Wise Men?

Matthew 2

In the time of King Herod, after Jesus was born 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 and calling together all the chief priests 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 Israel.”’

Then Herod secretly called for the wise men and learned from them the exact time when the star had appeared. Then he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, ‘Go and search diligently for the child; and when you have found him, bring me word so that I may also go and pay him homage.’  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. And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they left for their own country by another road.

You can decide for yourself if we were wise or not. In fact, you should also contemplate exactly who we were. Your Christian traditions, you see, have taken this story far beyond what your gospel writer Matthew actually knew. And of course, even Matthew was not an eyewitness to us and our story. His contemporary, Luke, knew nothing of us and reported a quite different account of the birth of Jesus Christ, your king and lord.

Let me give you some background and at the same time, correct some things about us. First of all, we were not kings, despite the Christmas song that suggests that we were. And if you wish to believe that there were three of us, please feel free. But remember, all Matthew wrote was that we brought three gifts. Oh, and if you think our names were Balthazar, Melchior and Caspar, you must be dreaming!

And the star? What about the star? How could a star move and then stop over a single location? Was it really a star? Maybe a comet? Or something entirely different?

By now you may be wondering if there is anything about this story that can be explained.

Let me try. Allow me to start this story all over again, and try to bring out some truths that you may have missed.

First of all, who were we? The term “Magi” best conveys our identity. Who were Magi? In your time, the closest might be astronomers, students of the stars who display a bent toward astrology, who look to the heavens for deeper meanings beyond the science.

You see, in our time, the night sky was so much darker than anything you can possibly imagine. As a result, everyone studied the stars and many integrated the stars into their religion. We Magi were among those who did, and so we undertook to interpret the celestial sky as not only a scientific study, but also as a part of our system of beliefs. For example, a comet was a bad omen, suggesting some kind of disaster or evil was upon us. Conversely, the appearance of a star, especially of unknown origin, heralded the arrival of a king. Beyond these simple interpretations were myriad deeper ones that influenced our daily lives.

We were from the east (but not the orient) and yes, we did travel on the backs of camels. Our religion recognized many gods, unlike the one god of Israel’s faith. By nature, we were an inquisitive people, searching for truth in the world around us, and especially, in the night sky.

What led us to embark on the long journey to Israel? That’s hard to say. Yes, there was something new in the night sky, something that seemed to portend a significant event in the west. We were led to pursue this celestial sign, and we had the means to do it. But there was more than just a scientific inquiry on our minds.

I think I speak for all of us when I say that we were already experiencing a hunger of sorts, a yearning for a deeper truth. This may sound sacrilegious, but the foundations of our faith in the east just didn’t satisfy us. Something was missing, leaving us empty inside, and we couldn’t quite name what it was. Our faith seemed incomplete, as if a greater truth was just out of our reach. In short, we wanted more.

And so, even before this journey, we had decided on a deeper search. We couldn’t help wondering if it was coincidental that the celestial event that you call the Star of Bethlehem occurred at just that same time.

The journey would be long and possibly perilous, traveling hundreds of miles to the west. But I have to say that for me, it became more of a pilgrimage than a journey. You see, for me, each day’s travel seemed to heighten my sense of expectation, my anticipation of some mysterious source of meaning and depth. It was as if we were experiencing an invitation from above, one which we could not refuse. And so, on we went, not knowing what would be our final destination, or what we would find when we reached it.

Along the way, as we stopped to rest, we discussed. For me, it was hard to put into words what was calling me so far away to witness something or someone that I couldn’t put a name to. We all like to deal with as much certainty as possible, but in this case, the mystery of it actually heightened my sense of being called. I was putting my stresses and fears behind me and opening myself up to new and as yet unknown, possibilities.

Of course, we had no idea where the Star would actually lead us. We traveled entirely on faith, through foreign (and sometimes unfriendly) lands. I was reminded that our lives are like that, as we find ourselves traveling down paths without a clear objective, all the while certain that we must answer the mysterious call. And yes, our life journeys do sometimes take us through unfriendly lands.

