On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold and of incense and of myrrh. Matthew 2:11
Over the next three days, we are going to be using our imaginations a lot, as we talk about the three wise men, these three kings from the east.
Do you know that Matthew is the only book that mentions these kings. And he does not say there were three men - he simply mentions three gifts. There could have been two kings - or eight! In fact, eastern tradition says that there were twelve! But for this week's discussion we are going to safely settle and agree with the tradition of three.
We know so little about them. The bible never mentions their names; however, history and church tradition call them Melchior, Caspar, and Balthasar. In fact, there is an Armenian tradition that identifies them as each being from a different country: Melchior from Persia, Caspar [or Gasper] from India, and Balthasar from Arabia.
The term magi refers to the priestly caste of Zoroastianism from the old Persian empire. [You can read more about this religion at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zoroastrianism.] As part of their religion, these priests paid particular attention to the stars, and gained an international reputation for astrology, which was at that time highly regarded as a science. However, some argue that it was astronomy, not astrology, that was their focus.
Regardless, they studied the stars. And there was something about this star that was special. Something about this star made these three men want to leave everything behind and follow it!
You know, if they truly came from three different countries, then they didn't plan this trip together. Rather, they separately ended up united for this amazing journey. At what point they met - we don't know. Oh, there's so much we don't know!
Today, let's talk about Melchior. If it is true he is from Persia - which is modern day Iran - he would have traveled roughly 1,000 miles to see the Christ child. That's a long way to go, right? In fact, though most of our nativity scenes show the kings kneeling right alongside the shepherds, in the stable, Jesus was probably two years old before Melchior saw him.
Do you find it ironic that this king of Persia went to all this trouble to see a baby who was, basically the creation of Christianity?
Most people today would consider Iran to be an enemy to Christianity. Would you agree?
Isn't it just like God to use such irony to teach us about His character . . . it doesn't matter where you come from. It matters where you are going. Your baggage doesn't matter. Your background doesn't matter. All that matters is that you are really, sincerely, looking for Him.
The three kings are an important part of the Christmas story. I'll summarize fully on the third day, but for now, let me say - the fact that we don't know much about them is important. It allows us to wonder, to imagine. It allows us to say - no matter who you are, or where you come from, there is room for you.
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