Not only is he my husband, but he is also an intelligent theologian with heart for the marginalized.
Before you read, just watch this acapella Beach Boys cover
of “We Three Kings”….crazy good.
Let’s be honest…
When anyone talks or sings about the magi/wise men/three
kings during the holidays, you nod your head in agreement and think to yourself
“Yea, I know who those guys are.”
*mind floats to
nativity scene of men in kingly attire bowing before a white baby Jesus*
Regardless of what we think we know about the magi (e.g.
there likely weren’t 3 of them and they likely weren’t kings - seriously folks,
do some Google-ing and Wikipedia-ing, it’ll help ya), most of us probably
haven’t given much thought to the magi’s role in the incarnation or why modern
people should even care that some men traveled across Asia to bring a baby gold
and spices.
For starters, Matthew’s Jewish Christian (people who are
Jews ethnically and have chosen to follow Jesus) audience would have
immediately viewed the magi negatively. Divination (including astrology) was
strictly forbidden in the laws of Israel (Ex. 7-9; Deut. 18:9-12; Lev. 19:31 to
name a few), *one red flag for Matthew’s audience*. Not to mention, the only
other time magi are main characters in the scriptures is in Daniel 2:2-10 where
they are depicted as selfish and incompetent in comparison to Daniel, *another
red flag for Matthew’s audience*. Lastly, there was deep rooted and hateful
xenophobia among 1st century Jews, for they held the notion that all the Gentiles (non-Jews) stood in
opposition to God’s purposes for Israel, *the 3rd red flag for
Matthew’s audience*. Yet, immediately upon their introduction, they ask “Where
is the child who has been born king of the Jews? For we have observed his star
at its rising and have to come to pay him homage [or worship him].” (Mt. 2:2)
Matthew’s audience likely would have met these Pagan astrologers’ desire to
worship the Christ child with deep suspicion, but as the narrative moves on, we
see it is not the magi who they should be suspicious of.
We soon find out that “King Herod…was frightened” (Mt. 2:3)
and in his fright he calls the religious leaders of the Jews together. It is
important to note that during Herod’s reign, he was often referred to as king
of the Jews which stands in direct conflict with the magi’s declaration that
the king of the Jews has been born. On top of that, in the ancient world a sign
in the stars was often indicative of the changing of the guard among a nation’s
leadership. The Christ child’s birth causes deep fear within Herod for it means
he will lose his power and authority, his only sense of security. The Jewish
Christians in Matthew’s audience surely would have identified Herod as standing
in the place of Pharaoh from the Exodus story: one who denies and fears the
advance of Israel’s coming deliverer.
In calling the religious leaders together, they beautifully
tell the prophecy of where the Christ child will be born, quoting Micah 5:2 and
2nd Samuel 5:2. Shockingly, the religious leaders disappear from the
narrative after that, but perhaps more importantly, they fail to go worship the
newborn Messiah. Matthew’s audience would surely expect that the Jewish
leadership, with their piety and deep knowledge of the scriptures would quickly
travel to Bethlehem to worship. In a great twist, the people in positions of
power stand in direct opposition to God’s purposes, while the Gentile, Pagan,
magi are the ones who give the Messiah the proper and worthy response: worship
(Mt. 2:10-12).
What I love about the story of the magi is that it forces
the reader/hearer to identify and follow the story from the position you would
least expect. Even though you have deep suspicions about the magi and their
motives, you must reject Herod’s fear
and rejection of the Messiah as well as the complacency of the religious
leaders in not recognizing or responding to what God was doing. Being forced to
identify with the magi and see the birth of Christ from their perspective, is
certainly an uncomfortable place to be in. But I think that’s the point. Some
scholars like to talk about Matthew’s congregation having just split with “the
synagogue down the street”, meaning that they are fighting each other for
membership. Matthew’s Jewish Christian congregation needed some encouragement,
even convincing that this movement they decided to be a part of, really is the
fulfillment of the story of Israel. What better way to encourage your people
that the Jesus movement is legitimate, than by showing how the religious and
political elite of Israel completely missed out on what God was doing?
Now, in forcing a reader/hearer to be uncomfortably
identified with Pagan astrologers, Matthew not only legitimizes the Jesus
movement for the Jewish Christians, he also forces them to consider the “other”
as worthy recipients of the good news. There’s a good chance that in having a
congregation that was ethnically Jewish, Matthew’s people didn’t have a
positive relationship with Gentiles and were not actively spreading the
contagious good news to all people.
The story of the magi forces them to see, this isn’t just your story and your good
news…it’s EVERYONE’S! What still
strikes me is how this story doesn’t just encourage Matthew’s audience to
spread the good news, it actually claims that the Gentiles understand what God
is doing in the world better than the Jews! After all, a magi’s duty to his own
ruler was to make their own king famous, which they certainly failed at. Not to
mention, they spit in Herod’s face by calling this newborn child the “king of
the Jews”. For the magi, the kings of the world don’t deserve worship or honor.
They understand that it’s this newborn child in Bethlehem who is worthy of the
utmost worship and is the true king.
In the same way, those of us who call ourselves Christians
have a tendency to monopolize the market of God’s good news. Last year while in
my work at a café, I was continually amazed by the depth of conversation about
God I had with my co-workers. To be clear, these weren’t “Bible-believing,
church attending Christians”. They were agnostics, atheists, “spiritual but not
religious”…people who Christians (myself included) tend to view with a lot of
suspicion and a general sense of “they don’t really get it.” Yet, the more I conversed with these people, the more I
realized my suspicions were unfounded and untrue. These new friends of mine had
profound capacities for understanding what God was up to in the world (even if
they would never use that language). The Kingdom of God has a rhythm to it, and
these people had that rhythm beating in their chest, and they were trying to
figure out how to name and live in step with that rhythm. I would have been a
fool to dismiss them as “less than” me, for I would have missed out on
opportunities to experience and live out the good news of Jesus.
For Christians, the story of the magi puts us in a place of
vulnerability, where we must acknowledge that not only is the good news for everyone, but everyone has the
capacity to understand this good news (and the “other” understands it better
than we can!). We are not the only ones who experience God, we are not the only
ones who can see what God is doing in the world, and we certainly are not the
only ones who can worship Jesus properly. (I still think some people expect
that baby Jesus should have jumped out of his swaddling cloths and told the
magi that they need to repent, but that detail is strikingly absent from the
story). Get your head out of the sand, and look for the people on the margins
who you undoubtedly have something to learn from about the Kingdom of God.
If you find yourself reading this and you’re not a
Christian, you’re spiritual but not religious, agnostic, atheist, etc., you’re
one of those people who Christians lump into that horrible “other” category, I
just need to tell you that I’m sorry. I truly am. I’m sorry that I along with
my brothers and sisters have dismissed your spiritual life and your gifts (like
the magi) that you have sought to bring before God. This story tells you and me
that Jesus accepts you and your offering just as you are. Maybe you find
yourself groping, searching, longing for God that you might find God…I believe
the Apostle Paul’s words are appropriate: “Indeed, God is not far from each one
of us.” (Acts 17:27)
Grace and peace to all of you as you seek to experience and
embody the good news of Jesus.
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