Not only was this wonderful seed rejected by the religion, but He was also persecuted by politics. When King Herod learned of His birth, he was very troubled. He persecuted the Lord Jesus, destroying many young lives by his persecution (Matt. 2:16).
We must have revelation to understand the Bible. On the first page of the New Testament we see what a wonderful One the Lord Jesus is as the seed of life for the kingdom. In the second chapter we are shown the proper persons to accept the Lord Jesus—not the religious people or the political people—but the ordinary, simple ones who have no Bible knowledge and no political ambition. If you have a dream of being influential in political circles, you are through as far as the Lord Jesus is concerned. Sooner or later you will persecute Him.
We must be simple people with a heavenly star. We may know nothing about the prophecy in Micah 5:2, but we do have the "heavenly star," the living guidance of the living One in us. This is wonderful! What shall we do? We simply offer our all to Him, and we take another way (Matt. 2:12). This means that we can never be the same. Anyone who will be simple and follow the heavenly star to accept the Lord Jesus will certainly take another way. After reading these pages, many of you will take another way. No longer will you be politicians or religious people. You will be simple people with a heavenly star, people who take another way. These are the kingdom people. These are the people who accept Christ. Christ is accepted only by such ones. In chapter two of Matthew we have three kinds of people: the simple heathen, the religious people, and the political leaders. Let us be those simple ones who can receive Christ!
Matthew 2 reveals that this wonderful One can only be accepted and received by the simple ones who have nothing to do with religion or politics. The religionists neglect Him; the politicians reject and persecute Him. However, the simple ones receive Him. Eventually this wonderful Person became a lowly Nazarene (Matt. 2:23). At the end of chapter one He is called Emmanuel; at the end of chapter two He is called a Nazarene, meaning He is little, despised, and without fame. Our Emmanuel is a Nazarene. To the world, to the politicians, and to the religious people, the Lord Jesus is a Nazarene. But to us, He is Jehovah-plus and God-plus.