The Epiphany Story: Read the Bible

On this day, according to the liturgical calendar, the Christian Church commemorates the visit of the wise men to the Christ Child.  Some, like Lutherans, call the day Epiphany;  others, like the Orthodox Church, celebrate Christmas.  Whichever label you use, the fact is that the account of this call on Jesus' household by the magi is recorded only once in Scripture, in the Gospel of Matthew:

Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying, "Where is He who has been born King of the Jews?  For we saw His star in the east and have come to worship Him."  When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.  Gathering together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born.  They said to him, "In Bethlehem of Judea;  for this is what has been written by the prophet:

'And you, Bethlehem, land of Judah,
Are by no means least among the leaders of Judah;
For out of you shall come forth a Ruler
Who will shepherd My people Israel.'"

Then Herod secretly called the magi and determined from them the exact time the star appeared.  And he sent them to Bethlehem and said, "Go and search carefully for the Child;  and when you have found Him, report to me, so that I too may come and worship Him."  After hearing the king, they went their way;  and the star, which they had seen in the east, went on before them until it came and stood over the place where the Child was.  When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy.  After coming into the house they saw the Child with Mary His mother, and they fell to the ground and worshiped Him.  Then, opening their treasures, they presented to Him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.  And having been warned by God in a dream not to return to Herod, the magi left for their own country by another way.
--- Matthew 2:1-12 (NASB)

Looking closely at these words, we learn the following about the magi and their trip:

- they arrive after the birth of Christ in Bethlehem;
- they arrive during the reign of King Herod;
- they hail from the East;
- they go to Jerusalem;
- the purpose of their journey is to find and worship the Child who was born King of the Jews;
- they find their way to Jerusalem by following a star;
- their mission (to find the Christ Child) troubles Herod and all Jerusalem;
- Herod consults the chief priests and scribes about the Messiah's prophesied birthplace;
- Herod secretly consults with the magi to determine the time frame for the Messiah's birth;
- Herod dispatches the magi to search for the Christ Child;
- Herod asks the magi to report back to him per the location of the Christ Child;
- the magi continue on their way, following the star until they find Jesus and His family;
- Jesus and His mother, Mary, are residing in a house;
- upon locating the Christ Child, the magi worship Him and present Him with gifts;
- the magi present gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh;
- the magi are warned by God in a dream not to return to Herod, prompting their departure home.

Now let's compare this information with what I gleaned from an article in the Latino Voices section of the Huffington Post, an article that came to my attention yesterday through the Facebook posting of a friend.  Quoting from the aforementioned source:

According to the Gospel of Matthew, the men found the divine child by following the North Star across the desert for twelve days to Bethlehem.  Melchoir, Caspar, and Balthazar --- representing Europe, Arabia, and Africa respectively --- traveled by horse, camel, and elephant in order to present baby Jesus with three symbolic gifts.

It should be clear from reading the above passage of Scripture that errors were made in the HuffPo article:

- the North Star is nowhere mentioned in the Gospel of Matthew;
- the length of the journey taken by the magi is not mentioned in the Gospel reading;
- crossing the desert, especially in twelve days, goes unmentioned;
- the number of wise men is not given;
- the ethnicity or nationality of the wise men is not mentioned;
- Scripture is silent on the types of animals that were used to travel to Jerusalem an Bethlehem.

The only remotely correct information in the above-quoted paragraph was the reference to the gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh being symbolic.  This is true.

GOLD.  Commonly understood to be a gift fit for a king.  It is a symbol of kingship on earth.  Gold can
also symbolize virtue.

FRANKINCENSE.  A perfume spice often considered symbolic of divinity or deity.  Frankincense can also represent incense that is burned as an offering to God, or prayer.

MYRRH.  Used as anointing or embalming oil, myrrh is symbolic of mortality and death.  It can also represent suffering and sacrifice.

Let's face it, much of what we actually know about the visit of the wise men is tradition, narratives that have been around so long the average layperson rarely remembers where the tales came from or if they are factually true.  They make great teaching tools for children and make for beautiful holiday rituals.  These "stories," if you will, perform these functions so well because they stick to what I like to call the "plausibly miraculous."  They aren't so far-fetched as to be comical, yet they clearly communicate the miracle of God in sending His Son to live among us and in leading the wise men to greet our Lord and Savior.  They also don't use modern-day references, like the North Star, or patently false information, like elephants as a mode of transportation, and attribute these things to an easily verifiable Gospel story.

2013 Epiphany lesson:  if you plan to tell the story of the magi to your children, keep it simple.  Don't embellish.  Stick with the real Gospel of Matthew and allow their imaginations to fill in the blanks.  There will be plenty of time, as they grow to adulthood, to discuss the inconsistencies with tradition.  For now, just enjoy reading the Bible with your kids.