A Modern Meditation On The Story Of The Magi
One of my least favorite Christmas hymns is “We Three Kings.” Its downbeat melody seems more suited to a funeral than a holiday celebration. The gospel of Matthew — the only one where the story appears — doesn’t even mention that there were three. We will once again hear the story this Sunday in most churches though, in many ways, it is a preposterous tale.
Why would kings (or else wise men, magicians or astrologers, as they also are described) set out on a journey by following a single star? Wouldn’t they have encountered cloudy nights when the star was obscured? What then? Wouldn’t kings be more likely to send emissaries on such a journey? And why were these foreign royals so interested in the birth of a potential Jewish king?
The story of the Magi is also known as the Epiphany, marking the “epiphany” or revelation they experienced when they finally encountered Jesus. Reading Matthew’s gospel anew this year, I received a few epiphanies of my own. I saw in it for the first time several interesting insights for embarking on a new year.
What star are you following?
Every one of us is following some ‘star’ that represents a dream we have for personal fulfillment. When I was younger, the only star I cared about chasing was professional achievements. Thankfully, I’ve matured. The star I now seek is one that will lead me to helping others see their full worth and potential, either through the books I write or retreats I guide.
What is your guiding star? What do you want that star to be as the new year unfolds?
The Magi didn’t find what they were expecting
Imagine how surprised the Magi must have felt when they finally arrived in Bethlehem only to find a helpless infant lying in a stable for farm animals, along with a young mother and her carpenter husband, surrounded by shepherds — some of the lowest folks on the social scale. Perhaps the kings at that point questioned the wisdom of setting out on such a journey.
Sometimes when I look back on my life, I wonder what would have happened had I made different decisions at certain points. When I moved from print journalism to broadcast news, I wondered why I hadn’t made the move sooner. Did I stay longer than I should have at some jobs in which I was unhappy or in some relationships that weren’t healthy?
As I grow older, I see that nothing is ever wasted. One experience builds on another like the layers of soil needed to bring about healthy-growing plants. Each job, each relationship prepared me in some way for the next one, even if each experience didn’t bring what I had expected or hoped for.
The Magi ultimately discern that something greater is occurring in the scene before them than they imagined setting out. You might say they saw “the real behind the real,” to borrow a phrase from St. Bernard of Clairvaux.
In this new year, can we cultivate an inner sense that sees the deeper meaning, the hidden gifts, the real behind the real, in the events that unfold?
The Magi brought gifts
Matthew’s gospel relates how the travelers offer the Christ child gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. I remember as a child wondering, what in the world are frankincense and myrrh? Yet, they make perfect sense. Gold is associated with kingship, frankincense and myrrh were often used in ancient religious rituals — frankincense as incense and myrrh as an anointing oil. They symbolize Jesus’ reign over creation; his priestly work on earth, and his ultimate suffering on the cross.
In offering their gifts, the Magi are practicing hospitality. They don’t visit the Christ-child as empty-handed guests. More importantly, though, their gesture reminds us to share our personal treasures — our time, our resources, and our talents.
As another year begins, how might we share our personal gifts in a more meaningful way?
There will always be Herods
A key character in the story is Herod, a conventional king who fears that the prophesized Christ child will jeopardize his earthly reign. Inevitably, we will encounter people who feel threatened by our ideas, talent, and energy (God knows I worked over the years for a variety of news directors and editors who feared any threat to their authority or control!). Press your ideas, exercise your talent and energy anyway. Herod is the ultimate loser in this story. If people don’t recognize your abilities, it is their loss. Something I’ve learned is that there is always a second act. There is always a place waiting where you can give more fully of yourself and thrive.
The Magi returned by a different path
The Magi were warned in a dream not to return to the murderous Herod with information about the Christ child. Matthew tells us, “they left for their own country by another path.” Few of us receive such clear messages. Usually, though, there are persistent inner stirrings or soft interior voices pointing us on the way.
When I decided to leave fulltime journalism to focus on writing books and guiding retreats, it was like leaving the safe way station of a long career. I felt as though I was stepping into space without a tether. Five years later, I can honestly say I have never looked back. I have rarely been so happy in my work.
Sometimes in order to return to ourselves, we have to go “by another path.”
May 2023 be filled with new opportunities and epiphanies for us all. May we all find our way home, even if it means returning by another path.
