Becoming Part of the Magi's Journey

ADVENT FESTIVAL OF LESSONS & CAROLS, December 19, 2019, Fourth Lesson - Gospel of St. Matthew 2:1-12; Theme: Becoming Part of the Magi’s Journey

Our Fourth Lesson tonight tells us about the experience of the Magi and the revelation that they were given about Who and What this Little Child of Bethlehem really was. In reflecting over this story, a few highlights jump off the pages of Matthew’s Gospel that I think can help us evaluate and grow in our own relationship with Christ. Rather than letting their experience remain just a story in the Bible, we can learn from them and become a part of their journey.

First, we see that the Magi are sincere seekers, who leave the comfort zones of their lives to follow the miraculous star.  They experience an unmistakable sign that God is communicating with them and they set out to discover what this means.  They are willing to go wherever it leads and do whatever it takes to find the Newborn King. I wonder…do we have this same sincere and eager desire to seek and encounter God in our lives? Are we willing to go to any length for the sake of deepening our relationship with Him?

Second, The Magi are inquirers who act upon what they have learned.  They are humble and ask others to tell them how they can find the Lord’s Messiah. Notice that Herod and the religious leaders know exactly where the Messiah is to be born, but they make no move to go there. They had the Scriptures to guide them, however, they allow those words to remain just ink on a page.

But the Magi give life to the Scriptures by hearing and doing. So, this might move us to ask ourselves: what is my response to the Word of God? Am I like the Magi who allow the Scriptures to give direction to my life and nourish my relationship with God? Or am I like Herod and his cohort who have grown accustomed to hearing the Scriptures and are unmoved by them?

Third, the Magi cherish and protect their experience of Christ. In return for their sincerity and eagerness to find Him, the Newborn King blesses the wise-men with the Epiphany of Who He really is, and they prostrate themselves before Him. They choose to not reveal the whereabouts of the Holy Child to Herod. Do we cherish our experience of Jesus like they did? Do we refuse to expose this relationship to danger? To people, places or things that can harm it by drawing us away from Christ or leading us into sin?

And finally, the Magi offer the Holy Child their precious gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. The offering of gold is a gift fit for the Newborn King. Frankincense is used in the worship of the Son of God. And myrrh was a burial spice and ointment, affirming the Holy Savior’s humanity and foreshadowing His saving death. Am I living out the gift of gold, which is a symbol of my love for Christ the King? Am I living out the gift of frankincense, which is the offering of my worship to Him as God? And am I willing to live out the gift of myrrh, that is, to suffer if needs be, for my relationship with Jesus our Savior?

The Magi’s journey began with the miraculous Bethlehem Star, which is a symbol of the Light of Faith. Our journey to Jesus also began with the supernatural light of faith given to each one of us at Baptism and symbolized by the baptismal candle we received.   Like the Magi, we are called to follow this light wherever it leads us, confident that, despite the ups and downs of life, our baptismal star will guide us into the presence of Christ, our God, our Savior and our King.