Advent: Star Trek
Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him. When Herod the king had heard these things, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he demanded of them where Christ should be born. And they said unto him, In Bethlehem of Judaea: for thus it is written by the prophet, And thou Bethlehem, in the land of Juda, art not the least among the princes of Juda: for out of thee shall come a Governor, that shall rule my people Israel. Then Herod, when he had privily called the wise men, enquired of them diligently what time the star appeared. And he sent them to Bethlehem, and said, Go and search diligently for the young child; and when ye have found him, bring me word again, that I may come and worship him also. When they had heard the king, they departed; and, lo, the star, which they saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy. And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense and myrrh. And being warned of God in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed into their own country another way. And when they were departed, behold, the angel of the Lord appeareth to Joseph in a dream, saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and flee into Egypt, and be thou there until I bring thee word: for Herod will seek the young child to destroy him (Matthew 2.1-13).
The wise men are at the heart of the Christmas mystery. However, we know tantalisingly little about them. Matthew’s account records only that they were wise, men, more than one in number, and travelled from the place where the sun rose (which is what the New Testament Greek word for ‘east’ means). The Gospel doesn’t say that they were kings, or tell us their names, or describe them as a trio, or indicate that each offered one of the gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh (or what those gifts signified, for that matter), or that they encountered the baby Jesus in the stable, along with the shepherds on his birth night.
The New Testament Greek word for wise men is magos. At the time, it implied someone — an astrologer-priest, possibly — who was cultivated, and had a reputation for astronomy and astrology. In other words, they were skilled in the study and interpretation of the heavens. The magi noticed a star where there oughtn’t to have been one. The timing and appearance of such a phenomenon was always considered auspicious and, often, to signal the birth of a great leader.
We don’t know what process of divination the wise men deployed into order to interpret the star’s significance. They definitely didn’t search the Scripture and find guidance. No star is mentioned in the Old Testament prophecies about the Messiah’s birth. (The heavenly light was an example of God working in the here and now, and beyond the margins of the prophetic page. Doing the unexpected.) Did they see the star and search their religious database (as it were) for a notable, but as yet unfulfilled, birthday? Perhaps, also, God intervened and enlightened their understanding. Certainly, later on, he would come to the wise men in a dream with a warning not to return to that paranoid despot, King Herod. By the time they’d reached Herod, the ‘who’ of their quest had been identified. They were searching for the King of the Jews. But they knew not where he was.
It’s unlikely that the wise men travelled from their own country following the star. Anyone seeking this new-born king would head in one direction only: to Jerusalem, where Herod held court. There were well-trodden trade routes from the east to that city. So, they didn’t need a supernatural GPS signal in the sky when the way was obvious. (Why ask God for guidance when he’s already given you a map?) However, the star did proceed before them, but only after their audience with Herod: ‘And lo, the star, which they saw in the east, went before them … and when they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy’.
This suggests that the star they’d seen in the eastern sky above their own country had disappeared and afterwards reappeared, just when the wise men needed it. (Not before. Not too late.) Herod, for his part, had gathered together (under duress) the Jewish high priests and scribes who, knowing the scriptures, discerned that Bethlehem was where the new king had been born. However, this was a busy and bitty market town; locating the holy family would be like finding the proverbial needle in a haystack.
The star ‘came and stood over where the young child was’. How they discerned what specific location on the ground the stationary object in the night sky pointed to isn’t disclosed. Perhaps their calculation was made using an instrument of celestial navigation, like a sextant. For sure, the star had come to rest above a ‘young child’, rather than a babe. Which is why Herod’s commission of the most appalling and systematic act of state-sponsored child abuse in recorded history was aimed at males up to two years of age. Therefore, whenever the wise men had turned up at his palace, it was some considerable time after Christ’s birth. And, equally certain, Jesus and his mother were now living in a house, not a stable. When the wise men entered, they prostrated themselves in worship and presented their gifts to this young child – the Governor of his people. Mission accomplished. But what had been the purpose of their visit?
When, earlier on the timeline, the shepherds had descended from the hillside to visit the stable, it was in order to see for themselves a ‘sign’ – a ‘babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger’: proof that ‘a Saviour, who is Christ the Lord’, had been born, just as the company of angels had said. The shepherds purpose was to tell, first, Mary and, then, anyone who’d listen (and also those who wouldn’t, one imagines) what they’d heard from heaven about him. They were the first evangelists, in this respect. But when the wise men came to the young child, it wasn’t to confirm his identity as Saviour but, rather, to recognise his authority as king.
The shepherds were local, working-class Judeans. The wise men were well-educated foreigners. Their presence at the feet of the Christ child was as representatives of a far broader and more remote constituency of worshippers, beyond the fold of Israel – people like us, who God would draw to his Son in the millennia ahead.
