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.
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‘Mage, they call me, Magus, or magician; diviner, sorcerer,
wizard. They think I know and can control future events. In truth I can't. They
are who and what they are, whoever and whatever they were made. I have not the
power to change them. I am a scholar. My interest has always been the sun and
moon, the stars and planets. What are their rhythms? What effect do they have
on the earth, on people, on events? It is an ancient and honorable profession.
That's what started us on that journey so long ago.
Something which looked like a star appeared, one we had never seen before.
Without warning it appeared in our Western sky, blazing several orders of
magnitude brighter than anything we had seen. Nowhere was there a record
describing a star suddenly appearing in such a fashion. There were popular
legends, of course, of stellar events which heralded important earthly events,
such as the birth of a prophet or an Emperor. We read the holy writings of the
Israelite people, and curiously there was a statement in the book the
Israelites called Numbers:
"The oracle
of Balaam son of Beor, the oracle of the man whose eye is clear, I see him, but
not now; I behold him, but not near – a star shall come out of Jacob, and a
sceptre shall rise out of Israel.... One out of Jacob shall rule.... (Numbers 24:15, 17, 19)
So, armed with observations, with prophetic words, and our
need to find out, we set off on roads we had never travelled before, language
we did not know, different food and different people. I never did like
traveling. The camels were stubborn, balky, and miserably uncomfortable to
ride. Unfortunately, in the desert camels are the best mode of transport.
Sometimes I would get off and walk, just to get away from them. Most nights we
camped by the road, with only a miserable fire to warm us, and our clothes to
cushion the stone hard ground. If and when there was an inn, it was usually
small and cramped, with poor food - and somehow whenever *we* appeared the
prices were astoundingly expensive. Sometimes the smell of those places, or the
bedbugs and fleas, made sleeping on the ground preferable.
On we went, mile after miserable mile, day after dreadful
day, freezing in the snow which often hits this part of the country. I tell
you, I was getting less and less optimistic about this journey. The problem
was, many of my colleagues thought this was grand adventure, excitement and
anticipation, the different food and landscapes amazing, the possibilities for
learning endless. They would tell you it was the chance of a lifetime to do
something completely unknown, to risk everything to take this journey.
Finally we came to Jerusalem; and were directed to the
palace. Herod was king, the third ruler with that name. Because he succeeded in
staying in favour with Rome and carried out a great building program to
memorialise himself, he styled himself Herod the Great. We were ushered into
his presence, and because of our credentials and the distance we had come, he
treated us with some courtesy. So we asked where we might find the child born
to be king of the Jews. We said we had seen the star, and deduced that it was connected
to the ancient writings. When he heard our question his face paled; he was
visibly shaken. Promising to consult priests and scholars, he dismissed us. We
were taken to guest rooms where baths and food were provided. After we had
rested, we were summoned to a private audience, and Herod questioned us about
the star. When had it appeared? What did it look like? What made it so special?
As we answered him, he determined that we should go on to Bethlehem. He told us
to search for the child, and to make sure we let him know when this new king
had been found.
Since Bethlehem was only about five miles south of
Jerusalem, we set out late that afternoon. It was just dark when we arrived.
Riding up the hill into the town, it appeared that the star had shifted and
begun to move. Obviously Bethlehem was not going to be our next stop. So we
continued, inquiring and learning that several families who had been there had
left quite suddenly, and gone probably to Egypt. Well, once we had gone as far
as Bethlehem, we felt we must go on to whatever end there was in this journey.
We all agreed that we had been brought this way for a reason, even if that
reason was not yet clear.
So on we went - all the way into a small place in Egypt, the
star continuing to lead us - until suddenly it seemed to stop over a small
house. Or maybe we just thought it did – I was never too sure. Yet we knew this
was the place! When we were admitted, we saw in the lamplight a small child.
His mother invited us to sit, and offered us food - humble, but delicious and
warm, far better than the food in the inns. We knelt to look at this child more
closely. He seemed ordinary, and yet there was nothing ordinary about him. It
was as if he were filled with something far more than human. We gave our gifts,
tokens of gold, incense and perfume. Even though his parents were poor
peasants, they received our gifts with a royal grace and dignity, acknowledging
us but in complete humility.
Since it was late and the road was quite dark, and they had
little room inside, we camped yet another night, but in a small shed. The wind,
for some reason, seemed not so cold, nor the ground quite so hard; but our
sleep was filled with strange dreams. I awoke more than once feeling terrified.
My dreams were filled with a vision of Herod's face streaked with blood, and
loud screams of terror which made me break out in a sweat. Something was not
right.
The next morning, over breakfast, we discovered we all had similar
dreams, and that we would not return to Herod. Instead we angled around through
the hills, back toward Hebron, but then East, below the Salt Sea, before
returning to our homes on a different route – one far less travelled. On our
way home, we heard the tales of a massacre of small boys under two years old.
That was many years ago, and I have taken other journeys
since then, but none quite like that one. I am not even exactly sure why I
undertook that journey, given that I don’t really like to travel without having
a really precise road map all the way and all the details covered. I have come
to think it was not by my choice that I went, but more that I was drawn on that
journey, pulled by the one who inspired the prophecy and raised the star. On
that journey, I saw two kings: one, Herod, a skilled political ruler who
eliminated anything which he perceived as a threat; the other was the child.
For all Herod's acumen and experience, he was no different than anyone else who
has touched power. For all the child's helplessness and innocence, he seemed to
be the embodiment of a saying from the ancient Israelite holy writings, come to
life:
"Look, the
young woman shall become pregnant, and have a son, and he will be called
Emmanuel,"
which in their language means, "God is with us."
