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Good morning, Later today in the Chapel Royal of St James’ Palace in London there will be a service to celebrate the Feast of the Epiphany. And at that service which possibly dates back to the Norman Conquest, members the Yeomen of the Guard in all their pomp will present  gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh the gifts that were brought to Jesus by the Three Kings, whose visit is remembered at Epiphany.

Except we have no idea how many there were and they were not kings!  The number three has been assumed because they brought three gifts. They’ve been given exotic names: Caspar, Melchior and Balthasar. But all St.  Matthew’s Gospel says is that wise men from the East came to Jerusalem asking where the King of the Jews had been born for they wanted to worship him. The Gospel says nothing about their being kings. The word used is  Magi which means those who practised magic arts and clearly these magi had some interest in observing the stars for it  was  a star that led them to Jerusalem and then to Bethlehem.

But they became kings, and the stuff of art, for many pictures of the Adoration of the Magi have three figures in royal robes and even crowns. The reason for their being thought of as kings probably has to do with a verse in the Book of Psalms referring  to kings from all over the place falling down before the Messiah and another verse from Isaiah which talks of kings coming to the brightness of God’s dawning.

The real significance of the story of the Wise Men is to demonstrate that the birth of this child- this Messiah has a universal importance for people irrespective of nation, tribe or race!

Lord, remind us that in Jesus Christ, you reveal yourself to all the peoples of the earth. Amen