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Guided by the Star: The Magi’s Journey to Christ
a 14 January 2025 posting on The Catalogue of Good Deeds, by Archpriest Vladimir Dolgikh
We often hear about the Star of Bethlehem in the hymns and carols of the Nativity, but how often do we pause to reflect
on its true meaning?
“The new star hung like a blazing
stack Of hay and straw At the heart of the world Unsettled by its very presence. The blaze glowed red above the world, Signifying something. And three stargazers Raced toward the call of unprecedented fires.”
For many Christians, the story of the Star of Bethlehem is a simple and cherished
part of the Nativity narrative: the Magi saw a star in the
heavens, and, guided by its light, travelled to worship the Incarnate Son of God. Yet, to
fully grasp this miraculous event, we must delve into what the Gospel text actually tells us.
At the beginning of the second chapter of the Gospel of Matthew, we read: “After
Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King
Herod, Magi from the East came to Jerusalem and asked, ‘Where
is the one who has been born King of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship
him’” [Matthew 2.1-2].
Notably, the Magi refer
to the star in the past tense, indicating that they had see it previously. Furthermore, they arrived in Jerusalem on their own, without any guidance. Upon reaching the city, they inquired of the locals about the exact location of Christ’s
birth, suggesting that this star was not, in the strictest sense, a guiding star that led them directly to their destination.
The Holy Martyr Ignatius of Antioch and Origen believed this star to be
a deliberately createt cosmic object – a unique phenomenon intended to announce the Birth of the Savior. In contrast,
Blessed Theophylact and Saint John Chrysostom interpreted the star as a rational, angelic force manifesting in the heavens.
Before returning to the idea of a rational force, it is worth mentioning the
work of the renowned German astronomer Johannes Kepler. Kepler proposed that
the star seen by the Magi was a rare celestial event: the alignment of Jupiter and Saturn in the same part of the sky. This phenomenon occurred in the year 747 from the foundation of Rome (6 BC), aligning
closely with the most widely accepted dating of the Nativity of Christ.
While I cannot make
any definitive claims to confirm or refute Kepler’s theory, I believe it is ultimately irrelevant whether the Star of
Bethlehem was the conjunction of Saturn and Jupiter or a star uniquely created for this event.
As the Russian theologian Professor Nikolai Fioletov insightfully remarked:
“The true miracle does not lie in outward events, which may at times appear ordinary, but in their inner meaning
and connection to the higher purpose.”
This understanding
shifts our focus to the miraculous nature of the Christmas Star’s appearance. Saint John Chrysostom invites us to reflect
on the remarkable journey of the Magi, who travelled from a distant eastern land – a dangerous undertaking in those
times. Not only was the journey fraught with peril, but their announcement
of the birth of a new king was equally bold, as they entered a land already ruled by King Herod.
When the Magi arrived in the Promised Land, they asked a question laden with profound certainty: “Where is
the born King of the Jews” [Matthew 2.2]. Such a question, posed to
a reigning king, was fraught with danger; speaking openly about a rival monarch
could easily cost someone their life.
What connection could Persian scholars
have had with Judea? What royal dignity could they perceive in a child lying in a cave, surrounded by cattle? These questions
defy explanation if approached solely from a human perspective. Yet, the
sequence of events, beginning with the star’s appearance, though seemingly ordinary, carries within it a marvelousness
that reveals its deeper purpose.
Chrysostom explains how often God employs
“indirect ways” to reach even the most hardened of hearts: “As
the Jews, constantly hearing the prophets who proclaimed the coming of Christ, paid little attention, the Lord brought the
barbarians from a distant country to inquire about the King born to the Jews. And
so, they first learned from the Persians what they would not learn from the prophets.”
If the star’s appearance was a purely natural phenomenon, surely other wise men in different countries would
have observed it. Why, then, did only three Magi perceive its true significance and journey to Jerusalem? Clearly, only Casper,
Melchior, and Balthasar were granted divine insight into the star’s meaning. Their journey itself was a miracle, pointing
to a higher purpose.
We can also see an important sequence in
the Gospel: the first to worship Christ were the shepherds – simple
Jews untainted by the heretical teachings of the time. The second were the Magi – learned pagans, esteemed representative
of their culture and religion, whose wisdom and openness prepared them to believe in Christ as the Incarnate Son of God.
The Gospel of Matthew also mentions another appearance of the star. A little
further into the second chapter, we read: “After they had heard the
king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen when it rose went
ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was” [Matthew 2.9].
This passage raises further questions. If the star seen by the Magi
in their homeland was a celestial body fixed in the firmament, how could it have indicated the precise location of the Holy
Family? At best, it might have illuminated a large area, which would have
been unnecessary, as the Magi already knew they were to seek the newborn King in Bethlehem.
Johannes Kepler suggests in his calculations that in the following year (748 from the foundation of Rome), Mars joined
the alignment of Jupiter and Saturn. Yet even this extraordinary conjunction cannot explain how the star guided the Magi to
a specific house in Bethlehem. The timing and precision of the event point to something beyond mere coincidence.
This brings us back to the understanding that the second appearance of the star
was no ordinary celestial event but a manifestation of angelic or divine power. If
Casper, Melchoir, and Balthasar were deemed worthy to worship Christ, there is no doubt that the Lord provided everything
necessary for them to reach their destination. As Saint Ephraim the Syrian
writes: “That star moved independently at its rising and setting, guided
by the heavenly air. It was not fixed in the firmament, but wandered freely, governed by divine will.”
This idea is further affirmed by Saint Isidore of Pelusium, who explains: “The
star heralding the Divine Birth did not move as other stars do. For the
stars, being high in the heavens, would not have provided a clear guide to the place sought.
Instead, its course was unique and marvelous, and with its extraordinary procession, it pointed, as if with a finger,
to the holy cave and, within it, to the venerable manger that cradled the Lord.”
Thus, we see a distinct difference between the two manifestations of the star. While the first appearance might be
partially explained by the alignment of the planets, the second is undeniably miraculous, with its significance far surpassing
any natural explanation.
What can we learn from this? Perhaps
the answer lies in the example set by the shepherds and the Magi. Both responded
to divine revelation with humility, faith, and action. In contrast, those who had access to the prophecies but failed to recognize
the Messiah remind us of the danger of spiritual blindness.
Let us strive to
live like the shepherds and the wise men – seeking, recognizing, and worshipping the Lord in faith and humility, ready
to follow wherever he leads.
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