We Three Kings

— By Lisa Greey

We all know the song –

“We three kings of Orient are,

Bearing gifts we traverse afar,

Field and fountain, moor and mountain

 Following yonder star.” 

Perhaps you happen to know the silly version as well, which I distinctly remember learning as a young school kid – “We three kings of Orient are, 
Tried to smoke a rubber cigar” … Need I go on!  In either case, this is a story we are familiar with from scripture and song!

The wise men follow the star.  They left family and friends.  They left wealth and leisure.  I doubt everyone was supportive of this trip to follow a star.  We don’t know exactly how long their journey was, but it couldn’t have been an easy one when the only mode of transportation was a camel or donkey.  Yet despite all this, they choose to follow the star.  Why?  Because the star’s appearance meant a new king was born, “the king of the Jews.”  These other kings, from other countries came to give “homage” to a “newborn king,” a little baby.  Not only do they visit him, but also they offer “treasures” of “gold, frankincense and myrrh”!  This is pretty amazing if you stop and think about it.  Imagine you are the quarterback for your high school football team.  When you meet other quarterback from the other school’s football team, do you show him respect?  Do you offer him a gift?  Most likely, you comment about how your football team is better, or you ignore him.   Competition often sparks when we meet other people who do the same thing as us, whether it is in sports, academics or another area of life.  Yet this is not the case with the wise men.  They recognize that Jesus is the King of Kings, that he is great and deserving of their finest gifts.

Someone else does not have this response!  King Herod is threatened when he hears about this “newborn king.” While the wise men take a long journey to visit Jesus, King Herod wants a short way out of this competition.  While the wise men are humble and adore the new king, Herod is jealous and afraid.  While the wise men are willing to embrace a sense of mystery in the unknown, Herod embraces a power struggle that leads him to order the murder of innocent children.  Such drastically different responses to the same situation!  This is a good moment to ponder – what is my response to Jesus, King of Kings? Do I adore and glorify him? Do I lay my finest gifts at his feet?  Do I ignore him?  Do I fear him?  When you compare the response of the wise men and King Herod, it is easy to see which response is correct!  May we allow Jesus to reign as King of our lives on this Feast of the Epiphany.