I think that is the one phrase which sticks with me after
all these years. Despite the cold, the discomforts, the strange food and
dangerous roads, despite the fact that I am not even of their faith, I believe
God was with us on that journey. Had I stayed home I would have regretted that
for the rest of my life.”
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“People who journey without being changed are
nomads. People who change without going on a journey are chameleons. People who
go on a journey and are changed by the journey are pilgrims.” (Rev. Jody
Seymour)
Every year, we celebrate Epiphany on the Sunday closest to the actual day of January 6. Every year, the lectionary brings us the Magi. Every year we take all the elements of three years’ worth of biblical story and scrunch it down into roughly six weeks - four of Advent, one for Christmas, and one for Epiphany. We tend to forget that this was a story played out over several years, and with many layers of meaning.
The Greek historian Herodotus cites the Magi as Medeans living in Persia, which at the time of Jesus’ birth was part of the Parthian Empire. They were scientists, priests, astrologers, and existed for around five thousand years; they were almost certainly Zoroastrians. They were not just 'wise men,' nor were they kings. They were an entire social class of priests and sages.
“They were the center of spiritual-political authority through the ages of several great empires. They interpreted dreams and were responsible for sacred rituals, including animal sacrifices. The Magi may have even been responsible for crowning any new ruler who came to power. If true, then to be crowned without the favor of the Magi would jeopardize the legitimacy of any king.
The Magi believed that the stars could be used to predict the birth of great rulers. They believed that the next great ruler was about to be born: the "king of the Jews." But even so, why visit the newborn king of a foreign nation? It is not implausible to assume that the main intention of the Magi was diplomatic in origin. If a new king had been born, it would prove useful to pay tribute to him and his family. They may have assumed that Herod, the ruler of Judea and Palestine, had produced a son, an heir to his seat of power, who would exceed his father's legacy by leaps and bounds. Rome and Parthia were the two "superpowers" of the era, and Palestine was a significant part of the political view.”
Well, what did they find in Jerusalem? Herod had syphilis, was paranoid and almost dead. There was a laundry list of people happy to step in and help Herod along to the next world if need be. He had killed his previous wife and several sons out of suspicion that they were trying to kill him. He knew the new king was not one of his offspring. So he consulted with advisors, found out about the prophecy, and determined to find this usurper to his power.
After a journey of about 1300 miles into a foreign country, the Magi found Mary, Joseph and the child who was approximately two. What went through the minds of these astrologers and scientists as they met this peasant couple of a different race and religion? The gifts they brought imply a legitimising of the rule of this king. They were not Jewish. They were foreigners, Gentiles, considered pagan. If you look closely at your Christmas cards, you might see that tradition has one of them African, one Asian, and one Caucasian. Nowhere in the text does it say there were three - there could have been more.
Here’s a more modern tale from David Barker at West Hill United Church in 2009 - and I believe it relates very much to this story and its interpretation. “This Christmas, more than usual, people have been crying foul over issues of political correctness. The most notable instance of this arose around the decision by Seattle's Sea–Tac International Airport authority to remove from its premises all Christmas trees and related paraphernalia. .... A rabbi had petitioned the airport for inclusion of a menorah amongst the decorations. After consulting with its lawyers (naturally), it concluded that it would be simpler to remove all decorations than be sensitive to the existence of other faith traditions and their ways of celebrating. Seattle residents are angry.”
David goes on to ask these questions: “What if the Messianic announcement and the Jesus birth were calls, not to a new believing, but to a new doing? What if that nativity was a grand act of ecumenism, summoning the faithful, whatever the faith - like the Zoroastrian magi - to engage one another as fellow travelers on a spiritual pilgrimage? What if that is the Christmas message?”
Magi, rich and influential Zoroastrian priests, scholars and astrologers - made a pilgrimage to a town in a country more than a thousand miles from their home. They saw a convergence of celestial phenomena which they believed heralded the birth of a new king, perhaps even a new kind of king. They travelled an incredible distance, even by today’s reckonings, found the one they were seeking, and when they did presented incredibly expensive and significant gifts, and according to Matthew, worshipped the baby. They were not of the same faith as Jesus’ family, yet somehow what they found transcended any individual faith. The star, or the light, transcending religion.
I believe something happened to the Magi in that pilgrimage. Their instincts were all in place, and they knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that they could not return the same way they came, that in fact there was no return. So they revised their travel plans, and took another road. It was a road they had never travelled, and they knew there was danger. But they also recognised Herod as a danger. They were true pilgrims, because they were willing to set out on a long, long journey without knowing if they would even live. They found what they were seeking, and they went away changed by their entire experience. I am sure Mary and Joseph were changed by the encounter as well. In the story, Joseph and Mary did not turn away these “pagans”, or refuse to have anything to do with them because they were Gentiles. They did, apparently, welcome the visitors and accept the gifts. Hospitality to the stranger was paramount.
So who are we, today? Who are the Magi today, who come seeking? Do we want them to be like us? Are we true pilgrims, willing to be changed by what we experience? Are we willing to set out on an unknown road once more, looking for something but we aren’t sure what? Are we pilgrims, nomads, or chameleons?
Are we chameleons, changing to suit
what is around us, to blend in so we don’t attract undue attention? Are we nomads, wandering but with no vision
of any kind, nothing to follow? Or are we pilgrims on a journey? Then we are on
this journey with all peoples of all faiths - and we owe it to those others,
and to God, to have respect for the many ways God is revealed in the world. Our
religion should not become our God, but rather it should be the means by which
we find our God revealed in humanity. May it be so.
Sources
1. www.magijourney.com
2. story based on blog “The Mage’s Tale” by
William McWeeny 1997 Sources
1. www.magijourney.com
3. http://nouspique.com/component/content/article/52/248-the-magi-today David Barker
4. Dr. Jody Seymour, Davidson United Methodist Church, Nor
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