"Mwanzo wa Biblia, sura ya 5 ""Basi Yesu alipozaliwa katika Bethlehemu ya Yuda, katika siku za mfalme Herode, tazama, watu wenye hekima walitoka mashariki wakaja Yerusalemu, wakisema, Yuko wapi yule aliyezaliwa kuwa mfalme wa Wayahudi?" """Tumeiona nyota yake mashariki, na tumekuja kumwabudu.""" Mfalme Herode aliposikia mambo hayo, alivurugika, na Yerusalemu yote pamoja naye. Akawakusanya makuhani wakuu wote na walimu wa sheria wa watu, akawauliza mahali ambapo Kristo angezaliwa. "Wakamjibu, ""Katika Bethlehemu ya Yuda, kwa maana nabii ameandika hivi: 'Na wewe, Bethlehemu, katika nchi ya Yuda, si mdogo kuliko wakuu wa Yuda, kwa maana kutoka kwako utatokea mtawala atakayewatawala watu wangu Israeli." Herode aliwaita kwa siri wale wachawi, akawauliza kwa bidii ni saa ngapi nyota hiyo ilionekana. "Akawatuma Bethlehemu, akasema, ""Nendeni mkaitafute kwa bidii mtoto, mtakapomkuta, nirudisheni habari, nami nitakwenda kumwabudu.""" Walipomsikia mfalme, wakaondoka; na tazama, nyota waliyokuwa wameiona mashariki iliwaongoza mpaka ikaja na kusimama juu ya mahali ambapo mtoto alikuwa. Walipoiona nyota hiyo, walifurahi sana. Walipokuwa wameingia nyumbani, walimwona mtoto pamoja na Maria mama yake, wakamwinamia, wakamwabudu; na walipofungua hazina zao, wakamtolea zawadi, dhahabu, uvumba na myrrh. "Walipokuwa wamepewa onyo la Mungu katika ndoto kwamba ""msiende tena kwa Herode,"" wakaondoka kwenda katika nchi yao kwa njia nyingine." "Wakati wa mwisho wa safari, malaika wa Bwana alimtokea Yosefu katika ndoto, akisema, ""Inuka, umchukue mtoto na mama yake, ukimbilie Misri, ukae huko mpaka nitakapokuletea habari, kwa maana Herode atamtafuta mtoto ili amwangamize.""" Wanaume wenye hekima wako katikati ya fumbo la Krismasi. Hata hivyo, tunajua mambo machache sana juu yao. "Matayo anaandika kwamba ""waliwa wenye hekima, watu wengi, na walitoka mahali ambapo jua lilitoka"" (yaani, ""mashariki"" katika Agano Jipya)." Injili haisemi kwamba walikuwa wafalme, wala haituambii majina yao, wala kuwafafanua kuwa watatu, wala haionyeshi kwamba kila mmoja wao alitoa mojawapo ya zawadi za dhahabu, harufu ya harufu, na mihadasi (au kile zawadi hizo zilimaanisha, kwa habari hiyo), au kwamba walikutana na mtoto Yesu katika ghala, pamoja na wachungaji usiku wa kuzaliwa kwake. Neno la Kigiriki la Agano Jipya linalomaanisha watu wenye hekima ni magos. Wakati huo, neno hilo lilimaanisha mtu <unk> kasisi-mtaalamu wa nyota, labda <unk> aliyekuwa na elimu, na aliyekuwa na sifa ya elimu ya nyota na unajimu. Kwa maneno mengine, walikuwa na ustadi wa kujifunza na kutafsiri mbingu. Wenyeji wa majini waliona nyota mahali ambapo haipaswi kuwapo. Wakati na kuonekana kwa jambo kama hilo sikuzote kulionwa kuwa jambo zuri na, mara nyingi, ishara ya kuzaliwa kwa kiongozi mkuu. Hatujui ni utaratibu gani wa kutabiri ambao wachawi walitumia ili kufafanua maana ya nyota hiyo. Kwa hakika hawakuchunguza Maandiko na kupata mwongozo. Hakuna nyota inayotajwa katika unabii wa Agano la Kale kuhusu kuzaliwa kwa Masihi. (Nuru ya mbinguni ilikuwa mfano wa Mungu akifanya kazi hapa na sasa, na zaidi ya kingo za ukurasa wa unabii. Kufanya mambo yasiyotazamiwa.) Je, waliona nyota hiyo na kutafuta katika hifadhidata yao ya kidini (kama ilivyokuwa) siku ya kuzaliwa yenye kutokeza, lakini ambayo haijatimia bado? Labda, pia, Mungu aliingilia kati na kuangazia uelewaji wao. "Hata hivyo, baadaye, Yesu aliwaonya watu hao wenye hekima katika ndoto, ""Msiende kwa mfalme Herode, yule mtawala mwenye hasira kali.""" Kufikia