The hymn, “We Three Kings” is often sung over the Christmas season.
Albeit, that it is more about Epiphany, which is officially celebrated on Jan. 6, than
Christmas, it was written as a Christmas gift by John Henry Hopkins Jr in 1857.
We could blame this hymn for some of the mythology around the three kings but in
actual fact the thought that there were three and that they were kings was a long
established tradition by the time the hymn was written. Actually the celebration of
Epiphany is older than Christmas in terms of liturgical traditions. Originally
epiphany used to also include the story of the birth of Christ as a sidebar. The
term epiphany stems from the Greek epiphaneia which literally means “revelation
of God”. God revealed to these travellers the birth of a king. Popular culture and
centuries of myths and legends about these three kings have created images for
us that aren’t all that Biblical. But that is the mystery of all epiphanies, they are
mysterious, hard to explain, often very personal and over time sound more like
legends than reality.
Despite these popular myths this story is an important narrative in the function of the Gospel of Matthew and who Jesus is in all the Gospels. Understanding the language and where some of these myths come from is important. The Bible does not state how many wise men there were. It could have been three or thirty, but as early as an Alexandrian manuscript it was interpreted
that there were 3 and they even had names, Bithisarea, who later became Balthazaar, Melchior and Gaspar. In the medieval period theologians concluded that each magi represented three of the then known races of humanity as descended from the three sons of Noah. They became kings because their gifts were only afforded by the richest of men. The term magi is the Greek word for wise men but is also the root of words like magicians and magic. We often interpret the magi to be astronomers, due to the fact that they were obviously looking at the sky and noted a change in the constellations but they likely were also adept in various occult arts such as astrology, fortune telling and the interpreting of dreams. What is important about these magi is that they take on the role and represent Gentiles who came to worship Jesus. God reveals part of the plan to these foreigners, these gentiles, in modern day language we might even
call them heretics or heathens. God reveals to them a king and enlightens them with an epiphany. God illuminates a dark world with not only the presence of Jesus Christ but the opportunity for these people to truly encounter him and worship him.
Along with the magi, the star, a light in the sky, is central. The magi are
from the “East”. The Greek word is anatolai which is really the root for the verb “to
rise” and literally means the region of the rising sun. The word the “orient” comes
from the Latin oriens and it has the same meaning. The idea that these magi
came from the place where the sun rises is important. The rising of the sun implies
the image of light and light was often associated with salvation in the Bible. These
Gentile magi are on a pilgrimage from the place where God’s creation rises each
day, to Jesus, the light of the world.
The sincerity of the magi’s worship is contrasted with Herod’s insincere
pledge to worship Jesus. When the magi ask where is this king of the Jews they
ask it with delight and privilege. The next time that term “king of the Jews” is used
is much later in Matthew, close to the end of his Gospel. Jesus is charged with
claiming to be king of the Jews and is eventually crucified for having such a title.
Matthew wrote his Gospel already knowing the end of the story. He already had
Jesus’ death in view when he has the magi refer to Jesus as the king of the Jews.
This is not only a foreshadowing of what is to come but reflects so much of our
world today. How do we reconcile our understanding that Jesus is the light to the
world, the personification of hope and salvation, when there is still so much
darkness in our world.
Who are the magi today? Who will make the pilgrimage? Who will
present their gifts to the king of kings? Who will find light in today’s darkness? The
year 2020 has been one wild ride with many stories of tragedy, fear, pain and
violence and that’s not even including the pandemic that has changed our world
forever. We tend to focus on those news stories at this time of year. But there was
a lot of light too. As we sheltered in place- nature really thrived. Many of us picked
up hobbies or new interests. There was a lot of good this year. Where have we
seen glimpses of light, of God, in our midst?
While Christmas may focus on the babe in a manger, Epiphany bursts
open on that glowing moment of God with us. Foreigners travel, Herod feels
threatened and stars move their course. The lesson of Epiphany seems to be that
in no way is Christ’s birth a private matter; the manifestation of God’s presence in
the world engages all aspects of our lives, political, cultural and natural realms. It’s
a big news story. Perhaps we are the magi of today but we are often so busy
looking at ourselves that we forget to see God. It’s time to let those outsiders in
and shine the light on God’s grace, love, and redemption at work in our world.
Amen