Going Home Another Way
Week 1 – The Call
Three Magi on the Way to Bethlehem, by Hans Thoma
Sometimes, the hardest part of a journey is having the courage to begin. It requires both faith and hope.
Matthew 2:1-6 (New American Bible)
When Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, in the days of King Herod, behold, Magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying, “Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We saw his star at its rising and have come to do him homage.” When King Herod heard this, he was greatly troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. Assembling all the chief priests and the scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born. They said to him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it has been written through the prophet:
And you, Bethlehem, land of Judah,
are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;
since from you shall come a ruler,
who is to shepherd my people Israel.’ ”
The Magi’s journey began when they saw the star and discerned that this was an invitation – something was occurring in the world that they needed to bear witness to. Although many must have seen that same star, the Magi were called to respond in a particular way.
The Gospel of Matthew is the only gospel in which the Magi appear, and this text is curiously sparse with the details of who they were. Over the years, many have been intrigued by the Magi, and their legend has been explored and expanded, shifting with the centuries. They have been called the Three Wise Men, the Three Kings, or simply the Magi. We now take it for granted that there were three Magi named Melchior, Gaspar, and Balthasar. But in the text of Matthew, they are unnamed and unnumbered (we know they brought three gifts, but not how many people brought them), and we don’t know from where they came. There are no details about the star they followed or why they were interested in Jesus. Matthew doesn’t even explain who they were – he uses the Greek word “magoi,” which has ambiguous translations that include both “wise men” and “astrologers. “And later in history, the Magi were considered kings rather than wise men.
All we really know from Matthew is that there were some number of Magi who began a journey by following a star, and believed that star would lead them to the King of the Jews.
The star clearly is not an ordinary star. The Magi discern some significance from its rising (suggesting that it is sometimes absent from the sky), but when it appears, it is obviously different from other stars. We usually imagine them initially seeing the star and following it as it leads them first to Jerusalem, but that doesn’t match the text of Matthew’s gospel. The text implies that the Magi see the star at its rising, and they somehow understand it means they must travel to find the one born King of the Jews. So they set off for Jerusalem (since this is the center of the Judean government and where the King of the Jews should be found). But it wasn’t till they left Jerusalem that the star went ahead of them, leading them to Bethlehem.
The call for us to begin a new journey isn’t likely to start with the dramatic rising of a star, but it may contain many of the same challenges that the Magi experienced.
They responded to the call to set out for far away with curiosity, hope, and faith that they would find what they were seeking. In our lives, when we receive a call to change, we also have a choice of how to respond. We can choose wonder, like the Magi. Or fear, like Herod. Fear can be as much of an obstacle to faith as doubt is.
Like the Magi, we often can’t see where our journey will ultimately lead us. We must still have the courage to begin. God doesn’t always show us the entire path or ultimate destination, and that can be a good thing! If I had seen the whole path resulting from some of my choices, I likely would have rationalized my way out of it before even starting. When we’re beginning to pay attention to a quiet voice deep inside us inviting us to begin a journey, it’s very easy to convince ourselves that now is not the right time to seek change, that we already have too many other obligations or responsibilities, that it will be too hard, that we won’t be able to consistently follow through, that its too impractical, etc.
Journeys are not always about setting out into the world. Sometimes, our journey can be having the courage to stay home, even if we are tempted to run away and seek something new and exciting. This can mean having faith that we have all we need to deal with whatever is happening – we don’t need something outside of us. Sometimes, all we need is to trust that God is with us and will allow us to see things differently and make our journey without leaving home.
Advent season is when we embrace our longing, waiting, and expectations. What are you longing for? Can you see your rising star inviting you to begin a journey?
Falling Up After 50 
One of my daily prayers was weaved throughout your words: I ask God for the grace to handle the unexpected with the courage and humility of Mary.
I was also reminded of a past blog of yours where you questioned whether we could view the future thru a lens of excitement and curiosity rather than fear and anxiety. The Magi were driven by wonder and hope. I need to be more like them on my daily journeys, which are so simple and safe compared to what they endured.
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That’s a great choice for a daily prayer! Even though we don’t have the same challenges as the Magi in our daily lives, we do have our share of modern-day issues to deal with. Seems like no matter when we live or what “advances” we get from civilization and technology, we will always have to continue to choose between wonder/hope and fear.
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