wakati walipofika kwa Herode, "ni nani" wa utafutaji wao alikuwa ametambuliwa. Walikuwa wakimtafuta Mfalme wa Wayahudi. Lakini hawakujua alikuwa wapi. Haishangazi kwamba wanaume hao wenye hekima walisafiri kutoka nchi yao wenyewe wakifuata nyota hiyo. Mtu yeyote anayetaka kumwona mfalme huyo aliyezaliwa angepaswa kwenda upande mmoja tu: Yerusalemu, ambapo Herode alikuwa na mahakama. Kulikuwa na njia za biashara zilizozunguka kutoka mashariki hadi jiji hilo. Kwa hiyo, hawakuwa na haja ya ishara ya GPS ya kimuujiza angani wakati njia ilikuwa wazi. (Kwa nini umwulize Mungu juu ya mwongozo wakati tayari amekupa ramani?) "Lakini nyota hiyo iliendelea mbele yao, lakini baada tu ya kukutana na Herode: ""Na tazama, nyota waliyoona mashariki, ikawaongoza... nao walipoiona nyota hiyo, wakafurahi sana.""" Hii inaonyesha kwamba nyota waliyokuwa wameona katika anga la mashariki juu ya nchi yao wenyewe ilikuwa imepotea na baadaye kuonekana tena, wakati tu wanaume wenye hekima waliihitaji. (Si kabla ya hapo. Si kuchelewa mno.) Herode, kwa upande wake, alikuwa amewakusanya pamoja (chini ya kulazimishwa) makuhani wakuu wa Kiyahudi na waandishi ambao, wakijua maandiko, walitambua kwamba Bethlehemu ilikuwa mahali ambapo mfalme mpya alikuwa amezaliwa. Hata hivyo, mji huo ulikuwa na shughuli nyingi na ulikuwa na soko dogo sana; kuipata familia hiyo takatifu kungekuwa kama kutafuta sindano katika rundo la nyasi. Nyota hiyo "ilikuja na kusimama juu ya mahali ambapo mtoto mdogo alikuwa". Jinsi walivyoona eneo hususa kwenye ardhi ambalo kitu hicho kilichokuwa kimesimama katika anga la usiku kilikuwa kikikionyesha hakijafunuliwa. Labda hesabu yao ilifanywa kwa kutumia kifaa cha urambazaji wa angani, kama vile sextant. Bila shaka, nyota hiyo ilikuwa imekaa juu ya "mtoto mchanga", badala ya mtoto mchanga. "Hiyo ndiyo sababu Herode alitoa ""kitendo cha kutisha na cha utaratibu zaidi cha unyanyasaji wa watoto uliofadhiliwa na serikali katika historia iliyoandikwa"" kwa wanaume hadi umri wa miaka miwili." Kwa hiyo, kila mara wanaume wenye hekima walipofika kwenye jumba lake la kifalme, ilikuwa ni muda mrefu baada ya kuzaliwa kwa Kristo. Na, kwa hakika sawa, Yesu na mama yake sasa walikuwa wakiishi katika nyumba, si kibanda. Wanaume wenye hekima walipoingia, walijinyenyekeza na kumwabudu na kumpa zawadi mtoto huyo mchanga - Gavana wa watu wake. Ujumbe umekamilika. Lakini walikuwa wamekuja kwa kusudi gani? Wakati, mapema katika mstari wa wakati, wachungaji walikuwa wameshuka kutoka mlimani kutembelea kibanda, ilikuwa ili waone kwa wenyewe 'ishara' -'mtoto aliyevikwa vitambaa, amelala katika kibanda': uthibitisho kwamba 'Mwokozi, ambaye ni Kristo Bwana,' alikuwa amezaliwa, kama vile kampuni ya malaika ilivyosema. Kusudi la wachungaji lilikuwa kuwaambia, kwanza, Maria na, kisha, yeyote ambaye angesikiliza (na pia wale ambao hawangesikiliza, mtu anaweza kuwazia) kile walichokuwa wamesikia kutoka mbinguni kumhusu. Walikuwa waeneza-injili wa kwanza, katika jambo hili. Lakini wakati wachawi walipofika kwa mtoto mchanga, haikuwa ili kuthibitisha utambulisho wake kama Mwokozi bali, badala yake, kutambua mamlaka yake kama mfalme. Wachungaji hao walikuwa Wayahudi wa eneo hilo, wa tabaka la wafanyakazi. Wanaume hao wenye hekima walikuwa wageni wenye elimu ya juu. Uwepo wao kwenye miguu ya mtoto Kristo ulikuwa kama wawakilishi wa kundi kubwa zaidi na la mbali zaidi la waabudu, zaidi ya kundi la Israeli - watu kama sisi, ambao Mungu angewavuta kwa Mwana wake katika milenia ijayo.