Description
The Star is a Wise Man
A tale of the unexpected
Premise: Like the piece, ‘You see, it were like this…’, this is a monologue more susceptible of use in the “Talk” or “Address” slot of an Afternoon or Evening Devotional/Fellowship meeting. As the character is a ‘Wise Man’ it lends itself more to the season of Epiphany than Advent.
This may seem quite a long monologue – feel free to edit!
The original Magi were very probably astronomers, astrologers and mathematicians from what is termed the ‘cradle of humanity’ – modern day Turkey/Iran, in times past the Empire of Persia. The Magi were originally a Median tribe, men of holiness and wisdom skilled in philosophy, medicine, and natural science. They were soothsayers and interpreters of dreams. Theirs was a serious endeavour, they were earnest seekers after the truth, and one part of the purpose of Matthew’s inclusion of them in the Nativity Narrative is to stress the universal significance of Jesus. Another aspect of the Evangelist’s purpose is to emphasise the truth that Jesus himself will later declare, namely, that those who seek will find.
As to the astronomical signs, in Numbers chapter 24 the Messiah is referred to as a star rising out of Jacob prophesied by the seer Balaam who himself came from the east. The gifts that the Wise Men bring are royal gifts – gifts for a king – that the Jewish Scriptures mention in Psalms 45 and 72, and in the prophecy of Isaiah 60. Thus, the birth of Jesus fulfils promise and confirms the continuing activity of God in the salvation of all people through his chosen people: ‘nations shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn.’ (Is. 60v3)
Modern astronomical study and research has shown that at around the time of the supposed birth of Jesus there was planetary activity that resulted in unusual ‘signs in the skies’. Some argue that the planet Jupiter crossing the path of Saturn in 7BC caused a spectacular brightness in the skies; others that on the first day of the Egyptian month of Mesori (which means ‘the birth of a prince’) in the years 5 - 2 BC, Sirius, the dog star, rose at sunrise and shone with extraordinary brilliance; others still that in this period the planet Venus moved on a different course than usual and was more obviously visible at different times of the day than usual.
Continues ...
A tale of the unexpected
Premise: Like the piece, ‘You see, it were like this…’, this is a monologue more susceptible of use in the “Talk” or “Address” slot of an Afternoon or Evening Devotional/Fellowship meeting. As the character is a ‘Wise Man’ it lends itself more to the season of Epiphany than Advent.
This may seem quite a long monologue – feel free to edit!
The original Magi were very probably astronomers, astrologers and mathematicians from what is termed the ‘cradle of humanity’ – modern day Turkey/Iran, in times past the Empire of Persia. The Magi were originally a Median tribe, men of holiness and wisdom skilled in philosophy, medicine, and natural science. They were soothsayers and interpreters of dreams. Theirs was a serious endeavour, they were earnest seekers after the truth, and one part of the purpose of Matthew’s inclusion of them in the Nativity Narrative is to stress the universal significance of Jesus. Another aspect of the Evangelist’s purpose is to emphasise the truth that Jesus himself will later declare, namely, that those who seek will find.
As to the astronomical signs, in Numbers chapter 24 the Messiah is referred to as a star rising out of Jacob prophesied by the seer Balaam who himself came from the east. The gifts that the Wise Men bring are royal gifts – gifts for a king – that the Jewish Scriptures mention in Psalms 45 and 72, and in the prophecy of Isaiah 60. Thus, the birth of Jesus fulfils promise and confirms the continuing activity of God in the salvation of all people through his chosen people: ‘nations shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn.’ (Is. 60v3)
Modern astronomical study and research has shown that at around the time of the supposed birth of Jesus there was planetary activity that resulted in unusual ‘signs in the skies’. Some argue that the planet Jupiter crossing the path of Saturn in 7BC caused a spectacular brightness in the skies; others that on the first day of the Egyptian month of Mesori (which means ‘the birth of a prince’) in the years 5 - 2 BC, Sirius, the dog star, rose at sunrise and shone with extraordinary brilliance; others still that in this period the planet Venus moved on a different course than usual and was more obviously visible at different times of the day than usual.
Continues ...
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