In the stories about Jesus’ birth that we celebrate at Christmas, we hear about some interesting visitors who come to honor him. Luke's Gospel tells of the shepherds who hear of the Christ’s birth from the angels. The shepherds immediately go to the stable in Bethlehem to honor him. Matthew is the only Gospel that contains the story of the Magi, wise men who come from a faraway land in the East. They enter the house, prostrating themselves when they see Mary and her baby, honoring Jesus as the King of the Jews.
These stories are told to help explain Jesus’ mission here on earth as the son of God. The shepherds represent the common working people. They were not educated and not powerful. They lived on the margins of society in ancient Israel, spending most of their time watching their flocks of sheep in the countryside. Jesus brings the shepherds his proclamation of God’s kingdom. He brings them a closeness to God in the midst of their hard working lives.
The Magi are very different from the shepherds. They are wise men from the East who have some knowledge of astronomy, as they search the heavens and the sky, looking for the truth. They find Jesus to be the true source of wisdom, the King of Kings who will bring peace to the world, a peace that only can come through God.
The high priests and the scribes unite with Herod against Jesus in their jealousy. When Jesus starts his ministry as an adult, the scribes and high priests oppose Jesus for the way her interprets God’s law. They want to the preserve the status quo and their power and authority. But Jesus did not come to earth as a military leader to seize Herod’s power. He did not come to change the content of God’s law. He came to earth to bring us salvation and the truth of God’s kingdom. He called his disciples to have the open heart of a child, to bring God’s love and mercy to othersr.
In seminary, in my class on the Gospels, I wrote my major paper on the Epiphany from Matthew’s Gospel because I so love the story of the Magi. At the end of my presentation to the class on my paper, my wonderful professor, Sister Bea Dorsey, asked me if I believed the story of the Magi to be a historical truth, or just an allegory told to tell the story of Jesus’ birth. It is interesting; the famous Cathedral in Cologne, Germany claims to have the remains of the three Magi, housing them in an amazing gilded shrine. I told her that I have loved the story of the Magi since my childhood, ever since as a 5th grader, I dressed up as one of the Magi for the Christmas pageant at West Ridge United Methodist Church in Chicago, where my family was members at the time. So I told her that in my heart, I believe in the Magi and I believe in the truth that their story represents. I told her that the more important question regards what the message that this story tells us. The story of the Magi shows us that Jesus came for all the nations and all the people, not just a limited group. It tells us that Jesus is a humble king, that he shows his power not with force, but with love and gentleness. It also show us the fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy, of the precious gifts of gold and frankincense to the chosen one of God. May we see the truth of Jesus in the story of the Magi and in all our special liturgical celebrations during the Christmas season.
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