How many wise men visited the Christ child? How old was Jesus when the Magi visited? Can the answers be found in Matthew? Do any of the other gospels mention the Magi?
Matthew 2: 1-12 — 1 Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, saying, 2 “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.” 3 When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him; 4 and assembling all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. 5 They told him, “In Bethlehem of Judea; for so it is written by the prophet: 6 ‘And you, O Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for from you shall come a ruler who will govern my people Israel.'” 7 Then Herod summoned the wise men secretly and ascertained from them what time the star appeared; 8 and he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, “Go and search diligently for the child, and when you have found him bring me word, that I too may come and worship him.” 9 When they had heard the king they went their way; and lo, the star which they had seen in the East went before them, till it came to rest over the place where the child was. 10 When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy; 11 and going into the house they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh. 12 And being warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed to their own country by another way.
Matthew 2: 16 — Then Herod, when he saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, was in a furious rage, and he sent and killed all the male children in Bethlehem and in all that region who were two years old or under, according to the time which he had ascertained from the wise men.
Matthew is the only gospel to mention the visit of the Magi to Jesus and his parents. By reading the gospel, is it possible to determine how many wise men there were? Or, how old Jesus was? Oh, the traditions Christians have formed as we celebrate the Christmas season. Three wise men? Are you sure? Did they visit the baby Jesus? Or, toddler? Read carefully, and study the gospel with a critical eye.
Who were the Magi? Wise men? Magi is the plural form of magus. They would have been members of a priestly caste from ancient Persia, which was east of the kingdoms of Judea and Israel. Were they wise or were they practitioners of astrology or sorcerery? There was a star the Magi followed in search of the newborn King of the Jews. But, what was that star? Could it have been a comet? Could it have been a rare alignment of the planets? That question has been debated for centuries.
Most creche scenes at Christmas include three wise men who, in later tradition, were named Melchior, a Persian scholar, Caspar, an Indian scholar, and Balthazar, an Arabian scholar. But, why three wise men? Were they named in the Gospel of Mark? No. Does the Gospel say there were three wise men? No. The Gospel does tell us that three gifts, gold, frankincense, and myrrh, were presented to the infant Jesus, thus the tradition of three Magi.
But, was Jesus an infant or a toddler? A clue is that King Herod ordered all the male children under the age of two years to be killed. It is possible the Magi paid their visit up to two years after Jesus was born. The ancients did not have access to instantaneous internet as we do in the 21st Century, and it could have taken months, possibly years, for news to travel across the region.
Christians celebrate the visit of the Magi with Epiphany, traditionally celebrated 12 days after Christmas on January 6, which is the last day of the Christmas season. It is the day to celebrate the light of Christ being spread throughout the world. Epiphany is a time to share the love of Jesus, to “love our neighbors as we love ourselves.”
Spreading the love of Christ has always been important to my family. My parents began a tradition, while we were still children, of serving those who are less fortunate than ourselves — not only on the day of Epiphany, but several times throughout the year. We were taught to evangelize by our actions, not necessarily our words. The blessings I have received from serving the poor, the hungry, the homeless, are innumerable. I have had opportunities to meet some of the most amazing people, people who seem to have lost their way, people who need to feel that they are loved and appreciated.
As we begin a new year, when so many of us make New Year’s resolutions that are more often than not forgotten within a few weeks, I challenge anyone who is reading this to make a commitment to work, one day a month, serving others who are in need. A homeless shelter. A soup kitchen. Shriner’s Hospital. The Good Will or Salvation Army. A resource center for pregnant teens. Caring for an HIV patient. I challenge you to move out of your comfort zone and meet people who will bless your life in ways you cannot imagine.
And, since there have been over 500 views of this blog, I know people are reading it who I do not know. I would like you to add a comment sharing where you volunteer your time to serve others.
Blessings . . . .
MUSINGS 