Amidst The Gold, Frankincense And Myrrh – Atlases, Maps And Star Charts

Matt 2:1-12

The kings left Bethlehem with a much lighter load than when they arrived for it wasn’t just gold, frankincense and myrrh they left behind at the stable.

Joseph was concerned that they had simply forgotten their things and he chased after the wise men to the edge of the town.

“You didn’t take these with you” he cried – his arms full of atlases, maps and star charts.

The kings dismounted from the camels and smiled to one another.

“Well, you see” said Gaspar quietly “ whilst it’s true that these things helped us to find our way to Jesus, we have no need of them now. It’s time for our lives to be guided forward by different things

“If we go back to these charts” said Melchoir “There would be a danger that we would completely lose that which we have now found.

“Look give them to me if you like” said Belthazar suddenly, and he took all the papers in his hands and threw them into the sky where instead of fluttering back down to earth again they were consumed by the light from the star which had brought them to the Christ child.

There are moments, there are people, there are books and there are experiences that have led us to where Christ is.

One of the hardest things is to know when they have served their purpose and need to be discarded.

When scripture tells us that the wise men journeyed home by another way, I believe this meant more than just that they took a different road so as to avoid Herod. I believe it meant that their way forward would be guided by different principles than previously.

Atlases, maps and star charts would not be needed by those whose lives were now governed by the Spirit which they had discovered at the manger of the Christ child.

At this New Year, at this Epiphany, let us each resolve to make a special offering to the Christ Child which is after the example of the wise men.

Let us offer, for his use, our gold, frankincense and myrrh – the best we have to give – but tacked in between those gifts let us also lay before him the things which had been precious in our faith journey but now need to be discarded, lest they hold us back from going any further, lest they become concrete certainties which hold us back from returning by another way and lest they crowd out the blessing given to us during our time at the manger.

The Things we need to keep and the things we need to discard may surprise us and wrenching things from our hands no easy task.

The wise men left Bethlehem lighter, freer and yet more vulnerable than before.

The way ahead would not be easy – but it would be a liberated journey from that moment onwards.

As we think about what it is that we might need to unload so that we might travel as He would wish us to – here are words from John of The Cross in his “Ascent to Carmel”:

To come to the pleasure you have not, you must go by a way you enjoy not.

To come to the knowledge you have not, you must go by a way you know not.

To come to the possession you have not, you must go by a way in which you possess not.

To come to be what you are, you must go by a way in which you are not.

RH 6.1.08