Are Your Wise Men on the Move?

Nearly a decade ago, I read a little something in a children's magazine about a cute and clever way to commemorate The Day of Epiphany on January 6th. Considering I did not grow up in an orthodox, Catholic or other mainline denomination, this was a new concept to me. As someone that has always wanted to penetrate what I have been told about Scripture to get to the truth of what it really says...I embraced this little holiday completely.

Each year we pick one set of Wise Men to make the journey. This year, I chose my favorite tree ornament. The picture above shows their current location in our hallway. 

Although after all these years we don't always do it perfectly or consistently...the Wise Men making their journey across our family room, bedrooms or kitchen to arrive at the nativity, although not completely accurate...does remind me of a few things that we often forget about the real story:

• The wise men did not arrive at the stable. So while it's cute and sweet, wise men in nativity sets are not historically accurate.
• We are told that they were wise, not rich. We are making that assumption based on their gifts to Jesus and their reception by King Herod. But whether they were wealthy or not, their journey was long, arduous and at great peril to themselves and their companions. 
• Scripture hints at the length of the journey when the Wise Men do not return to give Herod the report he has requested. Herod has his own men calculate the timing of the appearance of the Star and then has all male children that age and under slaughtered. Two years is the age given. If this is two years by our reckoning, then it is three Jewish years. A person's age was calculated from birth as year one. Thus, our two year olds in ancient Jewish terms were in their third year. Whether Jesus was two or three when visited by The Magi, their journey was a great distance. This was no two week journey through my family room. (see Matthew 2 for the full story)

My entire purpose for starting this tradition was to remind myself and our children that there is always  more to the story, if we will just take the time to plum the depths of it.

On January 6th, we celebrate in a small way...either with a small gift, a little candy or a special dinner. The point is simply to remember the risk these great men took to meet the Savior. This year I need to be reminded that my willingness to leave all behind to follow my Lord needs to be just as compelling when He calls. 

As an added bonus, I have a challenge to all of the "elf on the shelf" people out there who also call themselves by the Name of Christ. I don't want to chastise you for having fun and playing the elf game leading up to Christmas...it's your family, thus it's your call. I would simply like to invite you to spend a little less time and energy on a new tradition...one that teaches history, love, dedication and determination to get to the Savior no matter the distance. Sure, there's a little gift at the end of the journey, but that wasn't the point was it? No pressure to be "good", no threatening letters when bad, or shenanigans in the middle of the night...just a passion...a fervor...a daring to risk it all just to meet my Messiah.

I think that is a tradition worth embracing.