The Magis' Message

"When they saw the star,

they were overjoyed."

Matthew 2:10

The Epiphany story is one of my favorites. I can imagine an entourage of three or more magi traveling 12 days following a star and arriving at Bethlehem. I can marvel at that since I make wrong turns following OnStar.

I can appreciate Mary's 12 days of rest and recovery after giving birth to Jesus. After all, it wasn't easy in her 9th month of pregnancy to walk 90 miles to Bethlehem. (Yes, walked. The Bible doesn't say anything about riding a donkey.)

I can marvel at the mystery of Jesus' baby gifts looking to the future: Gold symbolizing a king; frankincense symbolizing divinity; myrrh symbolizing suffering and death.

I can wonder at the surprise awaiting the magi after worshiping Jesus and presenting the gifts. An angel tells the magi to return home by a different way (hodos). Hodos, a metaphor in Greek for human behavior, meaning follow the “narrow way” and “the way of righteousness” —a Godly lifestyle.

I can hear God calling us to join the magi following a new direction in our "way of righteousness". In this new direction of "the way of righteousness", God will shine light joy in our sadness, strength in times of weakness, hope in despair's darkness, and faith amidst doubt.

I am convinced God is leading us in this direction through Jesus life which illuminates the way of righteousness though his teaching and example.

What impacts your imagination most about the magi story?

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