Journeying with the Magi

These pioneers in faith blazed a path to Jesus.

By: Louise Perrotta

You want to cheer when the magi appear on the horizon in chapter two of Matthew’s Gospel. After all, the Savior of the world, God in the flesh, has been born! History’s central event has taken place! And although Jesus slipped in among us more like an undercover agent than a conquering hero, how right and fitting that a special delegation would make a special effort to welcome the newborn King.

Perhaps, like me, you feel indebted to the “wise men from the East” as you read the twelve verses where they make their one-time appearance in Scripture. They are like those strangers who go the extra mile to help someone you love when you can’t be there yourself. It’s as if they are stand-ins for us.

Patrons and Pioneers. Matthew presents the magi as trailblazers. In his Gospel, they are the very first to offer Jesus the adoration reserved for God, the worship that the disciples will offer him after the resurrection (28:9,17). Not only that: These pilgrims stand at the head of a long line of non-Jewish believers that will also include Roman centurions, a persistent Canaanite mother (Matthew 8:5; 27:54; 15:22)— and most of us! As St. Augustine wrote, the wise men are “the firstfruits of the…

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