The Wisdom of the Wise Men

In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

After Jesus had been born in Bethlehem of Judah, in the days of Herod the King, look at that – Magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem. They wanted to know where to find the one born King of the Jews, because they had seen the rising of a star, or some other astrological phenomenon, and they wanted to fall down before this child, who was no longer a babe in arms, but a toddler.

At this question, Herod the Great – perhaps better called Herod the Terrible – was greatly troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. They were not troubled in sympathy with their great leader; they were shaking in their boots because when Herod was troubled, bloodshed happened.

Herod gathered together the smart people, the theologians of Judah, and asked them, “Where is the Christ to be born?”, and they told him, according to the words of Micah the prophet, that the Ruler to shepherd Israel would come out of Bethlehem in the land of Judah. The greatest would come out of the least. And Herod laid plans to discover this new usurper, with the Magi's unwitting help.

On their way the Magi went, following the star again, until it led them to the house where the Holy Family resided. There, they fell down in reverence, though probably not exactly worship, before the Christ Child, and they opened their treasures and gave gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Then they listened to God instead of Herod and snuck out of the country by the back roads.

So why is this such a big deal? Guys from Persia come and give expensive commodities to Jesus, then sneak home to avoid a confrontation with a looney-tunes king. And yet the Church celebrates this day as a first-class feast.

The Church, in millennia of collective wisdom, has seen fit to celebrate this day as the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ to the whole world. This occasion is the first sign that the salvation of the world is not only for the Jews, but for all people, even for pagan astrologers from the east. This is the breaking forth of what Simeon sang – the Light to lighten the Gentiles and the glory of His people Israel.

There is a popular notion that the Magi were kings, or at least wise men. It is common to imagine them as learned scholars of the Oriental kingdoms, who advised the kings on matters of deep importance. However, the Magi were not necessarily that brilliant. The prophets of the Old testament speak rather pejoratively about the supposed wise men, lumping them in the same detestable boat with wizards, sorcerers, and conjurers. The word “magos”, the singular of Magi, has the same root as magic. Literally, these men were magicians. They stared at the stars and conjured up notions of what they thought the deities who inhabited them were doing.

These so-called wise men saw something in the eastern sky that made them sit up and take notice. Whether this was a natural star or a supernatural phenomenon has been debated for ages, and there is no answer available to human reason. Nor do we know why they decided that it required a trip to Judea to find whatever the phenomenon indicated. It has been suggested that perhaps they had some clue left to them by the prophet Daniel, or that God simply revealed Himself to them, dimly.

However they figured it out, the Magi followed the star to find the one born King of the Jews, but it brought them to Jerusalem, not Bethlehem. Somehow, their map was off. Or was it?

The Magi were brought to Jerusalem and not to Bethlehem because their knowledge, their worldly wisdom was lacking. They came to Jerusalem not because they needed to pay homage to Herod the Great, but because they needed to encounter the Word of God. They needed the preaching of the Word to point them to the Lord's Anointed. The astrological wonder got them partway, but they needed the real, concrete preaching of the Word in order to find what they were lacking.

This is true of all people, from all nations, both Jews and Greeks. And this is true for you also. You need the preaching of the Word in order to find what you lack. For the Magi, the preaching came from the unlikely source of the high priests and the scribes of the people. These sort kept charge of the Word of the Lord and preached it to the Magi, even though they themselves did not understand or believe it. The Magi believed it, and followed the prophet's directions, despite the troubling of Jerusalem.

Likewise, you need the preaching of the Word to guide you. You need to hear the Word of the Lord preached to you by a poor, miserable sinner, whose mouth has been touched with the cleansing coal of the Holy Spirit's power, and upon whose shoulders the yoke of the Holy Ministry has been placed. You may not like what he speaks to you. His words may not make sense or soothe your itching ears. His words may even make you feel angry, guilty, and despondent. But you need to hear these words. You need to hear the Law proclaimed to you, that you may find the way to the Christ, the Lord's anointed.

And what did the Magi do when they found the Christ Child? They fell down before Him, and they opened their treasures and gave Him rich gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Why these gifts? Of what value to a toddler are these things? None. But they are of value to the Mother of God, who will have store up all these things in her heart, who will bury her Son.

These gifts are a foreshadowing of the future of this blessed Child. Gold, the gift of kings, is given to pay for the burial needs of the King of the Jews. Frankincense, the fragrant offering of priests, is given to fragrance the burial and body of our Lord. Myrrh, the spice of the dead, is given in preparation for the burial of Christ in the tomb.

These gifts are given because this Holy Child will one day die. Mary and Joseph know that this is no ordinary child. The Magi know this is no ordinary child. Herod knows this is no ordinary child. Soon, the whole world will know that this is no ordinary child. He is the Son of God, who came not to be served but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.

This child, to whom the prophets point, is destined for the falling and rising of many in Israel. He will topple the religious establishment. He will be the rock of offense upon which many will stumble and fall. He is the Law, which will fall upon and crush those who will not listen. He is the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world. He will die, that you may not die but live. He will rise, that you may rise with Him. There is no greater destiny to which any man has been born on the earth. There is no greater love which can be shown.

The gifts of the Magi are impressive in their grandeur and expense, but what is more impressive is what they receive, what they take away from their visit to the Child King. They leave with hearts and eyes opened. They leave with the vision of the face of God in their hearts. They leave, having heard the Word of God, having seen the Word made flesh, having worshiped with their time, their tongues, and their treasures. So too do you also encounter this Light for revelation to the nations. He has opened your eyes and your heart, that you may receive the forgiveness of sins, life, and salvation in His Name. Worship the king, all glorious in His great humility. And return to your homes in peace.

In the Name of Jesus. Amen.