Second Christmas

 

Chapter 19 Second Christmas

From Other Little Ships

"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 frankincense and of myrrh." Matthew 2:11

The Wise Men rediscovered the star of which they had lost sight (Matthew 2:10) and then with great joy found the cause of their pilgrimage.

Were these merely mystics, astrologers who had divined this child and his star from the alignment of the heavens? They may have dabbled in this confusing art but since such divination is pagan prognostication that is flatly condemned in Old Testament scripture (Leviticus 19:26), I strongly believe their trek was based upon a different beginning.

Was it familiarity with Hebrew texts that set them to following the star? Some proof-texts referring to stars are produced but they must be abused to be made to fit into the nativity story. They have no Messianic flavor at all.

Well, Mary, Joseph, and the Shepherds all received angelic revelations. My guess is that the Wise Men found out about the star and whom the star would lead them to in exactly the same way. Not from the spooky superstition of star-gazing but simple (yet supernatural) revelation.

Note that the Wise men came to a "house" to see a "child" and not to a manger to see an infant. The Wise Men show up MUCH later in the Christmas story than at first apparent.

Herod's murderous edict to slaughter all of the children of his realm was toward those of two years and under. He wasn't looking for a newborn.

Our Wise Men may have been the young family's unexpected guests on their SECOND Christmas! Jesus may have been as much as eight months old, a year, eighteen months. We don't know.

As the modern purveyor of thumbnail theology, the bumper sticker proclaims, "Wise Men STILL seek Him!"

But they only find Him as God reveals Him; not because they are wise or have detected Him in their horoscope for the day.

And though late in the story, whenever they find Him they never find him too soon, or too late.