Reflection for Epiphany
The story of the Wise Men is one we know well.
It is widely held that the Magi had their origins in one of the Median tribes of the Ancient Persian Empire.
They were a priestly race who became skilled in the art of philosophy and the sciences of medicine and astrology so maybe we should not be too surprised that they knew about the promise of a Jewish Messiah.
It does however seem extraordinary that they should set out on such a long and arduous journey to look for a king just because of some astrological anomaly.
The story tells us that these Magi found their way to Bethlehem led by a star in the sky.
Of course, there’s great poetry in this wonderful story and we should not try to turn this into lifeless prose by attempting to identify an exact star or planetary alignment they may have followed but rather we should take note that the Magi traveled many miles to pay homage to the new king.
Far too often we expect God to come looking for us to explain once and for all for us the meaning of life, the universe and everything else. The Magi show us that those who are truly wise will seek and worship Jesus, not for what they can get but for who he is.
We like them, must be prepared to make a journey of faith if we wish to encounter God in our world.
So, what does the story of the Magi and their gifts tell us. These gifts which we would find very strange to take to a newborn now. I expect we would be taking baby grows and gift vouchers not Gold, Frankincense and Myrrh as presents today.
They gave the infant Jesus things that were very precious to them, gifts that were prized above all others. We can share the gift of love we have been given, a gift we are called to share with others.
Let’s try our hardest to ensure that the message of Christmas lives on in our daily lives and in the lives of others so that the gift of Christmas is not just shared on the 25th December or the 4th January but every day of the year.
From a reflection given on Sunday 4th January in Inverleith St Serf’s by Helen Hannan.
