Scripture Matthew 2:1-12
In the time of King Herod, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, magi from the east came to Jerusalem, asking, “Where is the child who has been born king of the Jews? For we observed his star in the east 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 magi 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 in the east, 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.
Meditation
How many among us grew up with a nativity scene in our homes during the Christmas holidays? How many of us have one right now? If you did, or do, close your eyes and iMagine that nativity scene. Who is there? The Baby Jesus, of course, at the center, in his manger. His mother Mary and the faithful Joseph. A shepherd or two, surely. The random sheep, and donkey, and camel. And then—there they are—three men, dressed in ornate robes, each holding a container of something precious, if not immediately recognizable as an appropriate gift for a newborn. If we concentrate hard, or, if we by chance saw the recent Tri-Cities Opera production of “Amahl and the Night Visitors,” we may even be able to conjure their names: Caspar, Balthazar, and Melchior. The camel is there because of them, they traveled such a distance from the east. In a carol, moments ago, we called them the three kings of the Orient, but they’ve also been known as the wise men, or even, straight out of the original language of the passage, the Magi.
Their story takes up only 12 short verses of scripture, but the Magi have captured the iMaginations of Christians for nearly two millennia. And yet, we know less about the Magi than we think.[i]
What is a Magi exactly? Or, for the singular form, a magus. What is a magus? If the word “Magi” looks awfully close to the word “magic,” that’s because—that’s where we get that word. Magi are often called “astrologers,” and they may have been, but they were also known as Magicians. It turns out, it’s hard to pin down exactly what that word meant. Though Matthew’s story portrays them as good-hearted seekers of a new king, whom they feel compelled to find, and to pay honor, the two Magi named in the Acts of the Apostles, for example, are completely untrustworthy, scammers. Then again, in the Book of Daniel, a king summons a magus to help him interpret dreams. There, Magi are scholars, experts who can help with understanding deep and mystical truths.[ii] They may also have been counsellors of state: it’s possible they work in the court of some eastern king.[iii]
So where do we get the idea that the Magi are kings? One theory says that the kind of education and wisdom they had was considered so prestigious, it elevated them to a kind of royalty. Another theory tells us to look no further than our first scripture reading—the prophet Isaiah. Some of the verses we heard stated that
“Nations shall come to your light
and kings to the brightness of your dawn.”
and also, that
“They shall bring gold and frankincense
and shall proclaim the praise of the Lord.” ~Isaiah 60:3, 6
How do we know there are three of them? We don’t. Scripture doesn’t give us a number of Magi, just a number of gifts: gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Because Matthew uses the plural, there are at least two. Someone has conjectured there may have been as many as nine.
And where do they come from again? Close your eyes, and look at your nativity scene: chances are, your Magi were a diverse group—tradition has told us they were from different places: Persia? Arabia? Egypt, or elsewhere in Africa? Babylon? But the tradition that they came from Persia—modern day Iran—is also strong. There is also a strong tradition—noted nowhere in the gospel—that they are gentiles, because they have come to remind us that the coming of Jesus goes beyond his own people, the Israelites, and is revealed to the world through the witness of the Magi.
So how do we know their names? Well, we don’t. According to a Syrian legend, their names were Tanisuram, Maliko, and Zesesba. An Ethiopian story names them Ator, Sator, and Petatoras. One medieval story says they are the biblical figures, Enoch, Melchizedek, and Elijah, descended from heaven to visit the child Jesus. We find the names we are most familiar with in the 6th century Armenian Gospel of the Infancy. [iv]
Have one more quick look at your past or present nativity scene. If there are Magi there, you’d better get baby Jesus out of the manger and age him up a couple of years. That, we know, not from our passage, but from the one that comes directly after it: the one in which the raging, terrified King Herod sends his troops to kill all children in Judea, two years and younger. The only reason he would have done that, is the information the Magi gave him about when they saw the star at its rising. For him to have made that calculation, the child must have been more at least 18 months to two years earlier, because that population is the target of Herod’s wrath.
It all comes down to this: much of what we know about the Magi is shrouded in mystery, and that seems to be Matthew’s intention. When the gospel writer wants to give us specifics, he does. There are twelve apostles, and three days in the tomb. Matthew tells a story in which outsiders—people from far away, and who undoubtedly practice another religion entirely, are more attuned to scripture and prophecy than the reigning monarch in Judea. That’s a set up for a wake-up call. That’s a call to each of us that it’s time for our own epiphany. We are left asking: What possessed these people to leave everything behind for a long, hard, dangerous journey? And more than that: How do we seek Jesus in our daily lives?
Yesterday I had the great good fortune to spend time with seventeen of our deacons and elders, including the seven who will be ordained and/ or installed this morning. During that time we shared stories of our faith. It occurred to me that one way we seek Jesus is by giving Jesus opportunities to seek us. Such as, paying attention to scripture. Or coming together for worship. Or noticing when he seems to have something to say to us—as he so often does.
Yesterday someone stated that they heard in the words of Isaiah a promise that God does not leave us behind, but takes us by the hand, and holds onto us.
Paying attention to scripture.
Another person told me of an experience of Jesus during worship, a feeling they have never forgotten.
Coming together for worship.
I heard multiple people speak of the way a hymn they love recalls the faithfulness of a person they loved, and what a powerful witness that was to them.
Noticing when Jesus seems to have something to say to us, which he so often does.
Take one last look at your nativity scene. Wait—there’s someone else there, someone we didn’t think to mention earlier, but someone who whose spirit has been drawn there over the days, and months, and years of faithfulness. Someone who, like the Magi, is paying attention to scripture. Someone who, like the Magi, has brought an offering, the one he most cherishes: the offering of our hearts. Someone who, like the Magi, has taken notice of the stars through which he speaks to us, the ones that beckon us forward, to follow where he leads. There is someone who is still seeking.
It’s you.
Thanks be to God. Amen.
[i] Eric Vanden Eykel, “Who were the three wise men who visited Jesus?” The Presbyterian Outlook, Via The Conversation, January 4, 2023. https://pres-outlook.org/2023/01/who-were-the-3-wise-men-who-visited-jesus/?utm_source=Presbyterian+Outlook+Email+Updates&utm_campaign=6835c7b2cd-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2021_10_13_07_31_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_b2a9be72d0-6835c7b2cd-270168401&mc_cid=6835c7b2cd&mc_eid=d598112590.
[ii] Ibid.
[iii] Carlos Oliveres, “How many wise men were there, and were they really kings? Who Or What Are Magoi?” Adventist Record, December 24, 2018. https://record.adventistchurch.com/2018/12/24/how-many-wise-men-were-there-and-were-they-really-kings/.
[iv] Ibid.