Today, the Catholic Church celebrates the Feast of Epiphany to commemorate the Lord's revelation to Gentiles. According to Matthew, God made use of a star to attract the attention of the Magi who had to travel a long way from the east to come to adore what they had not expected, a baby in a shanty. This is the well-known mysterious Star of Bethlehem. In recent years, scholars hypothesize that it was not an astronomical, but an astrological phenomenon. Whatever the Star of Bethlehem might be, the real puzzle is what draws these Magi, and us, to Christ?
Theologically, we know that men were created in the image and likeness of God (Genesis 1:26). It follows that our needs would find no satisfaction in finite things on earth --- money, fame and power etc. Therefore, our needs can only be satisfied by our infinite Creator. Moreover, we will not sit idly to be fed but will take the initiative to seek gratification.
So, what drew those Eastern astrologists to come? Frankly speaking, it is difficult to verify the truth of the story with extra-biblical evidence. Ancient historians could not bother to put down in writing the story of an obscure Galilean rabbi who was crucified by the Romans. Matthew could have made up the whole story in order to prove that Jesus was the Messiah anticipated by the Jews --- from the genealogy, the virgin birth, the Bethlehem Star, the Magi, the massacre of the Holy Innocents, the flee to Egypt etc. In contrast, Luke's nativity story is mutually exclusive with that of Matthew's, except for the 17 out of 56 ancestors (Lukan version from Abraham to Christ) overlapping with those 42 ancestors of Jesus (Matthean version). Luke chose to record the Annunciation, Visitation, the Census, the Shepherds, the Presentation in the Temple and the 12-year old incident in the Temple etc. Speaking from the narration point of view, the two Evangelists could have full autonomy in the choice of materials because they had different intentions and different target audiences. As a believer, we should focus more on the messages/intentions of the Evangelists rather than on the historicity of the nativity stories. The reality might be more dramatic than fictions.
The story of the Magi reminds us of the story of the queen of Sheba visiting King Solomon. Attracted by the fame and wisdom of King Solomon, she brought along a lavish amount of gifts. Perhaps she wanted to show off, or to buy an alliance, or to test his wisdom etc. (1 Kings 10:1-13) Of course, she returned home, contented and profited. What about the Magi? They were led by a mysterious Star of Bethlehem which moved and stopped rather unnaturally, if you believe in the wording of the Evangelist (Matthew 2:9). The Star was truly miraculous. Like the queen of Sheba, the Magi also brought along lavish gifts such as gold, which the Holy Family would never have any chance of using, frankincense and myrrh. Like the Magi, the queen of Sheba was attracted by the fame and wisdom of King Solomon, which could be considered the Star of Bethlehem for the queen of Sheba. Of course, we can find many parallels wherever we want.
Now the most crucial question is whether the Magi returned home contented and profited, like the queen of Sheba. To be fair, at least they should not be disappointed because of the performance of the Star. But the Star was only an appetizer. The Holy Infant was the main course. What satisfaction could the Magi find in a baby living in a shanty with migrant parents, (surely no longer in a manger!)? Not much unless you have the wisdom and faith of the Magi to see through the superficial poverty of the Holy Family. If the Magi returned home contented, their encounter with the Holy Infant must have given them an extraordinary experience or unspeakable revelation. With the background and tradition of the Old Testament, the Jewish Christians should have known better than the Magi in God's revelation. If the Magi left contented, should not the Jewish Christians be more contented as well when they had found and believed in Jesus? Remember, Matthew's target was not the Gentiles, but the Jewish Christians. Of course, life can be more complicated because later in his life, Jesus was rejected by his own people in Nazareth. Familiarity might not be an advantage (Matthew 13:54-58).
What about us, believers and followers of Christ? I don't think I can speak for the other believers. Many of them have pure and clear intention when they first decided to follow Jesus. My path has been rather tortuous. I did not always start with good intentions but on my way, God has shown me His mercy and I modified my view and my purposes along the way. I believe that whatever purposes we might harbour before we approach God, like a magnet, God will always turn us to the right direction.
Dear Lord, with unspeakable grace, lead me on my way to seek you. Amen.
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