Taking an alternate
Path
So let us review today's Gospel….how many
were there….3? It doesn't say that. What were they Wise men, Kings Astrologers…It doesn't say that. Wait I know one many
know the answer to what were their names…
“Melchior, a Persian scholar; Caspar, an
Indian scholar; Balthazar, an Arabian scholar… many Syrian Christians name the
Magi Larvandad, Gushnasaph, and Hormisdas… In the Eastern churches, Ethiopian
Christianity, for instance, has Hor, Karsudan, and Basanater, while the Armenians
have Kagpha, Badadakharida and Badadilma and many Chinese Christians believe
that one of the magi came from China…”[1]
We three Kings of orient are….Wrong….Um
we three wise men….astrologers…..sages….mages…Magicians…. Maybe.
What do we know about these three guys who come from the east? Well we know they are described in the Greek
as Magi these are men most likely of the Zoroastrian tradition an early
Monotheistic faith that had its origins inpre-historic Iran that had influence
as far as China and Japan. “According to
Richard Foltz the roots of Zoroastrianism emerged from a common prehistoric Indo-Iranian
religious system dating back to the early 2nd millennium BCE”[2]
Does all this matter? Are the Facts important…in this case no! It is about the story, and the Journey. We assume 3 Magi because there are three
gifts given and so I am going to roll with that.
Melchior a Persian Scholar I imagine
came from a Tehran his Journey would have been over 40 days this is a
calculation done at 10 hours a day walking which is highly unlikely considering
midday heat and companions and setting up camp and tearing down camp.
Caspar an Indian scholar I like to say
he came from Madhya Pradesh India his Journey would be (at the unrealistic rate
of 10 hours a day) 126 days and finally we have Balthazar supposed to be an
Arabian scholar in that case he would have been the closest but if he came from
the far east deep in china his journey could have taken up to a year and a half
or more…..
So we have three men who are educated
and read the skies for signs of things to come and omens of things to watch for
they see something in the sky that foretells of the Child who is to be the king
of the Jews and so the furthest one out sets off on his trek much before the
others. Therefore, as he went along he
must have told others what he saw in the sky and those that choose to believe him
(as he was a figurehead of some kind) they followed him. His party grew as went along adding the other
two figure heads as he journeyed helping them interpret what it was they saw in
the sky.
Ernest L. Martin describes the caravan
this way as they had an audience with Herod;
These
Magi came from the east bearing rich gifts for the newborn king. They could not
have been reckoned as certain classes of sorcerers and confidence men who
roamed the Roman world under the name “Magi.” Herod and all Jerusalem would
hardly have been troubled by what they considered impostors. But if the Magi
had come from the court of the Parthian kings who employed Magi in the
religious affairs of their government, or from the respected Magus colleges of
the east, then that would have been a different matter in the view of Herod and
the Jewish authorities in Jerusalem.
In
order to have an audience with Herod and for him to have members of the
Sanhedrin (the Supreme Court of the Jews) to hear the interpretations of these
Magi must show that they were held in high esteem by the people of Jerusalem.
In their deportment, it was customary for the Magi to dress in magnificent priestly
attire to indicate their professional status. In presenting themselves before
royalty the historical records show that the Magi did this with pomp and
circumstance. 4 In traveling or on official business in areas where their
influence was felt, it was normal for the priestly Magi to proceed in a
processional mode with various ranks of them appropriately positioned in the
caravan. This must have been the manner in which they approached the city of
Jerusalem to present their gifts to the newborn king of the Jews. This would
account for the respectful attitude of Herod and the Jewish authorities to them.[3]
So they all come bearing these gifts,
for one who they believe is royal born. And so there are theories as to what
these gifts represent “The theories generally break down into two groups: All
three gifts are ordinary offerings and gifts given to a king. Myrrh being
commonly used as an anointing oil, frankincense as a perfume, and gold as a
valuable. The three gifts had a spiritual meaning: gold as a symbol of kingship
on earth, frankincense (an incense) as a symbol of deity, and myrrh (an
embalming oil) as a symbol of death.”[4]
I am sorry if there is disappointment
here but I say, assuming the story is true, the meaning of the gifts are most
likely just ordinary offerings for the birth of royalty. So imagine the shock when this entourage
arrives at a simple country house and find an unassuming girl and her husband a
carpenter. Can you imagine the shift there?
Can you imagine these High Priests who
are revered by kings and leaders, who can interpret the stars and who respect
the Hebrew scholars and religious texts: “And you, Bethlehem, in the land of
Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for form you shall come
a ruler who is to shepherd my people Israel.” (Mathew 2:6) These studied men, these well-traveled,
worldly, rich men find the simplest of people with a child that in no way will
be brought up or trained to be a King as they have understood.
This is where, and why I have titled this
“Taking an alternate Path”, you see in the meeting of the Christ Child their
realty of how the world works, of how the stars align, of who is worthy of
royal honors…it all shifts. Reality is
turned upside down and instead of saying well this can’t be…we read something
wrong…this peasant cannot, nor never will be a King at least not in any way
that they comprehend and yet they present their Gifts.
