Matthew 2:1-12 Who are the three wise men?

When Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea,
in the days of King Herod, 
behold, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying, 
“Where is the newborn king of the Jews?
We saw his star at its rising
and have come to do him homage.”
When King Herod heard this,
he was greatly troubled, 
and all Jerusalem with him.
Assembling all the chief priests and the scribes of the people, 
He inquired of them where the Christ was to be born.
They said to him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, 
for thus it has been written through the prophet:
And you, Bethlehem, land of Judah,
are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;
since from you shall come a ruler,
who is to shepherd my people Israel.”
Then Herod called the magi secretly 
and ascertained from them the time of the star’s appearance.
He sent them to Bethlehem and said, 
“Go and search diligently for the child.
When you have found him, bring me word, 
that I too may go and do him homage.”
After their audience with the king they set out.
And behold, the star that they had seen at its rising preceded them, 
until it came and stopped over the place where the child was.
They were overjoyed at seeing the star, 
and on entering the house
they saw the child with Mary his mother.
They prostrated themselves and did him homage.
Then they opened their treasures 
and offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, 
they departed for their country by another way.

In this passage we see that Matthew, unlike Luke, has Magi, or Wise men visit Jesus instead of poor shepherds. What is significant is that Matthew is highlighting Jesus' royal lineage. In Matthew's account he is brought expensive treasures of gold, myrrh and frankincense. Some scholars believe these wise men, or magoi (greek), are likely priests from the Zoroastrianism tradition since the term magoi describes a Zoroastrian priest. Tradition holds that these wise men from the East are named: Melchior, Casper, and Balthazar. In reality no one really knows the identity of the wise men or if there were even wise men. What is clear is that Matthew's theological framework of portraying Jesus as the King of the Jews explains the presence of Maggi in his birth narrative. 

Matthew 20:1-16 Grace is Freely Given

Jesus told his disciples this parable:
"The kingdom of heaven is like a landowner
who went out at dawn to hire laborers for his vineyard.
After agreeing with them for the usual daily wage,
he sent them into his vineyard.
Going out about nine o'clock,
the landowner saw others standing idle in the marketplace,
and he said to them, 'You too go into my vineyard,
and I will give you what is just.'
So they went off.
And he went out again around noon,
and around three o'clock, and did likewise.
Going out about five o'clock,
the landowner found others standing around, and said to them,
'Why do you stand here idle all day?'
They answered, 'Because no one has hired us.'
He said to them, 'You too go into my vineyard.'
When it was evening the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman,
'Summon the laborers and give them their pay,
beginning with the last and ending with the first.'
When those who had started about five o'clock came,
each received the usual daily wage.
So when the first came, they thought that they would receive more,
but each of them also got the usual wage.
And on receiving it they grumbled against the landowner, saying,
'These last ones worked only one hour,
and you have made them equal to us,
who bore the day's burden and the heat.'
He said to one of them in reply,
'My friend, I am not cheating you.
Did you not agree with me for the usual daily wage?
Take what is yours and go.
What if I wish to give this last one the same as you?
Or am I not free to do as I wish with my own money?
Are you envious because I am generous?'
Thus, the last will be first, and the first will be last."

This parable reminds us that the Kingdom of God is about grace. Grace is something that is freely given. We do not earn grace and it is up to God to distribute it as God wishes. In this parable, we are reminded that although we often work hard for God's grace, love, and forgiveness, God is free to forgive, love, and aid with all people regardless of their faith, devotion, and theological background. We so often want God to follow our understanding of fairness. Yet here we are reminded that God's love is far more inclusive than we often want. God's love for us is profound and God's grace knows no end. 

Matthew 15:21-28 Jesus Learns from the Canaanite Woman

²¹ Jesus left that place and went to the area of Tyre and Sidon.²² A Canaanite woman from that area came to Jesus and cried out, "Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me! My daughter has a demon, and she is suffering very much." ²³ But Jesus did not answer the woman. So his followers came to Jesus and begged him, "Tell the woman to go away. She is following us and shouting."
 ²⁴ Jesus answered, "God sent me only to the lost sheep, the people of Israel."
 ²⁵ Then the woman came to Jesus again and bowed before him and said, "Lord, help me!"
 ²⁶ Jesus answered, "It is not right to take the children's bread and give it to the dogs."
 ²⁷ The woman said, "Yes, Lord, but even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters' table."
 ²⁸ Then Jesus answered, "Woman, you have great faith! I will do what you asked." And at that moment the woman's daughter was healed.

In this passage, many scholars believe Jesus has learned something. Here Jesus appears to dismiss the woman, claiming he is here to serve the people of Israel, but her rebuke gets his attention and he heals here. This tells us that Jesus is able to learn and did not know everything from the beginning. Here her challenge drives him to invite all people and extend his ministry to all people. This is likely a real event because of its detail, its inconsistency with the rest of his gospel message, and its shocking counter cultural message.