Let’s make things a little more complicated. It would be too easy to say that this, this, and this are the answers then we could all go home. That would be pretty simple, right? Things are not what they seem in this scripture reading. For this we have to go back into the original language of the Gospel. The entire New Testament was written in Greek, not English or Hebrew. So there are some things that need to be clarified with regard to this story that seems to be so familiar.
Let’s start with the identity of these three people. Our translations today indicate that it was three wise men. The Greek language uses one word to describe these strangers; the word is “Magi”. I am sure that we have all heard that word before. Time and story has identified these three people as “wise men”, yet, they are only identified as “magi.” So what was a magi? How wise are these people that come from the East?
Well, I have got some good news and bad news. The good news is that they arrived on this day of Epiphany to see this child who was a King, who is God’s Son. The Good News is that they bring gifts that will help this family to escape the punishment that Herod is about to exact on the first born of this land that God gave to God’s chosen people. They have these gifts that will help them and bring them home and these gifts (especially Myrrh and Frankensence) that could be considered anointing oils, but that is a sermon for another time.
Now for the bad news. The stories that have trickled through time would have us believe that these visitors are kings. No one knows how that notion got started, but they are not Kings. They are not even nobility. We might think that because they visit King Herod to find out where this new King is; it could be they thought that this star was leading them to a child of the King’s…who knows. But these are not noble people, or of the elite, or wealthy. In fact they are magi. Magi is where the word “Magician” comes from. To be more specific, our modern day culture equates these visitors as more like stargazers or astrologers…you know…the people who read horoscopes and tell you what your future might be.
There you have it. As the Mythbuster’s might say that this story is busted. Can you believe after all this time and the story getting passed down for so long, that when we go to scripture to break this story down, there it is; we have placed such importance on this part of the story that it is all blown apart by the Greek. I am sure that there is a feeling of dejection in hearing this story in a different way. I know that when I learned this, I felt shocked, dejected, and a little angry. I felt like, “how could we get this SO wrong, and what do we do about this?”
Well, I don’t think that there is anything that I personally could do about this. I could write my own version of the bible making this change but that won’t accomplish much. I could sit and go around preaching on the corner how incorrect this is, write news articles, try to go on television, stand here and preach my whole ministry about how wrong we got it… and I am sure that you would all sit here intently, taking a few breaks to listen to me drone on and on about this one topic. That would be fun, wouldn’t it?
There is one more thing that I could do. I and we could look at this, not as bad news, that this story has gone so wrong, BUT look at this story from a “big picture” perspective. Think about it, yes, these people were astrologers, but who is in power? Herod is in power, yet these three magi were distracted from their stargazing by this one star in particular. They found something in this star that indicated something big is happening, something so important that they need to get up and begin following this star. This star was leading them in a new direction, towards a place. It would lead them to a place where darkness will not be predominant BUT light will overcome all darkness.
This big picture moves these three to a place an understanding that they play an important role in the birth of Jesus Christ. They play an important role in helping this family have the funds to flea what is about to happen. They play an important role in recognizing that God’s Son, Jesus, Immanuel – God with us – is now in the world. They are important in showing that with Jesus in the world, their lives and our lives will never be the same again. This is only part of the big picture that they help reveal to us.
The other part of the big picture is the realization that they did not just pick a star. God revealed to these visitors that something big is going on and God used a star to get their attention – the star is their main resource for doing their job. God called these people who are nothing more than astrologers to go and see what God has done. We have heard this part of the story before because God uses a stable to house God’s Son, calls on a virgin to carry this light of the world, a carpenter to ensure the honor of mother and child (and to protect this child), calls on shepherds (a dirty job) to go into Bethlehem and see this child.
God is using all these people that are considered marginal in respectability to be witnesses to God’s Son, Jesus coming into the world. If God is going to use these people who society, at the time, did not see as respectable, what is God going to do next? IS God going to come to people who may not be in a relationship with God to do God’s work? IS God going to love people who might be considered unclean in the world to reveal God’s love and grace? Is God going to use people who fall short of God’s glory? Is God going to use people in a moderately small town near the Maryland/Pennsylvania line to reach out to those who are in need, who might need food, clothing, or shelter? I do believe the answer to these questions is, of course, a resounding yes!
Just as God calls all these unlikely people together to witness God with us, we too are unlikely people called to be witnesses. Despite our shortfalls, mistakes, bad decisions God calls us to witness to the light of the world in this tiny child. Despite Epiphany being this coming Tuesday, we are gathered and called to come and see that now the light is in the world, the darkness will not overcome God’s light through God’s Son, Jesus the Christ. We are called to go tell it on the mountain and everywhere! We are called to sing to the highest heaven, Glory to God in the highest; and in a few moments we will sing Star of Wonder, Star of night! We will sing of this wonderful journey that these three “wise men” made wise by God leading them to this stable to see what God has done and we WILL REJOICE AND BE GLAD IN IT!
So, I don’t know about you, but I do think this story is all about Good News. I acknowledge the Greek term Magi and embrace it because it means that if they are called to be a witness, then so are we and that is definitely good company to be in: AMEN!
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