Jesus:  A Child of the Universe

This will be a trick question, so stay on your toes. How many magi came to see Jesus at the Epiphany?

If you guessed three, you' re wrong. The correct answer is, "we don't know." The Bible says there were three gifts, but it never tells us how many magi carried them.

Tradition has added a lot to this story. It gives names for the magi (Caspar, Melchior, and Balthasar) and records that Caspar was black. The cathedral in Cologne claims to have the relics of the magi. An Eastern tradition invokes their names at the blessing of the front door of homes. Tradition also holds that gold signified Jesus' royalty, incense his divinity, and myrrh his humanity. Myrrh is a burial spice -- a strange gift for a newborn.

Just what are magi anyway? They are the plural form of "magus" (did that help?), and give us our English word, "magic." They were dabblers in astrology, interpreters of dreams, and workers of wonders. (We meet another one in Acts 8:9; Simon, not a good guy, tries to buy miraculous power from the apostles. He gave us the English word, "simony.") Trying to read the stars one night, Matthew's magi saddled up and found Jesus like a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.

So why does the most popular Epiphany hymn we know call them "We Three Kings"? Because of two Old Testament prophecies -- one in . Psalms 72:10-11, where we hear that kings shall render tribute to God' s king; and the other in Isaiah 60:6, 9, 11 and 13, where we hear that kings and camels will give reverence to Jerusalem. (That's why the magi appear riding camels to your manger, even though Matthew never mentions the animals.)

The star, incidentally, has a forerunner in Numbers 24:17. In Chapter 22 we learn that Balak the king of Moab has grown so fearful of Israel that he summons Balaam, a prophet of Pethor, to come and curse Israel. When Balaam shows up, he opens his mouth and God gives him four prophecies that bless Israel, much to the astonishment and anger of Balak. The last of these mentions a star arising out of Jacob, which will crush Moab. The appearance of a star in Matthew's narrative of Jesus' birth indicates that Jesus fulfills Balaam's prophecy.

As for Herod, he comes across as a scheming politician out to kill anyone who threatens his autocracy -- even if it's a mere child. Is this fair? No other history of Herod mentions the magi, but we do know that Herod lived large. He married ten times; he built theatres, parks, fountains, gymnasiums, palaces, and baths -- all at the taxpayers' backbreaking expense; he rebuilt the second temple to extravagance; and he killed (among others) a brother-in-law, a mother-in-law, a wife and three children. Is Matthew's characterization fair? It's probably mild.

Separating fact from fiction is difficult in passages like this. So is separating scripture from tradition. Most of us will be surprised to see how little the Bible tells us about this incident, and how much tradition has added.

But the main point is "epiphany" -- manifestations. Jesus reveals himself to the nations. People came from different ethnic backgrounds to see him, and they all reach the same conclusion: This is the son of God. By revealing himself to the nations, Jesus becomes a child of the universe. He is not just the savior of Israel, but the savior of the world. Epiphany broadens the Christmas mystery far beyond the manger. Christmas is not just for shepherds. It's for people of all traditions, even astrology.

In your conversations about the Gospel, talk about what it is to belong to a "Catholic" Church -- a universal church. What happens in Rome, El Salvador, Russia and Medjugorje has an effect on each of us. How do you stay abreast of the universal Church? Does your parish help you to see how Christ is the light of the nations?

In some parts of the Catholic world, Epiphany is a bigger feast than Christmas. Why do you suppose that is?

Politics lies behind the plot of this Gospel. Where in the world do politics and religion become driving forces in history?

[Published in The Catholic Key for the Epiphany 1/6/94].