Tag: Stars

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Part 2: Who were the Wise Men?

Who were the wise men, and why did they search for the new king? Matthew 2 says in part, “wise men came from the east to Jerusalem saying we have seen his star in the east… When they entered the house, they saw the young child with his mother.…”

The east is a big area, so we need to know what Eastern societies employed those who might be watching or studying the stars. China, India, and Persia are possible candidates.

China is the first that comes to mind, for they have written many things about the stars and the heavens throughout their history. But China’s Daoism (Taoism) was basically passive and stressed ethical action, and Confucianism stressed conformity as related to society, government, and family. Neither group was interested in religion or other governments at the time.

India is also an unlikely candidate because Buddhism (with its focus on the negative aspects of materialism) and Hinduism (with perhaps over 300 million gods, although possibly based on one central deity) were not interested in either the religions or the governments of other civilizations.

That leaves us with Persia. The main religion in Persia at the time was Zoroastrianism, and their priests were of a class called Magi (from whence we get magician). They were basically monotheistic. They acknowledged an evil one who was in opposition to the true Wise Lord, they believed the world would end when light finally conquered darkness, and they believed the Wise Lord was a loving God who desired communication with humans. These wise men, or scholars, studied the stars, and the languages, writings, cultures, botany, etc., of other civilizations.

They were the scientists of the day and carried status of nobility. In fact, the words “wise men” in Scripture refer to Babylonian officials who were of the Magian class. Remember also when the Jews (including Daniel who was Nebuchadnezzar’s personal counsel for years) were in captivity in Babylon in the sixth century BC, the Zoroastrians learned about the prophesies in the Hebrew Scriptures. Until about 220 AD, Zoroastrianism was sympathetic to any religion, including Judaism and Christianity, that taught kindness, justice, righteous thinking, truth, monotheism, etc.

The magi had various fields of expertise, including astronomy and astrology. Whenever a sign or star indicated a royal birth (Psalm 19:1), or when they learned of a royal birth through the communication system of the day, a delegation of three to seven was sent to acknowledge that royal event with expensive gifts fit for a king. Traveling with a caravan, they timed their arrival for when the child was about a year old (Matthew 2:11) because of the high infant mortality rate, and the visit was intended as an honor to God as well as an honor to the reigning king and the new prince.

Therefore, I believe that the Magi were monotheistic Zoroastrians from Persia, and they spread the good news of the new King throughout Persia when they returned home.

There is a small group of Zoroastrians today in India, but they believe somewhat differently than the Magi who took gifts to honor the Messiah, Jesus Christ.

Read part 3 tomorrow.

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The Impossible Dream

On November 6, 2015, our church seniors group attended Wasserman, Darion, and Leigh’s classic musical “Man of La Mancha” in the Berry Performing Arts Center at John Brown University.  JBU’s Music and Theatre departments did an outstanding job producing and presenting it.

When I watch a play or movie, I normally remain objective because I want to see what is going on. (Yes, I am the perennial critic.) That means I usually do not get emotionally involved with the story line first time around.  And because I normally remain objective, I will see a movie or play twice or more if I like it. The second or third time is when I actually enjoy the story.

The original story (Man of La Mancha) was written in two volumes in 1605 and 1617 by Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra; and was titled El Ingenioso Hidalgo don Quijote de la Mancha (in English: The Ingenious Gentleman Don Quixote of La Mancha). La Mancha means “the stain”; but the origin possibly comes from the Moors’ influence and was probably “al-mansha” – which is: dry land, or wilderness. Therefore, the title should be: The Ingenious Gentleman Don Quixote from the Wilderness.

The story is about the adventures of Alonso Quixano (pronounced Kihano). He read so many romantic stories that “he loses his sanity and decides to set out to revive chivalry, undo wrongs, and bring justice to the world.” He talked a farmer, Sancho Panza, into going with him as his squire. In the first part of the book, Don Quixote doesn’t see the world for what it is, and imagines that he is a knight in shining armor. And there are no songs in the book.

But the musical was written in 1972, and, of course, included songs. I read the book decades ago, but watched the musical seven years ago. When the orchestra began playing the theme song, I leaned over to Carol and asked, “Andy Williams?”

Carol said, “Yes.”

That was a surprise. I heard Andy sing “The Impossible Dream” for years, yet I never knew the origin of the song. When I went home and studied the words, it began to make sense. Here are the words from the brochure, written by Joe Darion in1972:

To dream the impossible dream
To fight the unbeatable foe
To bear with unbearable sorrow
To run where the brave dare not go

To right the unrightable wrong
To love pure and chaste from afar
To try when your arms are too weary
To reach the unreachable star

This is my quest, to follow that star,
No matter how hopeless, no matter how far
To fight for the right without question or cause
To be willing to march into hell for a heavenly cause

And I know if I’ll only be true to this glorious quest
That my heart will lie peaceful and calm when I’m laid to my rest

And the world will be better for this
That one man scorned and covered with scars
Still strove with his last ounce of courage
To fight the unbeatable foe, to reach the unreachable star

The words haunted me for some reason. Reading them over and again, I began to softly sing them. But as I sang, the reason for the mystical feeling began to slowly sink into my mind. In awe of the message, I stopped singing and sat down. I don’t know if Joe Darion was a Christian, but in my mind, those words speak of one man, and one man only. That song is a sermon about our Lord – Jesus Christ.

Jesus fought and conquered the unbeatable foe. He bore the unbearable sorrow. He righted the unrightable wrong. He created the unreachable stars. He gave His life for the right without questioning. He marched into hell for His heavenly cause. Jesus was scorned and was covered with scars. And the world is, indeed, better because of all that Jesus did, and all that He is. No man, and no group of men, could ever do for us what Jesus did.

Jesus is called the Man from Nazareth. The Man from Galilee. The Man of Sorrows. And the Son of Man. He came from heaven to this wilderness called earth. He is God almighty – the Creator of the heavens and the earth. Our Redeemer. Our Savior. He is the Coming King.

He’ll ultimately share His heavenly dream with you, if you live for Him now.

God’s plan is not an impossible dream.