Imagine…
Imagine looking up into the night sky and seeing a star…feeling a stirring deep in your bones and running off on a fantastic journey to follow that star. What would that feel like? What would your friends say? Your Family? How Wise would you appear?
Talk about a Foolish Journey!!!
Have you ever taken a foolish journey? Just dropped everything and gone off following a star? A dream? Your heart?
Today’s scripture describes for us just such a journey.
Once upon a time, somewhere in the “east” a group of magi set out on a journey to follow a star—the star that would lead them to where the child Jesus had been born. Once there, they would worship the child and offer gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh, and then to avoid Herod, they’d return to their home via a different route.
We all know this story…the wise men…we three kings. No nativity set is complete without the 3 characters in flowing robes carrying fancy boxes of beautiful gifts.
But really, who were the wisemen? Were they even men? What is their tradition? And why is their foolish Journey so important to us today?
Who were the wisemen?
Well…That’s actually a very complicated question, and admittedly I didn’t know the answer to it myself before sitting around doing a lot of searching on the internet and reading. But I had to know…who are these people and why do they keep showing up in my nativity scene?
Over time the legends associated with the magi have changed and adapted…in the 3rd century they were viewed as kings, By the 6th century they had names: Balthazar, Melichior, Gathspar. But these names differed based on the region that told the story. Some associated them with Shem, Ham and Japheth—the three sons of Noah and therefore Asia, Africa and Europe.
According to historical tradition, The ancient Magi were a hereditary priesthood of the Medes credited with profound and extraordinary religious knowledge. They were experts in dream interpretation and prognostication. One of their most sacred duties included the absolute choice and election of the king of the realm. This might explain why their presence would have alarmed King Herod to the point of having all the young male children executed.
And then there is the question of how many wise ones there were? Well, 3 of course, you might say. Nope! We don’t know that for sure. The presence of 3 is undoubtedly linked to the number of gifts scripture tells us were presented, gold frankincense and myrrh. Some artwork shows only 2 magi, while oriental traditions say there were 12. Some early artwork also depicts 3 or 4 magi or even 8. So we have no idea how many there are.
Heck, we’re not even sure they were male! We don’t have proof of any kind regarding the gender of the magi, and in fact recent scholarship has noted that one or more of the Magi could have very well been female.
Matthew doesn’t tell us how many there are or who they are but simply says wisemen from the east.
What about those gifts? Matthew tells us that they brought Jesus gifts of Gold, Frankincense and Myrrh.
Myrrh is one of the most desired and sought after items in the ancient world. It is mentioned in the bible over 20 times. Myrrh was used as incense in religious rituals and was also used in embalming and in curing various diseases. Tradition tells us that this common analgesic was brought by Gaspar.
Tradition says Balthazar, the king from Africa, brought Frankincense. When burned frankincense produced a white smoke which symbolized the prayers and praises of the faithful ascending to heaven. It was an ingredient in the sacred incense and holy anointing oil of the Israelites and is referenced over 50 times in the bible
Finally, the gold. Tradition says it was brought by Melchior. According to legend he brought a golden cup that was preserved by Mary and was the same cup used in the Institution of the Last Supper. The gift of gold has often been believed to symbolize the kingship of Christ.
And what about that star?
There are many theories on the actual star: comet, falling star, conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn. Whatever the actual star was, a celestial event was often looked upon as the precursor to the fulfillment of a prophecy. This particular celestial sighting would have been part of the prophecies Matthew was misusing and therefore important that he included it in his version of the story of Jesus’ birth.
When did they arrive? Well, they certainly did not arrive at the same time as the shepherds, or on the day/night of Jesus’ birth. It is highly unlikely that they arrived near the actual birth of Jesus, but more likely a year or even two later. It was likely they arrived after the presentation of Jesus in the temple. Matthew even says, “when they came into the house and saw the young child” they worshipped him. This would seem to imply that Joseph and Mary and the young Jesus were no longer in the cave in Bethlehem. The wise ones likely crossed the Syrian Desert and followed what is now known as the Mecca route before crossing the Jordan near Jericho, and if they came from Persia, as legend might suggest, the journey would have been between 1000 and 1200 miles which could have taken any where between 3-12 months to travel, not including preparation time.
