The Magi - Present Yourself to God

We were talking about the adoration of Magi during preschool chapel this past week. I was explaining to the children that Gaspar, Melchior, and Balthazar had traveled from the east to meet the baby king Jesus in Bethlehem of Judea. I said that we do not know exactly where the Magi came from. It could have been Iran, India, or even China. One little boy said out loud, “They could have even come from California!” I paused and thought about it for a moment. Then I said, “Yes, they could have come from California or any of the Americas.” 

Mono-cultures Destroy Diversity

The Magi were ancient astrologers. The Aztec, Maya, and Inca are included among the ancient societies that studied the stars and perhaps had resources enough to voyage. Just the other day I was talking with a retired biologist form Chaffey college about the Inca. He was telling me about how the Inca had such a respect and understanding of the heavens, that they knew that weather patterns could change in an instant. For this reason they planted many different varieties of potatoes. Each species they planted could survive different kinds of weather patterns. This biologist went on to explain that the great potato famine of Ireland occured because there was only one kind of potato planted. When the weather changed the crops were lost and there was a famine. 

Monoculture is a term that describes depending on just one species or kind of organism. Monocultures are dangerous because they are vulnerable to disruption and change. More troubling is that today monocultures are widespread. Great swaths of land are cultivated with just one species of plant. Even more concerning is a surge in intolerance and hate around the globe directed toward people who are seen as “different.” Tribes, races, and cultures that are perceived to be different than the norm are experiencing hate and violence. In China the Huigar Muslims are targeted. India increasingly targets Muslims too. Christians are singled out in Syria. And in the United States of America hate against Jewish people is on the rise. An intolerance toward diversity of people is just another form of mono-culture. In the long run this weakens a society or an ecosystem. 

Baptism Preserves Diversity

There is a solution. Baptism is a gift from God that affirms the uniqueness of each human being. Baptism is a sacrament. It is the use of something very simple, water, combined with the Word of God, to share in eternal life and the unconditional love of God for each living creature. Baptism washes away the power of evil and death, and communicates the everlasting life of God known through Jesus Christ. 

The life giving and diversity affirming power of Jesus is what drew the three magi to pay homage to Jesus. Gaspar, Melchior, and Balthazar saw in the sky a fulfillment of a promise that they had been waiting for. Magi were known to be religious leaders and proto-astronomers from the Zoroastrian religion of ancient Iran or Persia. The writings of Zarathustra, an ancient prophet, are the authoritative scriptures of this ancient religion. Zarathustra wrote about the difference between Good and Evil, also stated as Truth and Lie. Zarathustra foresaw the power of Good which preserves life in its diverse forms, versus the power of evil which seeks to destroy life. 

The Magi saw in Jesus the fulfillment of ancient prophecies of the power of Goodness and Life. So they came to worship, bow down, prostrate themselves before this newborn king. Imagine how out of place they must have looked. Magoi Indo-Iranian priests sojourning through Semitic lands. They made the journey and offered their unique gifts precisely because they yearned for what we all yearn for: a God who will love us for who and what we are. A King that does not demand that we look like him, and talk like him, and eat like him, but a King who values diversity. 

Present Yourself To God

The greatest gifts that the Magi bring to Jesus weren’t the gold, frankincense, or myrrh. They were Gaspar, Melchior, and Balthazar. They “presented” themselves. They gave themselves to God. 

“After coming into the house they saw the Child with Mary his mother; and they fell to the ground and worshipped him. Then, opening their treasure, they presented to him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.” Matthew 2:11

The Magi teach us the first step of baptism. It is the presentation. Say your name, and pledge yourself to God. In Baptism you give yourself to God, and God unconditionally accepts you. God accepts your culture, language, history, family, music, and food. Especially the food.

It is essential to mention that scandalously genocide and many forms of violence have been committed under the pretense of Christianity. There have been too many instances in history of “Turn or burn” theology which demands a conversion or punishment. This is not the way of Jesus, but a corruption of his teachings. Baptism is a life-affirming sacrament which demonstrates God’s love for diverse life.

So Present Yourself. Pay Homage. Worship none other than the living God who we know through Jesus Christ. The Magi could have come from anywhere, and that is just the point. All people, nations, and cultures, are loved and welcomed by God. If you are not baptized and would like to be, please let me know. If you know someone who isn’t baptized, please tell offer this gift to them. It all begins by learning from the Magi. Present yourself to God.