Matthew 1-4

Reading for Wednesday October 2, 2019

Matthew 2: 11-12
And going into the house they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh.  And being warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed to their own country by another way.

My take:
     The wise men weren't necessarily smart men.  The translation to wise is appropriate because they were receiving instructions from God.  These men were not Jewish and may not have previously known of God at all.  But God communicates with them the importance of the birth of Jesus, and instructions not to return to Herod.  What did these wise men know about Jesus that would inspire them to make such a long and dangerous journey and bring such valuable gifts.  The Bible's account of the wise men is very well known, but it is a short story.  According to Syriac texts of the account, the wise men had experienced a vision of the entire life, death, and resurrection of Jesus.  When they left, they returned to their homelands, maybe India or Arabia, and started a church.  This is a legend.  It's not Biblical, but it does kind of make sense.  If the wise men knew enough to make the journey, why wouldn't they have gone home with that knowledge.  Would not have their lives been changed by having met Jesus?  People who truly know Jesus, follow Him.  So...

What happened to the wise men after they left Bethlehem?

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Finding relics and artifacts

The wise men came from the east, could be India, could be Arabia, we're not sure; but they "for sure" now reside in Cologne, Germany.  In Cologne Cathedral you will find an intricately carved, all silver and gold, triple sarcophagus containing the remains of three men.  We'll call them "wise" men.  The bones came to Germany in the 12th century from Milan, Italy.  Question:  Why were they in Milan if they were from the east?  Turns out Milan got them from Constantinople.  2nd Question:  Why were they in Constantinople if they were from...  A guy named Constantine, along with his mother Helena, decided to Rule Rome, legalize Christianity in the empire, and collect relics.  So he acquired the bones from a reputable dealer of 300 year old dug up dead people in India, and entrusted their safe keeping to the Bishop of Constantinople in 314 A.D.  From there they... well we've already told that part of the story.

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Art & Architecture

Adoration of the Magi 
Oil on Panel by Peter Paul Reubens  (several versions 1618- 1624)
Royal Museum of Fine Art  in  Antwerp, The Netherlands
Musee des beaux-arts  in  Lyon, France

The Seven Sorrows of Mary (2nd panel of 7)  Flight into Egypt
Oil on panel by Albrecht Duerr 1496
Gemalde Gallery  in  Dresden, Germany

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