be called a Nazarene”. St . John Chrysostom comments on this event saying, “Joseph returned to Nazareth to avoid the danger on one hand, and on the other one to be happy for living in his own nation. His going to Nazareth, this modest town, was to destroy the pride the Jews held of their being related to certain tribes or to certain outstanding cities. St. John Chrysostom says “Because not only was that place of little importance, but also the whole of Galilee. This is why the Pharisees say, “search and look, there is no prophet coming out of Galilee. (John 7:52) He was not ashamed to say he came from there, because he was not in need of any human concerns. He chose his disciples form Galilee as well. I wish we would never pride ourselves on our birth or our riches, but rather scorn those who do so. I wish we wouldn’t get disgusted with poverty, but rather ask for the riches of good works. Let us escape the poverty that makes people wicked, (Luke 16:24) for this is what makes riches poor; “send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I’m in agony of these flames” The word “Nazareth”, or “Nazarene” is a Christian title in Hebrew it is Natzar which means a branch. From it is derived the Arabic word Nader. The Lord Jesus was referred to in more than one prophecy in the Old Testament as ‘the branch’. In Isaiah the prophet (11:1,2) “ A shoot shall come from the stump of Jesse. And a branch shall grow out of his roots. The Spirit of the Lord shall rest on him the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord.” In (Jeremiah 11:5) “The Lord says there shall come the days when I shall establish a righteous branch for David. A king shall reign and be successful, fulfilling truth and justice on earth” https://coptic-treasures.com/ (cf. Jer 33:15), (Zecharaiah 38) “ I am going to bring my servant the branch.” (Zech 6:12) “ Here is a man whose name is branch, for he shall branch out in his place, and he shall build the temple of the Lord”. This is why the Jews expected the Messiah to be called the ‘Branch’ or ‘Nazarene’.
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