On the Way

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.” – Matthew 2

“Are we there yet?”

Melchior sighed.

“No Caspar, as I’ve already told you three times, we are not there yet.”

“But I’m hungry!” Caspar whined.

“I have to go to the bathroom,” Balthazar chimed in.

“And we ate all our snacks,” they said in unison.

“Listen,” Melchior said as he turned in his saddle to face his companions, “we have a long way to go and we don’t have time to make a lot of stops.  I told you that this journey could take years and you said that was okay.  ‘No problem.  We’re up for it,’ you said.  It hasn’t even been two hours and you’re already complaining.  Maybe I should turn around and take you both back home!”

Melchior gave his camel a flick with his whip to put a little distance between him and his friends’ complaints. He shook his head.  Wise men my eye, he thought to himself.  He glanced up at the sky and located their guiding star.  At least we’re still on course.

“No, no we really want to be here,” they cried as they hurried their camels along.  “It’s just that…we’re a little scared,” Caspar continued.  “What will we find at the end of our journey?”

Okay, that’s probably not the way it happened.  But, who’s to say?  The Magi, or Wise Men, are some of the most mysterious figures in the Christmas story.  No one knows who they really were; the names Melchior, Caspar and Balthazar come from tradition, not scripture.  We don’t even know how many of them there were.

We do know a few of things.  We know that they weren’t at the stable the night Jesus was born.  Matthew tells us that they arrived in Jerusalem after Jesus was born. And when they do find the Holy Family, Matthew tells us that they are living in a house.

Another thing we know is that they left their homeland and their security behind to search for a newborn king.  This journey took them to a foreign land and a meeting with the hostile and dangerous King Herod.  There were no guarantees that they would ever return home.

Now, there are a number of scholars who don’t believe the Magi existed.  They argue that the Magi were a later addition to the Christmas story.  This argument misses the point.  Whether they were real or not, their story is a wonderful metaphor for our own faith journeys.

They followed a star.  That star didn’t show up by accident.  God placed it there.  So many people want to make faith (or belief) a work that we do.  But, when it comes to faith, God always acts first; God invites and we respond.  Even better, God gives us the ability to respond.

They left for their own country.  It’s an American trait to make a competition out of everything.  It happens even among Christians, who like to measure the amount and quality of other believers’ faith.  He has too little; she has an abundance.  That group believes, but believes wrongly.  Etc., etc. It’s easy to become discouraged and fearful that we don’t have enough faith.  But, Jesus said, all you need is faith the size of a mustard seed.  Paul boasted in his weakness.

The Magi throw a monkey wrench into this kind of competitive thinking.  What happened to them after seeing Jesus?  They went back home.  Probably to Persia.  The Greek word Magoi used for the Wise Men in Matthew’s gospel refers to members of a class of Zoroastrian priests.  These priests were astrologers who watched the movements of the stars very closely.  Do you suppose they left their religion after their encounter with Jesus?  It’s doubtful, although there are several traditions that they became Christians and were martyred for their faith (their relics supposedly reside in Cologne Cathedral in Germany). Whatever the case may be, the important thing is that they were open enough to the promptings of the Spirit to follow a strange star to a strange land.

God invites each one of us to be open to our own journey of faith. Each one of our journeys will take a different path.  That’s why we can’t compare faith.  While the route may be different for each of us, the duration of the journey is the same:  lifelong.  Like the Magi, it’s helpful to have companions for such a long journey, spiritual friends who can lift us up when we fall and whose presence lightens our sorrows and increases our joys.

This Wednesday is the Feast of Epiphany, a time to celebrate the Wise Men and the gift of Christ to the whole world, regardless of race or culture.  As we join their celebration think about your own spiritual journey.  The star god placed in the sky 2,000 years ago wasn’t just for the Magi; it was placed there for you to follow as well.  Are we there yet?  No, but we’re on the way.

Have a blessed Epiphany season.