Continuing this “God is with Who?” series for Christmas, today we’re looking at the Magi and what their presence in the Xmas story means.
music is from storyblocks
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If you prefer reading, below is the script I used for this video. It’s not word for word, but it’s close enough.
STUDIO
NATHANIEL
Hi neighbor. My name's Nathaniel and
welcome to Reluctant Sermonizing. This
is the second video in our Christmas
series. In the Bible the baby Jesus
was refered to as Immanuel which
means, God with us. So our series is
called: God with who? If you missed
the first video, I'll put the playlist
at the end, and be sure to subscribe
if you haven't already.
Alright. Shall we?
TITLE CARD
STUDIO
NATHANIEL
So, the wisemen. The Christmas story
goes that a while after Mary pushed
out the baby Jesus. And after the
shepherds came and left that we talked
about last week. Some wisemen (or
magi) then showed up and paid homage
to this baby as King of the Jews. Then
they got out their air mattresses,
spent the night, and a crazy dream
that ties into some political intrigue
that we'll touch on in a couple weeks.
But the main point to telling you this
story is very simple: These are magi.
Magi participating in this divine
story. And magi are priests. They're
not Jewish priests. They're not
Christian priests. Christianity didn't
exist yet. These are Zoroastrian
priests.
Zoroastrianism is an ancient religion
that's still practiced by some today.
Freddie Mercury the lead singer for
the band Queen was a Zoroastrian. In
fact Queen has a song called "Jesus"
that ties into the story.
But back to the magi/priests, they
leave. They don't convert. They don't
become disciples. They don't ask Jesus
into their hearts. They go back East
and continue as Zoroastrians.
Ok, now, forgive me for my
pronounciations: gulaab ka phool
(Hindi), mawar (Indonesian), reste sig
(Swedish), jangmi (Korean), kufufuka
(Swahili), troyanda (Ukrainian), rose
(English).
In one of Shakespeare's most famous
works, Romeo and Juliet, Juliet is
pining for a boy who's part of an
enemy family. Shakespeare never says
why they're enemies, but if you're
familiar with the politics of
Shakespeare's time, it's not unlikely
that the fight is over religion. So
Juliet in her yearning says,
"What's in a name? that which we call
a rose
By any other name would smell as
sweet;"
She understands that a name is just a
description of a reality that it
labels. Let me say that again. A name
is just a description of a reality
that it labels.
Do you see where I'm going with this?
If one holds that there is a God, a
universal God, a living divinity,
wouldn't it make sense that others in
other parts of the world would run
into this God, this spirit, this rose
and describe it in some way that made
sense to them?
gulaab ka phool (Hindi), mawar
(Indonesian), reste sig (Swedish),
jangmi (Korean), kufufuka (Swahili),
troyanda (Ukrainian).
I'm not saying all religions have it
all correct. The stories we tell
matter. That's why I'm spending so
much time critiquing Christian stories
and interpretation because I don't
think Christianity has it all correct.
But that's not a dismissal of these
stories. No, it's an invitation to
take these descriptions of what people
saw and experienced and created even
more seriously. Because they're not
just some tool of tribal, cultural, or
spiritual warfare. Though some people
use them that way.
No. These names try to describe
something real that we humans have
been attempting to put words to for
thousands of years from every corner
of the globe and beyond.
That's not dismissing. That's seeking
evidence. That's finding that there
might be something real like divinity.
That there might be: god. with. us.
END CARD
NATHANIEL
Hey, thanks for watching. There is the
playlist to the rest of this God with
Who? series, or at least as far as
we've gotten. And be sure to hit
subscribe. Next week we're talking the
hot mess that is Mother Mary's story.
See ya then.
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