2. The Wise Men and the Star

(Matthew 2)

In other lands besides the one in which the Christ-Child was born, good men often talked together of the promise of his coming to the world. One night, in a far-away land, a wise man who liked to study the stars, was looking up into the sky, and saw a star he had never seen before. “There is the star of the Christ-Child!” he cried; “I will go and find him and take him a gift of gold!” So he mounted his camel and started. Soon he met another man riding a camel. This man said, “Where are you going?” “I have seen the star of the Christ-Child,” he said, “and I am going to find him.” “I saw the star too, and I will go with you,” said the man; “I shall give him a gift of my sweetest incense.” Soon they met a third man riding on a camel. “I too,” he said, “saw this wonderful star, and am seeking the Child-King. I have for him a gift of myrrh, my most precious perfume!” So they journeyed together—on and on—ever following the star until they came at last to the little town of Bethlehem, and the star stood shining over the little house.

“Ike! Ike!” each traveler shouted to his camel. This meant “Kneel; kneel!” The camels slowly knelt down; each man put his foot on his camel’s neck, stepped upon the ground, and went into the house, where they saw the young child and fell down and worshiped him. Then they opened their bags and gave for the Star-Child their best gifts, of gold, and frankincense, and myrrh, such as were given only to kings. Some time after they returned home to their study of the stars again, but they never forgot the star that led them to the Child-King who was born to bring to the world “peace and good will, good will and peace.”