Today is Epiphany, the Feast of the Three Wise Men bringing gifts to the Christ Child and worshiping him.
Matthew the Apostle covers their visit in Chapter 2 of his gospel.
Matthew notes that the wise men from the east (Persia, today’s Iran, because the Magi were a priestly caste in that land, and Persian scholars were very learned in astronomy for their time) saw a star in the west that meant to them an important king was born, and they decided to do him homage.
As Matthew reported, the three saw the star, journeyed to Israel, demanded an audience with Herod, and said, “Where is the newborn King of the Jews? We observed his star at its rising and have come to pay him homage.”
Herod “became greatly disturbed, and with him all of Jerusalem.” (Actually, most of the people of Jerusalem could care less. Only those close to the government — much like the parasite class of lawyers, lobbyists, aides, and bureaucrats inside the Washington Beltway — had any cause to worry.) Herod had fathered many sons by many wives, but had many of them killed because he was paranoid. So a “newborn King of the Jews” in his mind meant his “rule” and his “line” was going to come to a bad end. And well he knew the end could come for him at any time … he owed his power to his willingness to do the bidding of the Romans, and the Roman emperor could put someone else on the throne of Israel with no trouble. Most Jews despised Herod because he was a bootlicking pagan who had essentially abandoned the faith of the people (he was an Idumean whose people were converts to Judaism), and a backstabber who had the last of the Maccabees put to death. Even though Herod had the Temple rebuilt, most Jews saw him for the corrupt little puppet he was.
Herod summoned the chief priests and scribes, and asked them where the Messiah was supposed to be born. Quoting the prophet Micah, they said the Messiah was to be born in Bethlehem of Judea, a little town within walking distance of Jerusalem. It was David’s town, and the town where Jacob’s wife Rachael is buried. Herod told the Three Wise Men they would find the newborn king of the Jews in Bethlehem, and asked them to give directions on how to find the child so he too could pay him homage.
The Wise Men didn’t know it just then, but Herod figured he would get them to find the child for them, tell him how to find the child, and make it easy for him to have his guards kill the little boy. However, they eventually did get the word on what a louse Herod was, and they would visit Jesus and leave Israel without checking back with the insecure scumbag.
The Wise Men went to Bethlehem, and found the moving star had stopped over a little house. They went inside, and found the infant Jesus with Mary. They were overjoyed at finding Jesus, and they prostrated themselves before him, doing Him homage. They then opened their coffers and presented the Christ Child with gold for a king, frankincense for worship of God, and myrrh for burial of a man. The gifts accurately noted Jesus the Christ was God, king, and man all in one.
Matthew notes after the Magi left, Herod ordered soldiers to murder all male children two years old and younger in Bethlehem and its vicinity. Jeremiah the prophet foretold this atrocity with the verse “A voice was heard in Ramah, sobbing and loud lamentation! Rachael weeping for her children, and she would not be consoled, since they were no more!”
Holy Innocents, by Giotto
Herod’s hitmen didn’t catch the Holy Family, Matthew said, for an angel told Joseph to take Mary and Jesus to Egypt and stay there until he (the angel) told them to return to Israel.
Matthew is the only evangelist to cover the Magi. Luke is the only other evangelist to cover the Nativity of Our Lord, which he did in Chapter Two of his gospel. Matthew was also one of the 12 Apostles. Luke was a Greek and a convert to Christianity who worked with the Apostle Paul, a Pharisee who persecuted Christians until Christ gave him a commission to be the Apostle to the Gentiles (non-Jews).
Luke says nothing about the Magi, but he did cover Jesus’ circumcision eight days after His birth. This happened, per Tradition, before the visit of the Magi. Luke also covered the Presentation of Jesus in the Temple in Jerusalem. That was when the holy man Simeon blessed Him and the prophetess Anna thanked God the Father and testified about the Christ Child.
Since a presentation usually took place at least 40 days after birth for a male child, there is an apparent conflict. Matthew said nothing about Christ’s circumcision or presentation. Nor did any other evangelist besides Luke.
