THREE WISE QUESTIONS

On the feast of the Epiphany, the three wise men are again here bearing three gifts for us all. Only this time, they bring not only gold, incense, or myrrh but equally meaningful three questions.

1. What is your search?

When Jesus found his first two disciples following him, he turned and asked them, “What are you looking for?” (John 1:38). Discipleship begins with a search. It inspires us to follow the path to God’s presence. A similar search brought the three wise men together and inspired them to follow the path from the East to Bethlehem in search of a newborn king. As tradition teaches us, Gaspar (or Caspar), Melchior, and Balthasar were most likely learned men from different countries and cultures, who were brought together on a common journey by their search for Jesus. Leaving their families and homes behind, they set out on a journey which could only be described as a long, strenuous, and uncertain search.

Their determined and perseverant search, however, overcame the challenges of their journey. There are many biblical examples of men who set out on similar searches but failed when faced with challenges. The rich young man wanted to follow Jesus but his attachment to wealth hindered his search (Matthew 19:21). Pilate almost discovered the truth, when he realised who Jesus was but could not pursue the truth because of the fear of losing his power (John 19:12). Peter wanted to follow Jesus on the way of the cross but failed by the imminent threat to his life (John 18:15). As Christians, we are called to be a community of determined and perseverant disciples who search for the Lord in our individual life journeys. The three wise men teach us that our foremost priority in life is to “ seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness” (Matthew 6:33). What is your search?

2. What is your star?

The “star of the newborn king” guides the three wise men. Interestingly though, they also had to discern their path to Bethlehem. We discover two resources that help their discernment:

1. Scientific star-gazing: The star was there for everyone to see and yet only these three men understood its significance. As biblical commentators suggest, they were most likely religious scholars trained in astronomy, probably one of the prominent scientific disciples of their times. They were trained men who learned to study the stars and planets, interpreting the meaning behind cosmic events. Their scientific learning and expertise in star-gazing led them to recognise the star of the newborn king of Israel and led them to Jerusalem. But reason and science alone did not suffice. They discover that the newborn king is not in the palace and are led to the second resource of their discernment.

2. Scripture: Herod hears about their search and assembles all the chief priests and the scribes to inquire where Christ was to be born. They quote Micah 5:2 and 2 Samuel 5:2 to determine that it should be in Bethlehem of Judea. Instructed by the scripture, they pursue their journey to Bethlehem and behold the star continues to guide them to the Christmas manger. Science and scripture (reason and faith) are equally valuable resources for our discernment today. As Pope John Paul II writes in Fide et Ratio (1998), “Faith and reason are like two wings on which the human spirit rises to the contemplation of truth; and God has placed in the human heart a desire to know the truth—in a word, to know himself—so that, by knowing and loving God, men and women may also come to the fullness of truth about themselves”.

3. What are your gifts?

The wise men bring gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh, all symbolic pointers to the nature and mission of the newborn messiah.

1. Gold belongs to the king. In offering the Gold to the ‘newborn king’, the wise men acclaim the kingship of Christ over all nations and peoples.

2. Frankincense was generally used by priests in the Jerusalem temple at the altar during worship. Through this gift, the wise men acknowledge the eternal high priest who will offer the ultimate sacrifice for the salvation of all humankind.

3. Myrrh was a key ingredient in the making of the consecration oil, used to anoint the prophets. In offering the myrrh to the Word-made-flesh, the wise men point to Jesus’ prophetic ministry.

The gifts of the three wise men therefore were symbolic pointers to the kingly (leadership), priestly (sanctification), and the prophetic (proclamation) dimensions of Jesus’ life and ministry. The wise men teach us that the best gift we can give baby Jesus today is our participation in this three-fold ministry. Could we become leaders who work for the sanctification of our society through our courageous proclamation of the Good News? May the gift of the three questions set us on a determined journey of discernment that uses reason and faith to continue the three-fold ministry of Christ.