Not So Wise?
How wise were these wise men, anyway?
In the time of King Herod, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, asking, "Where is the child who has been born king of the Jews? For we observed his star at its rising, and have come to pay him homage." - Matthew 2:1
Matthew tells us that the wise men see a new star rise and they know what it means, that a child is born who will become king of the Jews.
So they follow this star, but they get as far as Jerusalem and then decide they need to go to Herod to ask him where the child is.
Herod, of course, doesn't know, but he tells them he wants to go as well. Instead of going with them, he tells them to return and let him know where he is.
Now here is the problem I have with the way Matthew tells this story.
They went to Herod to find out where the child was, and Herod doesn't know. So, when they leave Herod, they follow the star again. Couldn't they have done that without going to Herod?
Even though they were visiting from a foreign land and didn't know the way, and they must have still had the star in their site. Bethlehem is only about an hour's walk from Jerusalem.
So maybe they weren't so wise after all.
But it does make for good storytelling to fill us with intrigue over Herod's intent. We know now that he wants Jesus dead, and he too was foolish, failing to have the men followed when they left.
The fact that they returned by another route is proof they could have bypassed Jerusalem. So out of respect to the leader of this land, they felt they had to let Herod know their plans. And as a result, we learn Herod's plans.
Matthew is clever in the way he tells this story. He wants us to be engaged, and when we hear Herod is after the baby Jesus, we immediately become involved.
So, our celebration of the arrival of the three wise men today is a reminder that we are committed to care for this child who was sent to care for us.
It is a stake in the ground, and we have become brothers and sisters in the fight against tyranny and oppression, all exemplified by Herod.
The Gospels are stories woven with intent, and that's not a bad thing. They are designed to engage and involve us in the mission and ministry of Christ, to continue the fight for truth, as lamps in the darkness.
If we listen to them and do nothing, we are like Herod, waiting for the wise men to return.
That is not our calling. We must go by another route, and tell the story the way we know best.
The Spirit will guide us.
More to come...