After many days, we found ourselves in Israel. It was then that we determined to enter Jerusalem, even though the Star seemed to be pointing elsewhere. By then, we all felt the sense that a new king was the object of our calling. Yes, a new king, but of what realm? A new king of Israel? Surely, a new king of the Jews would be born in Jerusalem, wouldn’t he?

Of course, it was clear to us that Israel already had a king, a monarch named Herod. You must understand that Herod was in power at the pleasure of Israel’s Roman masters. He was not a full-blooded Jew, and despite having embarked on massive building programs, he was unpopular, due to his carelessness with Jewish laws and traditions. And as we learned, he was ruthless, having executed many, even members of his own family, to consolidate his power.

We were immediately spotted as we entered the city. You can imagine how we stood out from the resident population. And we quickly learned that Herod employed an army of personal guards, literally numbering in the thousands. Given his record, you might understand his need for protection.

So, when we began to ask about the new “King of the Jews” Herod reacted quickly, summoning us “secretly.” Again, you can imagine that he did not wish any word of our search to be broadcast.

Herod appeared to want to help us find this new king. As Matthew wrote, he sent us on to Bethlehem, not far from his palace in Jerusalem, instructing us to return with news of the whereabouts of the new king.

But we easily saw through his charade. Herod, was, after all, not especially subtle. We knew that a new king would be perceived as a threat to him. And later, in a dream, we were told to avoid returning to Jerusalem.

Now, after traveling for weeks, and on the cusp of success in our quest, what did we expect to find? 

Byzantine depiction of the Three Magi in a 6th-century mosaic at Basilica of Sant'Apollinare Nuovo

Well, speaking for myself, I can tell you that I did not expect to find a poor family, struggling with a young child. We all have impressions of what a monarch should look like, and I must say that this infant, together with his parents, looked nothing like any king I had ever seen.

We had brought gifts, as Matthew’s account records. And even as we offered them, I couldn’t help thinking about what this all meant. Question after question raced through my mind.

Who called us on this pilgrimage? For what purpose? Why did Israel need a new king when it already had one? Why wasn’t the new king an adult who could raise an army to take on Herod? After all, in our day, that was how it was usually done!

And most important, who was this God of Israel who would summon us to travel so far, expecting to honor a king of majesty, only to find a humble infant?

I’m not sure that I can answer all of these questions, and perhaps it’s best not to try. But upon reflection, on the long trip back to our homeland, some things did become clear to me, while others remained a mystery. Actually, the long return trip was an important time to reflect. Let me explain.

First, the calling. We felt it, but we couldn’t describe it or manage it. Nevertheless, it was powerful, as if coming from the heavens. All we could do was to follow it, in the hope that by doing so, we could somehow fill the emptiness and hunger that we were feeling. This truly was a quest for meaning, and a pilgrimage to find something that we longed for. And what was the source of our hunger? I don’t know, but I can say with certainty that it was real.

Second, the outcome. It wasn’t what we expected. A new king? Nothing in the object of our search would qualify as fitting any conventional description of a new king. And the child, Jesus was his name, would seem be destined to face the most formidable of obstacles in ever becoming a king.

And yet, at the end of the journey, that didn’t seem to matter. Despite appearances to the contrary, we did find what we were looking for. And as long as we were able to shed our expectations, we learned that another power had been in charge all along, a force that you will call “God” who has a plan and a way that doesn’t conform to our thoughts and our expectations. And a power that seeks to fill that hunger and yearning we were feeling, not so much in the destination, but really, in the journey itself.

And finally, the Star of Bethlehem. Was it truly leading us, day by day, moving across the night sky? I don’t have an answer for that one. But I can say this: even if it was just a vision, it was real to us, and as long as we followed, it led us to that deeper place that we longed for.

As you can tell, so much of the mystery of this journey still remains. For me, it felt like I was transported from a place of hunger to a new place, one that doesn’t necessarily answer all of my questions, but which, instead brings me closer to a presence that I have never before felt. And best of all, through our long journey, and through our gifts to the baby Jesus, I believe that we were given the opportunity to honor God himself.

So let me ask again: were we “wise men”? You decide.