A Magi's Story: Worship Him
Roger Thomas
Matthew 2:1-10
December 22, 2002
Introduction: Today we will once again look at the Christmas story through the eyes of a Bible character. There is much the Bible doesn't tell us. Human curiosity drives us to want to know more. For example, who were those wise men? Where did they come from? What happened to them after their visit to Bethlehem?
Today we will imagine an answer to some of those questions. It is important to remember that much of this is an exercise in imagination. We are doing this not to add to the Bible, but to help us see what the Bible does tell us in a fresh and powerful way. While the setting and details of what follows is imaginary, the central message remains the message of the Bible.
Our little drama will not have any stage sets or props. You must create the scenery in your mind. I will have no costume. When I place the scarf on my shoulders, I am stepping into the character of the story. When I remove it, I have stepped out of character.
Setting: When Jesus was a child, strange foreign visitors sought out the place where he was, worshipped him, and gave him gifts. The Bible simply calls them Magi, or holy men, from the East. We do not know how many there were, their names, or what happened to them.
Because of the mystery surrounding the Wise men, tradition has taken up where the Bible stops. For example, early legends said there were twelve magi. More recently, the most common stories tell of three men who were kings. Some legends have even supplied names and descriptions. Melchior, who was the oldest, was gray haired with a long gray beard. Bathazar was dark and swarthy of appearance. Caspar was the youngest. He was without a beard and had ruddy skin.
Today, we will assume that there is some truth to these well-known legends. The scene is the meeting place of a group known as Followers of the Way. They are disciples of Jesus, also called Christians. The ci ...
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