The Word from a Star…
The Word from a Star
A narrative based on Matthew 2:1-12, the story of the Magi
O Maker of the material world, thou Holy One! You have at last sent us a sign of the Messiah. We’ve kept your laws, studied the works of your hands in the stars, and listened for your message. A star rises in the southwest and moves, marking our path.
Let us take up treasures and give offerings to the one sent by Ahura Mazda, the light of the world. The one who will defeat the dark and evil, raise the dead, and bring a place of thriving happiness. We will take gold, an offering appropriate for the ruler of the region of Judea. We will follow the traditional Frankincense trade routes and offer valuable resin from the far south. We will offer Frankincense for anointing, the scent of the kings in Egypt and Rome. The incense that connects man with God. We will offer myrrh, fragrant and cleansing. The presence of the holy Messiah will smell sweet and full of cleansing smoke from holy fires.
We traveled against the Romans. They’ve battled and tried to overtake our people for centuries. We travel as smugglers, hiding our offerings, keeping them out of Roman control. Surely the Judean king, Herod, will be able to point us to our messianic king. Mistaken, Herod appeared surprised by our prophecy and reading of the stars. Had his priests and scribes not also seen the clear signs of light from the sky? The wise men in Judea told us of their prophesies and Herod bid us to share when we found the King of the Jews. The wise men in Judea pointed us to Bethlehem. We were troubled by dreams of evil and darkness enshrouded with the crown of Rome.
When we arrived in Bethlehem, we found the star resting above a house. Overwhelmed with joy, we entered and found a young mother named Mary with her child. We recognized this child of the light, we stayed and were blessed in his presence, just as we offered our gifts. Heeding the message of Ahura Mazda in our dreams, we did not return to the Roman Judean king Herod. We returned to our home to share the good news of the arrival of Messiah, the star child. Child of light.
Matthew 2 In the time of King Herod, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, magi from the east came to Jerusalem, 2 asking, “Where is the child who has been born king of the Jews? For we observed his star in the east and have come to pay him homage.” 3 When King Herod heard this, he was frightened, and all Jerusalem with him, 4 and calling together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born. 5 They told him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for so it has been written by the prophet:
6 ‘And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
are by no means least among the rulers of Judah,
for from you shall come a ruler
who is to shepherd my people Israel.’ ”
7 Then Herod secretly called for the magi and learned from them the exact time when the star had appeared. 8 Then he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, “Go and search diligently for the child, and when you have found him, bring me word so that I may also go and pay him homage.” 9 When they had heard the king, they set out, and there, ahead of them, went the star that they had seen in the east, until it stopped over the place where the child was. 10 When they saw that the star had stopped, they were overwhelmed with joy. 11 On entering the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they knelt down and paid him homage. Then, opening their treasure chests, they offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. 12 And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they left for their own country by another road.
Star Words
The magi followed the star and offered their gifts. Star words are a way of continuing this tradition and honoring these wise priests from the East in recognizing the holy in the world around them. Star words for us offer us the same opportunity. They are words that can steer our intention to look for the holy in our world. They are an invitation to journey, growth, and proclamation. They may also be invitations to the subversion of empire and trusting our internal wisdom and observations.
As you ponder your star word for the year, you might consider these questions:
What synonyms are there for your word?
How is this word used or not used in scripture?
Which of those passages is your favorite and which one makes you cringe?
What is the antonym for your word?
How does this word invite you to see the holy in your surroundings?
May you be blessed through the word of the star, just as the magi were. May you be receptive and observant of holiness in your life and relationships. May each of us understand that we do not fully understand what this word might mean for our faith, but still receive it with gratitude and pray that the Spirit will enable us to live into our word with intention and faithfulness. Amen.
A note about history and Zoroastrianism:
Proving the historical and scientific accuracy of the Star of Bethlehem has not been successful and is not contextually important to the story of the magi. There have been many attempts, which are all very interesting, but the Gospel writer in Matthew was not concerned with documenting dates and times and astronomy. They were concerned with pointing to prophesy in the Hebrew bible and directly relating those to the life and work of Jesus Christ. They were concerned with establishing the Israelite God as a God who kept promises and came incarnate into humanity.
The magi were Zoroastrian priests and were known to be astronomers and prophesy makers. They likely followed ancient trade routes from the area of Iran to visit the Christ child. Zoroastrianism is not a dead religion; Freddie Mercury’s funeral was presided over by a Zoroastrian priest. Zoroastrianism is ancient, likely older than any uniform or established practice of any Abrahamic religion. Wikipedia provides a summary:
“[Zoroastrianism] has a dualistic cosmology of good and evil within the framework of a monotheistic ontology and an eschatology which predicts the ultimate triumph of good over evil. Zoroastrianism exalts an uncreated and benevolent deity of wisdom known as Ahura Mazda (lit. 'Lord of Wisdom') as its supreme being and Angra Mainyu as the opposing, destructive spirit and adversary to Ahura Mazda. Historically, the unique features of Zoroastrianism, such as its monotheism, messianism, belief in free will and judgment after death, the conception of heaven, hell, angels, and demons, among other concepts, may have influenced other religious and philosophical systems, including the Abrahamic religions and Gnosticism, Northern Buddhism, and Greek philosophy.”
It is important to note their belief structure and to not appropriate or project the beliefs of Christianity onto them – these are not behaviors indicative of the actions of “loving neighbors.” Even in avoiding imposing Christianity onto Zoroastrianism, there are many similarities in belief structures. I think it is safe to say that to the Gospel writers of Matthew, the magi are not Israelites but maybe fellow Messianic seekers who bring gifts to young Jesus. The magi would have been from a region at constant odds with the Roman Empire in the time of Jesus. In bringing gifts to the Christ child, they were working outside of their established religion, Persian and Rome. These magi were educated individuals who fully believed they were gifting treasures to the Messiah. Their Messiah. Not just an Israelite Messiah but a Messiah for the Zoroastrians as well. For this narrative, I am not arguing against Zoroastrianism or placing Christ as messianic within their commonly held beliefs. I’ve read portions of The Zend Avesta, Part I, to borrow phrases and orient myself on the perspective of the wise men in telling this story. I will operate only within the biblical narrative and borrow basic cultural contexts about magi that the Gospel writer of Matthew would have known.
