December 18 - Magi

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Matthew 2:1-12
“Where is the new born king of the Jews?” was the question that really bothered King Herod. He knew there was no royal baby and was keen to know about this possible rival, and so he questioned his visitors. These visitors were foreigners who were experts in astronomy and their observations suggested that there was indeed a new king and they had been tracking a special star. After a detailed search through the scrolls and the records the king was told that Bethlehem was a likely place to look and so he sent them off to check.

It seemed that the star stopped right where the small family were living and the exotic travellers were delighted to meet them. They had brought three very special gifts, gold, a gift for a king, frankincense, a gift for a priest (remember Zechariah) and a third very odd present for a child. It was myrrh, a special substance   used to prepare a body for burial, perhaps a symbol that this child, Jesus, when he grew up was to be killed. Tradition has suggested that there were three Magi, or wise men, and that they rode camels, but Matthew, who wrote about them, tells us very little, except that they worshipped Jesus.