At the Manger: The Wise Men Monday, December 7, 2020

The wise men or Magi from Matthew 2 seem to be out of place in the nativity scene. While Mary and Joseph must take refuge in a place where animals are housed and the shepherds are simple folk who come straight from the fields, the Magi come to Bethlehem in a caravan, richly dressed, and bearing costly gifts, and that only after making a stop at the king’s palace in Jerusalem. Their perspective as influential foreign envoys speaks to the world-wide importance of the baby Jesus.