By any means
Readings: Matthew 2. 1-12
The arrival of the Magi is a rather wonderful section of the birth narrative of Jesus, one which Matthew offers us in his Gospel. Personally it’s my favourite part of the Nativity narrative and had given us one of my favourite carols, we three kings. But, re-reading it, it’s rather more sparse than I remember, not quite as detailed, and moves rather quickly.
And perhaps its for this reason, it being a fascinating section of Matthew’s Gospel, and it being so sparse of details, that, within a few centuries, tradition had expanded to fill the gaps. It made their number three, based on the number of gifts, made them into Kings to better fit with Old Testament passages about Kings bringing gifts to God’s people, and even given them names.
But even without the extra items from tradition, it’s the most fantastical part of the nativity narrative isn’t it. Wandering stars, mysterious figures from distant lands, a king and a city terrified by the birth of a baby. Is it all too fantastical? A bit much? Did it even happen?
So what are we to make of this section of Matthew’s Gospel, what are we to learn from it?
Let’s start with the star. Now, lots of ink has been spilled over trying to work out what this star is. Now, I loved this passage before I got into Astrophysics, but my love of astrophysics certainly feeds into my interest in this passage.
Some have theorised that it’s a comet, that would explain the whole moving thing, they’re also often associated with important figures arriving or warnings of disasters. Only problem is there are no known comets which fit around the years we’re looking at.
Some theorise a planetary conjunction, where two planets in our solar system come close together. Specifically that of Jupiter and Saturn in the constellation of Pisces which would have taken place in 7 BC, so around the year we’re looking for. Jupiter is the royal planet – could interpret as king, Saturn thought to be the planet which represented the ‘westland’, ie Israel/Palestine. And Pisces being the constellation which represents the last days. It’s an unusual conjunction but would have been interpreted ‘one appearing in Israel this year who will be ruler of the last days’. Only issue with this one, a conjunction isn’t just one point of light in the sky, it’s at least two, so not a star.
Finally some theorise a supernova, a large star exploding at the end of its life, they shine incredibly brightly and last for several months in the night sky. That’s a possibility as Chinese astronomers observed one lasting for 70 days in 5/4 BC, again around the year we’re looking for.
Now, either of those latter two work for the first part of the narrative with the star sat motionless in the sky. It all goes a bit wrong once the star starts acting like it’s in the atmosphere in the latter part. None of the scientific theories work for that. But here’s the thing, why do we so often read the Scriptures as sceptics? This couldn’t happen, stars don’t work like that. If God can become human, born from a virgin, he can create a miraculous star or object to lead people to the place of his birth. Now I’m not suggesting we leave our brains at the door, that we believe anything and everything, but perhaps we need to leave the door open a little more to God working miraculously to achieve his purposes.
Here’s the thing though, planetary conjunction or supernova or miraculous star or a mixture of two, it gets the attention of these men. Enough so that they pack up their bags and head out on the long hard journey to seek out this new King, to pay him homage and worship him.
And I think that these men visiting the newborn Jesus, the infant Messiah, being Magi is perhaps the strongest case for this passage being true. Magi were amongst other things astrologers, trying to read signs and portents and even the future through the stars. They practiced some form of magic and all of this blended with general learning and knowledge. And here’s the thing, the Old Testament Scriptures take a pretty dim view of astrology and magic, keep your distance, this stuff is dangerous, God tells us to keep away from it.
God forbids the use of magic or astrology and the like, and yet here he uses these things to lead this little band of Gentiles to worship at his feet. God uses what they are used to, even though it is contrary to his purposes, to lead these people to himself. In some ways that’s quite surprising isn’t it, that God would do that. But then again, how else would they have come to the manger? He uses their language to get their attention and get them to the right place at the right time.
So in this context, with a culture and faith which forbids these things, tells us to keep far away from them, it’s rather remarkable that among the first visitors to the newborn Messiah, the Saviour, God’s own Son, are people who practice such things. Indeed, ply their trade by such things. If you were making up a story you wouldn’t include these guys, you’d pick anyone but them. And yet here they are. It’s perhaps all a little bit embarrassing.
I’ll be honest with my own knowledge that we;re meant to keep away from these things, even listing out conjunction and what it all means is a little bit uncomfortable for me, it feels wrong, but it’s helpful for us to understand what’s going on. Perhaps Matthew felt that same way, a little bit embarrassed in recording these events, I wonder if he was tempted to have disguised who they are, not listed their trade. But he can’t, because they’ve seen the news in the stars, it’s obvious who they are. They’ve seen in the stars that there’s a newborn King of the Jews. And not just a child who will one day be King, the language here is of one who is born a King, already a King at birth.
So does this mean that God has changed his mind about astrology and other things like it? He uses it to get these men there so now he’s cool with it? Well, no, the New Testament takes a similar view, the practicing of magic or astrology and the like is forbidden.
So what are we to make of this? God gives us rules for our good, he’s not petty or making them up for the sake of it, he sets boundaries in place for our good. And yet he will also do whatever is necessary to bring us to him for our good. We don’t get to tear up the rule book, rather we marvel at the God who will use whatever is before him, even stuff that is contrary to his purposes, to bring people to him.
And it’s to him he brings these men. This isn’t a passage that declares that all roads lead to God, that all religions lead to heaven. That we’re all basically the same underneath. Jesus is clear that he is the exclusive, only way. Faith in him is the only way back to God. But then again, this passage agrees. As the magi arrive and lay out their treasures, great treasures worthy of a King with gold and fine spices, they are acknowledging who he is. Gold for a King, Frankincense for a Priest or for God, Myrrh for burial, pointing to Sacrifice. Even as their own ways have led them here, it is here that they acknowledge him as King and God and Sacrifice. It is here that they lay all down before their Lord and Saviour. They are to leave it behind and follow him.
It’s amazing isn’t it, how God will do whatever it takes to bring us to him, to draw more people to himself. The last few years I’ve been hearing reports, perhaps you have too, of Muslims becoming Christians in the Middle East after Jesus appears to them in dreams, these are often countries where it isn’t safe to be a Christian and so evangelism is very limited, and yet God is still at work even in these places, working miraculously to bring people to himself.
As we begin a new year, as we start in 2025 the question I’ve been pondering is this: how good we are at speaking the language of the world around us? How good are we both as individuals and as a church at sharing the Gospel in a way that gets people’s attention and means they’ll journey with us to find out more?
Now, I’m not suggesting we ditch the moral codes and do whatever it takes to get people in, astrology is forbidden and yet God used that so what else is forbidden that we could use, not the road to go down. We leave God to that stuff, we’re called to be faithful in keeping his ways and commands. But are we speaking the language of Hubberston and Hakin? Are we speaking the language of Millennials and of Generation Z and now increasingly Generation Alpha.
Jesus’ command is to go and tell all nations of the wonderful news of his saving Gospel. And yet here at the start of his life the nations come to him. What will we do this year to ensure that more people know and love Jesus, know him as Lord and God and Saviour, this time next year?
That isn’t to say that if we get it right everyone will come to faith, sadly that’s not how it works. Herod had the same information as the Magi and yet didn’t go to worship, in fact he puts in place plans to deal with the threat. Herod cares more about his throne than his soul, and we’ll find many who feel the same about other things. And yet Christ’s call goes out to all, speaking the language of the nations he calls all to come and bow before him, so let us go with him and for him, sharing the Gospel and the hope that we have in Jesus, that day by day, more may bow before him as their Lord and God, their Saviour and their friend.
Amen.