It is probable Joseph and Mary presented Jesus in the Temple before Herod decided to murder the infants and toddlers of Bethlehem.
Matthew mentioned Joseph and Mary were staying in a house. This implies the crowd of people in Bethlehem at the time of the Census had left, there was room in town for the Holy Family to be in a house instead of a stable, and Joseph was making money doing carpentry in town. Remember, Joseph did not want to expose Mary to false charges of immorality, so it was rational for them to want to live in Bethlehem awhile before coming home to Nazareth in Galilee (northern Israel).
This also implies the Magi got into Israel weeks, not days, after the birth of Christ. Joseph and Mary would have had time to go a few miles into Jerusalem for the Presentation.
It is also possible, but unlikely, that they presented the Christ Child in the Temple on coming back from exile in Egypt.
Thus, no contradiction between Matthew and Luke.
Finding the truth in anything takes judgment and common sense.
January 6 is also the birthday of Joan of Arc. She was born in Domremy, Lorraine, France, on this day in 1412. Parish records show it. Priests in the Catholic and Orthodox faiths could read and write, so they kept the records of the births, marriages, parenthood, and deaths of their people.
Joan of Arc Enters Orleans, by Jean Jacques Scherrer
There is a written record of the horribly unjust trial the English had Bishop Cauchon, one of their puppets, conduct in English-occupied Normandy to discredit and murder Joan. It exists, in Medieval Latin, on parchment, in the national archives of France. The record shows only the priests of the Inquisition spoke in Joan’s favor. The record also shows Joan was insolent, courageous, and wise.
There is a similar record of the trial Pope Callistus III (a Spaniard named Alfonso de Borja) ordered to clear Joan’s name a generation after the English raped her in prison and burned her to death in the public square in Rouen. The inquest judges, in Paris in 1455 and 1456, heard the self-serving testimony of those who railroaded Joan. They also heard from Joan’s mother and brothers who served with Joan and were wounded while futilely trying to save her from capture. They also heard from a large number of Joan’s surviving officers. Each one of these coarse studs said Joan was a comely, kind, cheerful, humorous, and desirable young woman who acted chastely, made them reform their lives, and showed charity to many.
The officers also testified Joan had a crush on Jean d’Alençon, one of the officers. They said she called him “fair duke” and “pretty duke” … endearments she used with no one else. But Joan did not act on her desires.
D’Alençon affirmed their testimony without swagger or boast. He said when Joan found out he was married, Joan was able to meet his wife and tell her that God had revealed to her d’Alençon would survive the war and return to her safe and sound, and she was making sure he was being faithful to her. This act of charity of Joan’s, one of many such selfless acts of kindness, was the cherry on top of the sundae.
Many men have been brave in battle. Only one man in history has the heart of Joan of Arc on his resume.
Joan of Arc at the State, by Jules Lenepveu
Some women have had the manliest men of their nation at their beck and call. Joan, a young woman of normal sexuality who wanted to be married, behaved herself and set a holy example for her soldiers. This was an ongoing act of saintly virtue on her part. Joan was flesh and blood, not marble or plaster.
Records of her birth, her deeds in battle, her corrupt trial, and her “rehabilitation” are all public records in France. The originals cannot be touched, but reproductions of them are available routinely.
The history of Christ, and of Joan of Arc and the other personalities of Christendom, are part of your heritage.
People recorded their great deeds. They made a record of what happened, enabling you and others since their times on Earth to learn about their greatness and draw inspiration from them.
God’s blessings on you and your loved ones, and on our military and first responders, and on the people of this great nation. The Three Wise Men would have loved to converse with our Founding Fathers as fellow learned men. And Joan of Arc would have been happy seeing America’s Finest in uniform, especially our Cajun military people, defending our nation and helping our people.
SHERLOCK JUSTICE
WE CAN SHOW YOU HOW TO BE YOUR OWN DETECTIVE.