These men, I choose to believe, are
humbled and awe struck, what has been their way of thinking and believing is
shifted, a new reality is opening up before them and they have yet to see what
it means. The scripture says at just
seeing the house they are overwhelmed with Joy.
Before they even get in the door something is happening, something
physical and as they enter they see the mother and child and they fall to their
knees and pay homage opening their treasure chests and presenting their gifts.
This is not ancient hospitality nor the
rules the world traditionally abides by, Andrew Arterbury, a professor at
Baylor explains;
Ancient
hosts also were obligated to meet their guests’ needs by supplying them with
necessary provisions. Upon their guests’ arrival, meritorious hosts fed strangers
an initial meal and at times provided them with lodging without asking their
guests questions about their identity or place of origin.
In
addition hosts would often provide them with water for cleaning their feet and
with new clothes if they needed them. Then, after the guests had finished the
meal, hosts finally were free to inquire about their guests’ identity, home
region, and travels.”[5]
The imagery here is intensified when it
is juxtaposed against tradition. For one
Joseph and Mary would never even anticipate a visit from a group as big and
famous as these guys probably were and in no way could they even begin to
provide what traditionally is given.
There are new ways of being beginning to be expressed before Christ
message is spoken Kings are bowing to peasants.
The host is being offered Gifts with no expectation of Hospitality.
The “wise men” are warned in a dream to
take a different path home. But they are
already on a different path. The meeting
of the low born king, the peasant king, who overwhelmed them with Joy, to whom
they knelt before expecting nothing.
There are no alliances made, there is no political or religious
relationships established what was imagined to be a king has now changed the
meaning all together. They are on a
different path.
After their dream they probably left in
haste realizing that their lingering presence would arouse suspicion and place
the child in danger...which it already had.
So they journeyed the long journey home 40 days, 80 days, and a year to
a year and a half. All the way home they
had to study and ponder what did this all mean.
How their understanding of the world could be so reversed by one child
astounded and confounded them. They are literally taken on an alternative path
through this intentional encounter with the peasant King.
A friend of mine, Judith Favor, shared a
poem and some quotes on Journeying from Mark Strand’s; Chicken, Shadow Moon and More,
and though this story is about a physical journey it becomes a spiritual
journey for the 3 Magi and their entourage and for us.
A journey continues until it stops
A journey that stops is no longer a journey
A journey loses thing on its way
A journey passes through things, thing pass through
it
When a journey is over, it loses itself to a place
When a journey remembers, it begins a journal
Which is a new journey about an old journey
A journey over time is different from a journey into
time
An actual journey is into the future
A reflective journey is into the past
***
A journey always begins in a place called here
Pack your bags and imagine your journey
Unpack your bags and imagine your journey is done
***
If you're afraid of a journey, don't buy shoes[6]
I have said this many times…being a
Christian is about telling the story.
Engaging the story and journeying with the story. That means living the story of Jesus in our
hearts and on the road. You see many of
us the story of the Magi can be relevant.
I actually believe for all of us if you just engage the story. Don’t
worry about the facts.
You see our lives changed when we met a
different understanding of Christ. When,
many of us learned, that not only could we be loved by God but that we are most
enthusiastically loved by God, by Christ and that through the Life of Jesus we
are taught how we are to Journey in this world.
We are invited to an alternative path an
alternative Journey…it is not done in a day or a year but over many years over
a lifetime. As we are on our own Journey,
each one unique onto itself, we discover that the Journeys and stories of
Christ change in our heart, Shift our perception and in return they will again
change our Journey.
In many ways it doesn’t matter if this
story or any of the stories are true for we have chosen to live as a people of
faith. We have chosen to listen, study,
and incorporate these stories into our lives.
We have chosen to take an alternative path, a path that in the end,
leads us home, home to Christ, Home to Love and Home to our own selves.
So on this the first Sunday of a new
year I wish you a safe Journey. May it
be filled with wonder and awe, may God grant you a few surprises, and when
difficulties arise know you are not on the journey alone reach out to a fellow
traveler seek support from the people here around you.
[1] Wikipedia,
Biblical Magi, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biblical_Magi#Names (accessed
December 30, 2014).
[2] Wikimedia
Foundation, Inc., Zoroastrianism,
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zoroastrianism#cite_ref-15 (accessed December 29,
2014).
[3] Ernest L.
Martin, Who were these wise men?, http://www.askelm.com/star/star002.htm
(accessed December 30, 2014).
[4] Wikipedia, Biblical
Magi.
[5] Andrew
Artebury, Entertaining Angels:: Hospitality in Luke and Acts,
http://www.baylor.edu/content/services/document.php/53378.pdf (accessed
December 30, 2014).
[6] Joseph
Shore-Goss, Via Stillpoint as Shared by Judith Favor,
http://revjoeshore.blogspot.com/search?updated-min=2011-01-01T00:00:00-08:00&updated-max=2012-01-01T00:00:00-08:00&max-results=13
(accessed December 30, 2014).
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