“The Magi: Mary’s Mysterious Visitors” by Rachael Flanagan, Fiat Ventures
Epiphany
“We Three Kings of Orient are…bearing gifts we traverse afar….Field and fountain, moor and mountain, following yonder star…” We can all sing along to this classic Christmas song, or at least hum through the words you don’t actually know. I like to imagine that the three kings actually sang this song as they traveled on camel from wherever they were from (Arabia or possibly Syria) as they went to honor the newborn King of the Jews in Bethlehem. Much like I sing songs about myself as I travel from place to place…
We all know the story of the three kings because we’ve all played with (and have broken limbs off of) the little figurines in our grandparents’ Nativity sets, or else have had legendary roles in our church’s Christmas pageants. Or perhaps we only think we know the story. Wait – was it three kings, or three wise men? Actually, Matthew Chapter 2 records that the mysterious visitors who came to Joseph and Mary shortly after she gave birth to Jesus were actually magi.
What are magi? Magi were essentially a type of Persian priests. They were astrologers who studied the stars and made predictions based off of their observations of stars and planets. Essentially, the magi were pagans who practiced magic. And this wasn’t Harry Potter magic; we’re talking sorcery here. But despite their background, these Magi recognized an intriguing truth in the signs from Heaven. A new king had been born – the king of the Jews. They went to pay him homage.
But what about the gold, frankincense, and myrrh? Well that was used in their spells and incantations. So what we really see here isn’t so much them bringing gifts to the newborn king, but rather laying down their lives and all that they had at his feet. Now did they go right back to practicing the dark arts after their visit?
Well after they encountered Jesus, the scriptures say they “departed for their country by another way.” Archbishop Fulton Sheet suggests that of course they departed for their country by another way; because no one can encounter the person of Jesus and go home the same way he came. When we encounter the person of Jesus, we are changed.
So this Epiphany while you’re looking at the Nativity scene and you see these mysterious visitors at the side of Jesus’ crib, think about what you need to lay down at his feet and how you can return home changed. Maybe there’s a friend group that’s not being a great influence on you and you need to make some changes there. You can leave that at the feet of Jesus. Maybe there’s something that’s weighing on you that you’re worried about, you can lay that there too. Whatever it is, lay it down, and you’ll be surprised at the way the Lord leads you home by another way.
