Assembling all the chief priests and the scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. They said to him, "In Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it has been written through the prophet: And you, Bethlehem, land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; since from you shall come a ruler, who is to shepherd my people Israel."
Then Herod called the magi secretly and ascertained from them the time of the star's appearance. He sent them to Bethlehem and said, "Go and search diligently for the child. When you have found him, bring me word, that I too may go and do him homage."
After their audience with the king they set out. And behold, the star that they had seen at its rising preceded them, until it came and stopped over the place where the child was. They were overjoyed at seeing the star, and on entering the house they saw the child with Mary his mother. They prostrated themselves and did him homage. Then they opened their treasures and offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed for their country by another way. (Matthew2:1-12)
Today is the Epiphany of the Lord, and Isaiah provides the model for the three kings. He said: “Rise up in splendor, Jerusalem! Your light has come, the glory of the Lord shines upon you. See, darkness covers the earth, and thick clouds cover the peoples; but upon you the LORD shines, and over you appears his glory. Nations shall walk by your light, and kings by your shining radiance.
Raise your eyes and look about; they all gather and come to you: your sons come from afar, and your daughters in the arms of their nurses. Then you shall be radiant at what you see, your heart shall throb and overflow, for the riches of the sea shall be emptied out before you, the wealth of nations shall be brought to you. Caravans of camels shall fill you, dromedaries from Midian and Ephah; all from Sheba shall come bearing gold and frankincense and proclaiming the praises of the LORD.” (Isaiah 60:1-6)
Also providing a model is Psalm 72: “May the kings of Tarshish and the islands bring tribute, the kings of Sheba and Seba offer gifts…Long may he live, receiving gold from Sheba, prayed for without cease, blessed day by day.”
Of importance, Matthew professes his faith in Jesus as the son of David, as king Solomon was for instance. But, Matthew identifies Jesus as being greater than Solomon in all his glory. Specifically, we read: "Then she [Sheba] gave the king one hundred and twenty gold talents, a very large quantity of spices, and precious stones. Never again did anyone bring such an abundance of spices as the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon.” (1 Kings 10:10)
The magi’s gifts to the infant Jesus were similar, if not greater. Matthew (12:42) makes this point about greatness: “At the judgment the queen of the south will arise with this generation and condemn it, because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and there is something greater [Jesus] than Solomon here.”
So, did three kings visit the infant Jesus? It’s a wonderful, symbolic story! Would real kings follow some star to find the baby? No, but that should not disappoint anyone. The point of the story is quite biblical and derived from the Old Testament. It is all about Jesus’ greatness and importance. It is about his glory.
According to H.J Richards in his 1986 book, The First Christmas: What Really Happened?: "The star is a detail borrowed from the Old Testament tradition to express the faith that Jesus is not only the new Moses and a new liberator but a new Davidic king greater than Solomon in all his glory." The three kings – the magi – visit the new king as an infant. Four kings are a winning hand. We Catholics play this hand at Christmas time.
Deacon David Pierce
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