The Gifts of the Magi

Here they are! The exotic, flashy show-stealers of every Christmas pageant and tableau- 

The Three Wisemen!

They travel from a far, foreigners coming to pay tribute to the newborn King of the Jews. 

We know very little about them from Matthews account: don't know why they cared about a Jewish king, what motivated them to go looking for him, nor why they brought expensive gifts. The gift giving of the Magi was the early inspiration for giving gifts at Christmas- long before Santa Claus was invented.

Holy imagination has painted us a full picture of these regal visitors- and inspired other stories.

There's O'Henry's short story "The Gift of the Magi"- the tale of a young couple living on the edge, who each sells the thing of most value they have to buy a gift for the other.














There's "Amal and the Night Visitors"- the first opera written for American television, which tells the story of a poor crippled boy and his mother, who encounter the Wisemen and find both healing and a king to follow.

There's The Little Drummer Boy- a well-loved song written in America and recorded by The Trapp Family Singers in 1955. "I'll play my drum for him. Pa-rum-pa-pa-pum!"

And perhaps most poignant is Henry Van Dykes "The Story of the Other Wisemen"- the guy who missed the camel train, because he was helping those in need. Who spends thirty years seeking Jesus, giving away the gifts he had brought in the process to help people along the way. 

After thirty three years he arrives in Jerusalem in time for the crucifixion. He spends his last treasure, the pearl, to ransom a young woman from slavery. He is struck by a falling roof tile in the temple and is about to die, fearing he has failed, when he hears a voice saying, 'Verily I say unto thee, inasmuch as thou hast done it unto the least of these, thou has done it unto me." 
And he dies in a calm radiance of wonder and joy- he has found his King.


This last story seems to most compellingly answer the question: What gift would Jesus want?

So here's an idea: Since our Christmas gift-giving is inspired most by the Santa Claus model- perhaps during Epiphany we can again be inspired by the gift-giving of the Magi -those whose arrival begins the season - and these stories they have inspired.

We can let the Wisemen ride off after the Feast of Epiphany, and return home. Or perhaps we can join the search of The Other Wiseman- looking for Jesus, and helping others along the way.

What if we spent the season of Epiphany giving gifts to Jesus- "for inasmuch as ye have done it unto the least of these... ye have done it unto me."?