Week of Epiphany
And when they had come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him. And when they had opened their treasures, they presented gifts to Him: gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Matthew 2:11
Many Christmas nativity scenes feature three wise men worshiping at the manger. While we do not know precisely how many wise men there were, we do know from the Biblical account that they came later to Joseph and Mary’s house in Bethlehem. The visit of the wise men (or Magi) is associated in Christian worship with the start of Epiphany, and their account provides us ways to understand and celebrate this season.
The wise men are important because they are Gentiles (non-Jewish people) who worship Jesus as the Son of God. God’s divinity is made manifest not just to the descendants of Abraham but to all the world. While the wise men were guided by the light of the star, we are also reminded that Christ is Himself “a light to bring revelation to the Gentiles.” (Luke 2:32) The coming of Christ means that He fulfills God’s Law for us and that we are His children not through our own heritage but through His grace.
We don’t know precisely where the wise men came from, but they were guided by “His star in the East.” (Matthew 2:2) These intelligent, educated individuals—who likely had been exposed to the Old Testament prophecies through the Babylonian captivity—embarked on a lengthy trip to bring gifts and worship a humble, seemingly insignificant child in a small, backwater town.
As we grow in our faith, we pray that the Holy Spirit provides us with the enthusiasm to dedicate our time and talents to our God and the faith to seek first the kingdom of God. May we give our Savior and God’s Word preference in our lives rather than the pursuit of worldly success and knowledge.
The wiser Magi see from far
And follow on His guiding star;
And led by light, to light they press
And by their gifts their God confess.
The Lutheran Hymnal 131:2