The Gift of the Magi
Matthew 2:1-12
One of the things I like about this place is that it allows people from more than one religious tradition to find a home here. As your name suggests, this is a place where different relatives in the holy family of humanity is found.
In a sense, this place is a microcosm of first century Judea. Judea was a multi-faith society. People from various faith traditions encountered one another at this crossroads on the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea.
Should it surprise us that people in that time and place didn’t seem to have as many problems with other faith traditions as we sometimes do? The story from Matthew 2 is a good example.
Presumably, a small group of men known as Magi, usually thought to be Babylonian or Persian astrologers, perhaps of the Zoroastrian faith, meet the Jewish King Herod and the holy family.
It is a beautiful and suspenseful story that teaches us about beingin relationship with those of other cultures and faith traditions, many of whom live in our neighborhoods, attend our schools, share our workspaces, are members of our own families, or worship in the same buildings.
The story tells us that the Magi followed a star to find the baby Jesus. We may not be able to follow actual stars in the same manner today, but when we follow their story, we can learn six things from them about interfaith dialogue:
The Magi did not wait for the newborn king to come to them. Instead, they actively searched for an opportunity to greet him. They stopped everything they were doing, packed their suitcases, and set out on a long journey, longing to meet the promised Messiah.
Likewise, interfaith dialogue requires us to take initiative. We can be the ones to make the first phone call and write the first email introduction. We can be the ones to travel to the home turf of the other, rather than expecting others to come to us.
The Magi knew of a prophecy relating to the birth of a future Messiah-King of the Jews, but they were not familiar with the Hebrew Scriptures describing where he might be born. So they find people most knowledgeable about the Jewish faith and ask for their help.
Likewise, our interfaith experience is deepened when we ask good questions to those who know their traditions best, rather than making assumptions and trying to figure everything out on our own.
When the Magi found the child they were thrilled to bits, and knelt before him. They knew they were seeing someone holy.
Likewise, we may not have many opportunities to see or experience the holy in other faith traditions, but we can open ourselves to see the ways God is at work in their lives. We can honor the sacred we find in others.
The Magi brought precious gifts to the holy child, items with both symbolic and practical significance. There is a joke floating around that suggests if women had been the ones to travel to meet the baby, they would have brought a casserole, baby wipes, and diapers. But the male Magi did their best.
Likewise, we may not have an abundance of gold, frankincense, and myrrh at our homes, but we can bring our best selves. We can bring our spiritual gifts of generosity, kindness, and openness.
It would have been easy for the Magi to return to Jerusalem as instructed, telling Herod exactly where to find Jesus. Instead, they chose to depart in secret, guarding Jesus’ location and seeking to keep him safe.
Likewise, in a nation where Christians like us are the majority—many of whom are intolerant and suspicious of others—we must pay attention to our neighbors’ safety as they practice their minority faiths, and we must be willing to take risks on their behalf to help them exercise their free expression of religion.
The Magi did not return by the same road. They found a new way home.
Likewise, our interfaith encounters can be transformative. They can change our perspective, sharpen our empathy, and enrich our understanding. We will not go back the same way we came.
So, here we are, 2,000 years later. As we continue to engage in interfaith encounters and dialogue, as we continue to be exposed to new expressions of faith, we can give thanks for the example given to us by those ancient Magi, those star-following astrologers, full of initiative and curiosity.
They were people who wanted to see the holy, regardless of the religious tradition, who brought the best they had. They werepeople who were willing to risk everything for an once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, people who knew that their lives would never be the same.
That is what interfaith dialogue is all about. It is a gift from the One who created us all, to generate more understanding, to produce more meaningful relationships, and to bring more peace into a world of conflict and chaos. May God keep us all safe on this journey. Amen.
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