So what? Why is the story of these wise ones an important part of our holiday tradition and our faith?
Well, the first thing that’s really important to remember is that Matthew wrote this story down sometime AFTER Jesus was crucified. This is a hindsight story, not a first-hand account. It is unlikely that Matthew was actually at the birth of Jesus. Think of the gospels less like a live news broadcast and more like AandE biography or a 60 minutes special. The authors chose what “segments” of Jesus’ life they included to make their telling of the story make the most sense to them and their audience. Matthew was writing to a Jewish audience, so it was very important to him to make sure that the Jewish prophecies were proven true in the birth of Jesus. Remember, Matthew was cautious in his telling to ensure all the prophecies had been fulfilled, so it is fitting that his is the only gospel that mentions the wise ones. This was to ensure that the prophecy in Daniel 4 and 5 was fulfilled. (Even if we know that’s not how things work)
In Christian tradition, the story of the wise ones and their recognition of the child Jesus leads to what we call Epiphany. The word “epiphany” means to reveal or to show or make known, and the story in Matthew is the gospel writer’s way of emphasizing that the presence of the wise men and their gifts reveal Jesus to the whole world (hence the reason the wise ones are depicted as being from the east, or Africa, or other such places). This is also where the idea of giving gifts at Christmas has its root.
But really…why does this matter other than justifying the presence of the 3 figurines in our holiday nativity sets and making it make good religious sense to spend money on Christmas gifts?
Regardless of factual matters, this is a story of a faith journey. Beyond the prophetical or technical matters, I think this is what the author really wants us to understand. Matthew wants us to really believe that this group of people was so moved by something they felt and/or saw that they felt compelled to load up their supplies and belongings and head out on a journey, following nothing more than an instinct and a star.
This was a journey of faith.
The magi believed that they were called, even compelled to travel to meet the child that had been born. They left their homes, their families (if they had them), and their comforts of life, dropped everything, and went off in pursuit of a star, hoping all the while that they had not only made the right decision but that they would make it to their destination unscathed.
In the movie, “The Nativity Story” the magi are kind of depicted as the Three Stooges of the desert, who set off on a somewhat nutty journey. Cinematics aside, the movie does a brilliant job of depicting how crazy of an idea this trip just might have been. You see them fighting over what to take with them, what to leave behind, the route they might take, the meaning of the star, and whatever else might have come up. It really comes across as quite a foolish journey.
Another foolish journey in the Movies is in National Lampoon’s Vacation. Clark Griswold decides to take his family on the perfect vacation to Wally World. He doesn’t want to fly, but rather chooses to load his wife and two less-than-thrilled children into the family station wagon for a cross-country sightseeing adventure. Things do not go well, to say the least. Along the way, the Griswolds face car troubles, the death of grandma (who they tie to the roof)…they get lost, they fight, they drag a dog halfway down the interstate all in search of the elusive Wally World and the even more elusive perfect family vacation. And when they finally reach their prized Destination, Wally World is closed for repairs. At this point Clark goes a little nuts, but ultimately the family gets to have their vacation moment of fun and fulfillment.
No, the journey of the magi isn’t quite like National Lampoon’s Vacation, however both of these stories illustrate what I think is the central message of Matthew’s story. Life is full of foolish journeys and the ones we take in the spirit of faith and love are the ones that have the potential to bring us the most joy.
The magi set out on a foolish journey with nothing to guide them but faith and a star. It wasn’t about being sure they’d find Jesus, it was about being sure they should make the trip. It wasn’t about delivering the gifts, it was about being delivered from their own stagnation. It wasn’t about the light of a star, but was more about the light of the world.
So, does it really matter if the magi were real? Does it matter how many there were or how they traveled or when they arrived?
No.
What matters is that they took the journey, that they stepped out in faith, and in recognizing the birth of Jesus, they would help the world recognize his purpose.