The Wise Men - Honor to a King
People living in the country I live in “celebrated” yesterday, December 25th. I have been thinking a lot about this time of year for those who call themselves “Christians” throughout the world. Though, for certain, it is impossible to know the day of the year that our Lord was born, and there is no instruction to remember that day - it has become a season/day when people around the world commemorate His birth. While many do not think about Jesus at all really, most in my country participate in decorating, cooking, giving gifts and good tidings, and enjoying family. And to be sure, there is a vague discussion about a child born in Bethlehem in connection with all the activity.
Meditating on all the activities around me these last weeks, I have thought a lot about the Magi. They are often wrongfully depicted in the scenes that men create reflecting the birth of our Lord. However, though they did not come to Bethlehem when Jesus was born, they did arrive several years later when they came to pay honor and “see” the new King. They came from the Eastern world (likely Arabia or further); what an interesting study these men are. There are so many things we learn if we contemplate what these men represented.
Matthew is the only gospel writer who informs us of this visit. Chapter 2 of Matthew beginning in verse 1 gives us the account of these events some two years after the birth of the little baby Jesus.
“Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, saying, ‘Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him.’ When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. So they said to him, ‘In Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it is written by the prophet: But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are not the least among the rulers of Judah; For out of you shall come a Ruler Who will shepherd My people Israel.’
Then Herod, when he had secretly called the wise men, determined from them what time the star appeared. And he sent them to Bethlehem and said, ‘Go and search carefully for the young Child, and when you have found Him, bring back word to me, that I may come and worship Him also.’ When they heard the king, they departed; and behold, the star which they had seen in the East went before them, till it came and stood over where the young Child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy.
And when they had come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him. And when they had opened their treasures, they presented gifts to Him: gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
Then, being divinely warned in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed for their own country another way.”
Quite remarkable is this event. This is a visit from the Gentile world, paying homage and worshiping a new King. Our King. Our King, with a star to notify all who were inclined to “see” Him. It is interesting to me that Herod had not shown an interest in this star, but these Gentile mystics had. Matthew Henry says “the birth of Jesus was notified to the Jewish shepherds by an angel, to the Gentile philosophers by a star. To both God spoke in their own language, and in the way they were best acquainted with.”
These men, whoever they were and however many there were, came from a distance – though they were not “waiting on the redemption of Israel” or the salvation of God. They just simply studied the creation of our God, and they understood that God’s working was at hand in the announcement of this star – the King of the Jews had been born. Surely, we see God in this event; this was a star like none other, a star that could only be an answer to the expectation of all their mystical superstitions that surrounded their thoughts.
They are referred to as Magi in some translations. A Magi can be seen in both favorable and unfavorable light and is defined as a sage, a ruler, a mystic, a reader of nature; it is hard for us to understand exactly who these men were. But they were those who were powerful enough to have instant access to Herod. They were those who had studied the natural world with a keen understanding of its workings; they were those who were defined as “mystics” and “wise.” And they start their search for the new King in the most logical of places – in a palace. It would have only been right to assume that the new King was born in the capital city, in the palace of the King. And they do not begin their inquiry with “Has a King been born?”, but rather, they say, “Where is He that is born King of the Jews?”. They understand their mission and search completely.
We can’t examine Herod in this article, but suffice it to say that it is astonishing to think of his troubled soul, and even more astonishing to think of the reaction of so many others living in Jerusalem at that time. These wise sages bring anxiety to those who had chosen to ignore a star in their own sky – above the city they understand was the answer to prophecy. But, we must move along to get back to our wise men who have traveled so far and now confirmed that this King must be around two years old.
To their surprise and delight upon leaving Jerusalem, God provides them guidance from the same star that had brought them there; a star that the scriptures imply they had not lately seen but causes them great rejoicing with its reappearance. They are driven now, even more than before, with this confirmation they would surely find the one they were seeking. The marvelous star shouted truth to them: “Yes, this is about a KING!”.
The star would lead them directly to Joseph and Mary, an undistinguished, faithful couple now living in a house in the small town of Bethlehem – a far cry from the palace of a Herod. These men, when they saw Mary and Jesus, did not question his identity. They do not ask “is this the one?”, just like Simeon and Anna, they knew, and God had confirmed. Their natural response was to fall down and worship – something that was not indicated when they met Herod. Herod was not a King of the Gentiles; they had come to pay honor to the King of ALL.
We are told two things about their visit: they worshipped, and they brought gifts - gifts from a Gentile world. Alfred Edersheim says, “In this sense, then, the Magi may truly be regarded as representatives of the Gentile World; their homage as the first and typical acknowledgement of Christ by those who hitherto had been ‘far off’, and their offerings as symbolic of the world’s tribute.”
God would not allow these Magi to be instruments of the evil King Herod, and it would certainly not be that the baby Jesus would be killed at this time by this King. So, God warned these men in a dream that they should not return to Herod. They were persuaded to return “another way,” not through Jerusalem or the way they had come. Quite possibly they went due east – and across the Jordan immediately.
It is at this point of the events that my mind has wondered over the last weeks. Where do those who have “celebrated” the birth of a King return to after the celebration is over? My guess is these Magi were not living when the spiritual blessings that came not through our Lord’s birth - but through His ministry, His message, His death, and His resurrection were offered to the entire world. I wonder if they ever truly contemplated what this birth could mean for them – did they honor Him and worship Him only to return home to live a wayward life? I wonder if those in our world – who remember the night our Lord, our King, our Redeemer, our Savior was born – pay a shallow acknowledgement of a “baby” and return to life without a thought of Him. I wonder if I am guilty of fleeting thoughts of His greatness only to return to my selfish desires, foregoing a real commitment to His words and His expectations of me. We are not commanded to celebrate our Lord’s birth, but we are commanded to remember His gospel message everyday – never to return to our old world. We are asked to do the only reasonable thing – to be living sacrifices every day. We are told to honor and worship Him each first day of the week with His other saints and children, we are told to remember His death each week until He comes again, we are asked to think only on the things that are good and holy each and every day of our lives. We must not be led by a star to find only a baby. We must be led to the good tidings and joy of what came out of Bethlehem so many years ago – the peace and joy offered to all people in all lands for all generations. The Magi bowed to a toddler, but they were not exposed to a Teacher with powerful words, or a Healer of all illnesses and weaknesses, or One who fed multitudes and walked on water. Perhaps we see the wisdom of God – who has not asked us to celebrate our Savior’s birth but rather to remember His death, to know His obedience in a plan, and to worship with our congregations and alone each day.
