Matthew’s account of Jesus’ birth receives short shrift at Christmas time. On Christmas Eve we read Luke account of the Nativity and hear the message of the angels and witness the adoration of the shepherds. Our Christmas morning Gospel (on the years that Christmas falls on a Sunday) is John’s prologue (“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God …”) and we hear a poetic theological reflection on the Incarnation. Matthew’s story of the angel’s nocturnal annunciation to Joseph (Matthew 1:18-25) appears in our lectionary as the Gospel on the 4th Sunday of Advent in Year A, but the visit of the magi doesn’t make it into our Christmas readings in any of the three years.

The reason that the wise men and the star aren’t part of the Church’s Christmas observance is that the Christians have long associated Matthew’s account of our Savior’s birth not with Christmas but with Epiphany, which we celebrate on January 6. Long ago the Church sought to harmonize the two Gospel accounts of Jesus’ birth. Luke tells us of Gabriel’s appearance to Mary, of the census that brought Joseph and Mary to Bethlehem, of an inn with no vacancy, of the appearance of angels and of the visit by shepherds. Matthew, on the other hand, tells a much briefer story from Joseph’s point of view and introduces wise men from the east and seems to know nothing of the Lord’s birth in a stable (when the wise men visit, they enter “the house”). Church fathers sought to reconcile the differences between the stories by ordering them chronologically. Luke tells us of the events surrounding Jesus’ birth; Matthew relates what happened a few days later. After all, the magi had a greater distance to travel than did the shepherds!

Epiphany means revelation, manifestation, or appearance. In the church year, the Feast of the Epiphany signifies the expanding revelation of God’s Son to the world. The shepherds of Luke represent the manifestation to the Jews – the locals – while the wise men of Matthew represent the revelation to the Gentiles – the nations.

This year Epiphany falls on a Sunday, so it’s a great time to hear Matthew’s account of the magi’s visit and to reflect on its meaning for us. You’ll note that Matthew doesn’t tell us how many wise men visited Jesus. Tradition has assumed there were three, because Matthew mentions the three gifts they bore: gold, frankincense and myrrh. Nor do we learn from Matthew that these visitors were kings; this tradition probably arose after reflection upon Isaiah 60:5 – “Nations shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn.” In fact, here, as in Luke, Old Testament references abound. Joseph, the guardian of Jesus receives revelations in dreams, as did his ancestor and namesake, Joseph the patriarch. The wicked King Herod, who jealously seeks the destruction of the newborn king, reminds us of the evil Pharaoh of Exodus who sought to destroy Moses. The Holy Family will flee Herod’s wrath by sojourning in Egypt, as did their Israelite ancestors in order to escape death by starvation. The wise men are reminiscent of Balaam, the seer from the east who was hired by the evil King Balak of Moab to curse Israel as they crossed his territory on their way to the Promised Land (Numbers 22-24). God however would not permit Balaam to curse the Israelites, and only blessings came from the astrologer’s mouth. Balaam offered this favorable vision of Israel’s future greatness: “I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not close: a star shall rise from Jacob, and a scepter [king] shall come forth from Israel” (Numbers 24:17). The Church has long seen these Old Testament references and prophecies fulfilled in Christ.

It’s also worth noting that, while the star is a natural phenomenon and the wise men – astrologers who study the stars – are led by it, there are limitations to where nature will lead. The magi find it necessary to seek spiritual advice to make the last leg of their journey. It’s only when the chief priests and the scribes quote scripture to them (Micah 5:2 and 2 Samuel 5:2) that they learn that Bethlehem is their destination. Reason has its limits in understanding God’s work; only divine revelation enables them to complete their search for the newborn king.

Throughout the season following the Epiphany, we learn of the widening revelation to the world of God’s Son. We follow him from his baptism through his earthly ministry to the vision on the mount of Transfiguration. This leads us to the ultimate revelation, Christ’s death, resurrection, and ascension, but we’ll wait for Lent and Easter for that.

In Jesus’ name,

Pastor Robert M. Mountenay