Nations
will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn.
- Isaiah 60:3
Just as
Jesus had been revealed to the Jews by way of the shepherds at his crib, so
too, he was revealed to the Gentiles by means of the infamous “Three Kings” or
“Wise Men”. As early as 361 A.D., Christians fixed the date of January 6 to be
the feast day of the Epiphany, commemorating the Visitation of the Magi
(Persian wise men or astrologers) to adore the Infant Jesus. This encounter was
to be the revelation of Christ to all nations, as they represented the
non-Jewish people of the world.
VISITORS
FROM THE EAST
According
to the Gospel of St. Matthew the Wise Men of the East came to Bethlehem to pay
homage to the newborn King of the Jews. Since three gifts were given to the
baby Jesus from the Magi, it has always been assumed that there were three Wise
Men sometimes called the “Three Kings of the East”. The Bible does not give us
their names, but tradition as early as the 6th century gives us
their names: Gaspar (sometimes Caspar or Jaspar), Melchior and Balthasar.
As for where
they traveled from, we are only told that they “came from the East”, but
traditionally they were held to be from Persia, as their earliest depictions in
art show them in Persian costume.
Now when
Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, in the days of King Herod, behold, Magi
came from the East to Jerusalem... - St.
Matthew 2:1
A
CONTROVERSIAL SIGN
The Magi were
following a sign in the sky – a bright and unusual star – which guided them to
Bethlehem. This star, and the Wise Men who followed it, have been the topic of
debate for some people, as there are some who claim that this star was the work
of the Devil, most notably the religious group “Jehovah’s Witnesses”. Their
reasoning behind this claim is that since these Wise Men, also known as Magi,
were astrologers, they were to be condemned rather than celebrated. They see
the arrival of the Wise Men from the East, who were thought to be astrologers,
as something diabolical since the Bible condemns sorcery and astrology in such
books as Deuteronomy 18:10-11 and Isaiah 47:13-14.
Also, the
fact that the star followed by the Magi led them directly to the evil King
Herod does not help their case. Because the Wise Men spoke to King Herod
regarding the birth of Jesus (the prophesied King of the Jews); he later sought
to kill the child. Had the Wise Men not seen the star and followed it, King
Herod would not have been alerted about the birth of this “King of the Jews”
whom he saw to be a threat to his power.
Afterwards,
Herod would deploy his soldiers into the town of Bethlehem to destroy all the
male children under the age of two, in the hopes that one of them would be the
newborn king. Though this would be a heartbreaking event in history, these
slain Innocents would become the first martyrs who shed their blood for Christ. In the
end, the Jehovah’s Witnesses believe that this star and the Wise Men were part
of the Devil’s ploy to do away with the Son of God.
REDEEMED
ASTROLOGERS
We can
read in the Bible that the Wise Men were meaning to find Jesus not to cause him
harm, but rather to “come to worship him” (St. Matthew 2:2). Though the star
was discovered and followed by these Magi, who practised astrology, it was
meant to be a sign of hope to the foreign people, the Gentiles, as well as to
those most in need of redemption, the sinners. St. John Chrysostom (347-407)
believed that the star was a means by God to purposely attract the Gentiles of
the East. Also, according to St. Augustine of Hippo (354-430), Christ chose to
make himself known to pious and simple shepherd Jews as well as the Wise Men of
Persia.
“God calls them by means of the things they are most
familiar with; and He shows them a large and extraordinary star so that they
would be impressed by its size and beauty." - St. John Chrysostom, Homily on Gospel
of St. Matthew
“The shepherds were
Israelites, the Magi
were Gentiles.
The former were nigh to Him, the latter far from Him. Both hastened to Him
together as to the cornerstone. ...As unskillfulness
predominates in the rustic manners of the shepherds, so ungodliness abounds in
the profane rites of the Magi. Yet did this Corner-Stone draw both to Itself;
inasmuch as He came ‘to choose the foolish things that He might confound the
wise’, and ‘not to call the just, but sinners,’”- St. Augustine of Hippo, Sermon
on the Epiphany
The Bible
even tells us that when they found where Jesus was, they “rejoiced exceedingly”
and “falling down, they worshiped him.” (St. Matthew 2:11). The Magi are described
as falling down and this is important to note that, in the Roman and Jewish
traditions, kneeling or prostration was seen as undignified. To this day,
people of the Jewish faith do not kneel when they pray, but rather they stand. This
was the complete opposite for the Persians; to them this was a sign of the
greatest respect and reverence, used when venerating a recognized King. To this
day kneeling is an important element of Christian worship particularly within
the Catholic Church where genuflecting is also a part of worship.
Eastern
tradition holds that after they adored the Infant Jesus and presented their
gifts, the Virgin Mary gave them, as a token of friendship, some of Our Lord’s
garments to bring back with them to the East. The Magi returned to Persia and
in the year 40 A.D., they were baptized by St. Thomas the Apostle. Later on,
dying for their faith in Jesus Christ, Gaspar, Melchior and Balthasar were
celebrated as martyrs and saints. In renaissance art they are often depicted
with halos.
ST. JOSEPH’S COURT
We wonder, what was
the purpose of the Magi meeting in Herod’s palace before finding the Holy
Family? St. John Chrysostom (347-407) gives us the significance of this
meeting:
“The star had been
hidden from them so that, on finding themselves without their guide, they would
have no alternative but to consult the Jews [in King Herod’s court]. In this
way the birth of Jesus would be made known to all.” - St. John Chrysostom, Homily on
the Gospel of St. Matthew
After leaving the
extravagant court of King Herod, the three Wise Men found themselves in the
humble court of St. Joseph. He would have felt especially honoured to receive
these esteemed men as guests and would have respectfully invited them in to
adore the Infant Jesus. These men would have been used to the finer things in
life, but would gladly set aside their pomp for the simple surroundings they
now found themselves in. After adoring
the Holy Child, we are told by Blessed Anne Catherine Emmerich that St. Joseph
sought to be a kind host and entertain his guests with a meal and some good
conversation, putting everyone at ease:
“Meanwhile Joseph...
had set out a light meal in the kings’ tent... I saw Joseph receiving them with
great friendliness and begging them to be his guests and accept this modest
meal. He reclined among them round the low table as they ate. He was not at all
shy, and was so happy...” - Bl. Anne
Catherine Emmerich, The Life of the
Blessed Virgin Mary, Part 13, Chapter 22
At this gathering
there were no rich or poor, royal or lowly, but rather they were all men of
equal integrity. Though the Wise Men had come to see the new born King of the
Jews expecting to be led to a palace, they knew that upon entering they were in
fact in a royal court, however meek but dignified. The throne Christ sat upon
was not of gold or set with diamonds, but rather was the lap of the Blessed
Virgin – the jewel of God’s creation. The Divine Infant King was not clothed in
robes of fine silks, but rather in simple swaddling clothes, bestowed upon him
by his mother. St. Joseph, though not
outwardly of royal nobility, was the Prince of this little kingdom on earth and
was the most gracious and noble of those men present. (The phrase "not outwardly
of royal nobility" meaning that the throne was suppressed from his
family, therefore his was a hidden royalty. More on the nobility of St
Joseph HERE)
When God
the Father decided to give His Son to the world, He wanted to do so with
honour, since He is worthy of all honour and glory. He thus prepared Him a
court and royal service worthy of Him: God desired that His Son should have an
honourable and glorious reception on earth, if not in the eyes of the world, at
least in His own eyes.... The court of the Son of God made Man was composed of
Mary and Joseph: God Himself could not have found more worthy servants for His
Son. - St. Peter Julian Eymard, Premier et le plus Parfait des Adorateurs
