Matthew 2:1-2
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.”
The moment we enter the second chapter of Matthew, we have left the Christmas story proper. But because the tradition of the “wise men” or “magi” is so strongly connected with the Christmas story – in terms of both the actual narrative and even more Church tradition and our imaginations – we’ll include it as part of our Advent devotions and preparation for Christmas.
Truth be told, we know very little about these wanderers, as Matthew gives us only a few details that have been embellished significantly in Christian tradition. Matthew calls them magi, a term in Greek that derives from Old Persian and often referred to Zoroastrian priests. Matthew says they came from the East, which would fit with this reading. And we know they followed a star. As Zoroastrians were famed for their knowledge of astrology, that would again make sense.
We also know that they came after Jesus’ birth, and likely quite a bit after, as Matthew refers to Jesus as a child (and Herod searches out and kills all children under two). Matthew also tells us that his family resides in Bethlehem (indeed, according to Matthew, they have always lived here as he mentions no census or need to travel there at Jesus’ birth). Finally, we know that the magi visited Jesus and his mother in their home and gave them extravagant gifts in order to worship him.
Other than these details, we know very little. For instance, we do not know how many magi came. We assume three because there were three gifts, but it could have been more. Nor do we know their names, though tradition has called them Melchior, Caspar, and Balthazar. We do not know when they left, though it seems that their visit was short, nor do we know what road they took back or what happened to them afterward.
The one thing we do know, however, is that these are the first people in Matthew’s story to worship Jesus. Which is interesting, as these wandering astrologers were most likely from another religion altogether. Matthew does not tell us that they converted or returned to follow Jesus, only that they came to pay him homage. And that, I believe, is by design. Matthew will stress again and again that Jesus is the Jewish Messiah, come like another Moses to save Israel from oppression. And while this claim will be debated and challenged by his own people, yet at the beginning and end of the story it will be persons from another land – here the magi, at the cross the Roman centurion – who recognize him, indeed, as the King of the Jews.
Prayer: Dear God, let us give thanks for those strangers and interlopers who see what we cannot and share their vision and gifts with us. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Post image: “The Magi,” Henry Siddons Mowbray, 1915.
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