MARY was astounded! Yes, she had understood the shy shepherds who came to greet her son in the manger. She must have shook her head in gratitude at the beasts in the stable who kept ever so quiet as her new born baby slept, but a few months later, she was shocked, for just outside her door were three strange looking men, who though they had the mark of wisdom on their faces still looked totally dissimilar to each other.
She sighed. She was used to such strange things happening especially before and after the birth of her little child, of her cousin Elisabeth’s baby leaping for joy in her womb, of a strange angel named Gabriel, saying she would be the mother of God, coming as a baby to earth, but this..
“Yes?” she said pleasantly, even though she wondered a little fearfully whether wicked Herod had sent men in disguise to kill her little son, “Yes?” “I’m Melchior from Europe!” and Mary smiled at the white man with a strange accent. “I’m Balthasar from Africa!” Mary looked at the black man and bowed. “And I’m Caspar from Asia!” “Ah Asia,” said Mary, thinking of people there who believed in astrology and numerology. “Yes,” said Caspar, strangely reading her thoughts, “We are astrologers!”
“Astrologers!” gasped Mary catching her breath, “and what is it that has led you three from different parts of the world?” Mary did know her Geography well, and had insisted she finish school, even though Joseph’s parents had wanted her to become betrothed even while in her teens, “You have travelled far?”
“We followed a star!” said the astrologer from Africa, and Mary knew that any Jewish choir would accept a baritone like his, “A star?” she asked amused, “In the sky?” “Well you wouldn’t understand, if it was an actual star in the sky, or one that was in our astrological charts,” said the European astrologer as little too impatiently, getting a sharp glance from the two others, “Sorry,” he said, “I am a bit tired!”
From inside the room, the little Baby gave a happy gurgle. “It’s him!” the three cried together, “It’s the God for all!” “God for all?” asked Mary, looking at Melchior from Europe, Caspar from Asia, and Balthasar from Africa, “He is a God for the Jews!”
The three smiled at her, and without hesitating walked into the room, where the young child was. She watched amazed as they took out from their folds of clothing, gifts which they gave to her little one. And then she watched with even more wonderment as the baby Jesus clambered up in his crib and stretched his baby hands out to all three. Mary watched and whispered that evening when Joseph came home, “He is indeed a God for all..!”
