Story from a Friend:1

This past Sunday was Epiphany Sunday under the Gregorian Calendar. What is Epiphany Sunday? Epiphany is the last day of the Christmas season and is the celebration of the coming of the magi to see the Christ Child. It is often considered the first time that Jesus is presented to the world as the Christ. Epiphany Sunday is the Sunday that falls closest to the day of Epiphany. This year, that was January 4th.

The story of the magi is a familiar one. Traditionally, three wise men travelled to Jerusalem to ask King Herod where the King who was foretold by the star was. They had followed the star to Jerusalem and then followed it further to where Jesus laid. They find the child and Mary and bear gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. In the manger scene plays that happen around Christmas, the wise men visit just after the shepherds and worship the baby Jesus in the manger in Bethlehem. More likely, they arrived when Jesus was a bit older, maybe in Bethlehem, maybe not. A good friend of mine wrote a book just out of high school called The Wise Men. Notably, it is not exactly the type of story that I normally find myself writing/reading--I am much more comfortable in the thriller, fantasy, sci-fi world--but a good story is a good story. And I don't like to box myself into my comfort zone. Every now and then, a simple, familiar tale with a little twist is exactly what the doctor ordered.

The Wise Men follows a young boy named Jedediah who is the Jewish servant boy of King Herod's magus, Master Melchior. Jedediah is plagued with dreams that he is not sure how to interpret and his master does not pay them much mind at all. The dreams tell him of a star and the coming of a king, the King of the Jews. Jedediah is also plagued by shame--an accident he holds himself responsible for left an older servant, Nathanael, permanently crippled. Melchior took Nathanael in, but his presence just makes it impossible for Jedediah to forget what he had done. 

The arrival of a mass of people from across the East throws Jerusalem into an uproar. An African magus named Balthasar and his companion, Tafari; a magus from the Orient, Caspar; and a desert prince, Raheem, all brought their retinues with them in search of a king...by following a star. King Herod panics at this news and sends Melchior with them to find the new king with strict instructions to return and tell him where he is. Melchior follows the orders of the king and takes Jedediah and Nathanael with him on the journey. 

The rest of the story is of the journey, the inner thoughts of the travellers, and their personal reasons for wanting to find the king who lies beneath a star. Jedediah's dreams follow him and make him question what this new king truly is about. What should he say when he finds him? What should they tell Herod? Will the king know that he is the reason Nathanael is crippled?

I could of course tell you the rest of the story, but then why read it? The story goes from the night of Jesus' birth to the day of his death. Familiar characters other than Herod and Jesus include Mary and Jospeh, Judas Iscariot, and Pontius Pilate. Is the story a historical retelling?: no. Are creative licenses taken throughout?: of course. Does the story work?: indeed it does. The important thing to understand about this particular story is that it is not about Jesus, really, it is about those who may or may not choose to follow Him. The story is Jedediah's, but the questions he asks and the emotions he wrestles with are familiar ones, both to us and those who accompany him on the journey to the new king. It is about his past, his present, and the possibilities of his future. Jedediah is a relateable character for sure, but so are the others, in their own way. 

Perhaps it is not the best book ever written, but all but one aren't. It is a wholesome and wonderful story that reaches into the depths of your heart and lets you think about your own relationship with your past and the future Jesus offers. It would be untrue to say that the book is not religious, but it is not solely religious. It follows no strict doctrine and is not preachy in any way. It does, however, rely heavily on the Gospels as it is a retelling of the story in Matthew 2:1-12, so the undertones and some overtones are certainly that of religion. 

Not every story is for everyone and that is 100% fine. This one might be for you, though, so give it a read! Follow the link below to check it out.

The Wise Men by Sarah McGuire