From the Magi
“In the time of King Herod, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, asking, ‘Where is the child who has been born king of the Jews? For we observed his star at its rising, and have come to pay him homage’” (Matthew 2: 1–2).
On January 6, the last of the 12 days of Christmas, I will quietly note what is possibly my favourite feast day of the Christian year: the Feast of the Epiphany. I say that I will quietly note it, because it will be in the middle of the school holidays. It is a feast day that gets somewhat lost in the southern hemisphere, as we go about enjoying the sunshine and festivities of the new year.
I like to mark the date, albeit in a low-key way, because the Feast of the Epiphany is, above all, a reminder of what true leadership is all about. The Feast of the Epiphany is when we remember the magi, the wise men, the kings, in Matthew’s Gospel, who come to visit a little child, born to a simple Jewish couple on the edge of a vast Empire. Later the tradition would name them as Caspar, Melchior and Baltazar, making the assumption that there were three of them, because they brought three gifts.
So, what do these magi teach us about leadership? They teach us humility. Respected leaders, astronomers, mathematicians, kings, wise men: all these titles apply to them and yet, resplendent in their positions in the East, they make the long journey to visit the Christ-child, the little babe who brings hope to the world.
In one of my children’s books, Caspar and the Star, which I enjoy reading to the Year 2 students at this time of the year, the illustrator shows the magi making their journey through the desert, following the star, seeking the promised one. When I tell the story, I embellish that section just a little, emphasising the magi struggling with the heat of the desert and the length of their journey. These great ones make a long journey to visit a new-born child. Unlike King Herod, who is utterly threatened by a perceived rival to his power, the magi feel so such threat. They see only possibilities. They feel only hope. May we too seek out the Christ-child and live as people of hope, who see what is possible and embrace it.
God bless you this Christmas and may you sense God’s presence with you always.
The Reverend Dr Theo McCall
School Chaplain
