Three Wise Men

The Three Wise Men of yore were, of course, the Three Wise Men from the east who came to Bethlehem bearing gifts for the new-born Jesus.  Little is known about these three, who they were, nor exactly where they came from.

The Three Wise Men that I'm referring to we do know a great deal about, and the gifts they offered were so much more precious than gold, frankincense, and myrrh.  These three came bearing the greatest gift of all--divine Love.  I'm referring to Jesus of Nazareth, to the Apostle Paul, and to "the beloved disciple", John.

JESUS AND FORGIVENESS

Jesus delivered one of the greatest religious treatise of all time:  "The Sermon on the Mount."  His message illustrates the need for all mankind to be gentle, meek, loving, and most of all, forgiving.  When Peter questioned him, "How oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him, til seven times?

Jesus answered, "I say not until seven times, but until seventy-times seven."

Jesus also said, "Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them that despitefully use you, and persecute you. . . ."

When a lawyer asked him, "Which is the greatest commandment of the law?"  Jesus answered, "Thou shalt love thy God with all they heart, and with all thy soul, and with all they mind.  This is the first and great commandment.  And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself."

Jesus put no faith in mortal life. He said: "No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon" (Mathew 6:24).

From the cross, Jesus forgave his persecutors. He said, "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do" (Luke 23:34).

After his crucifixion and ascension, Jesus recruited the Apostle Paul to continue his ministry.  Paul, it should be remembered was not at first a disciple of Jesus.  When we first encounter him in the book of Acts, his name was Saul, and he was a committed Pharisee and fierce persecutor of Jesus' followers, who had watched as Stephen, one of Jesus' devoted followers, was stoned to death.  Saul was a Roman citizen, and an educated man, who had been trained in Jewish law.

HEADQUARTERED IN EPHESUS

Paul's work in the seaport of Ephesus (the crown city of his many travels); he wrote some of his major letters while residing there. Also, Paul's theological development was at its peak in Ephesus. This is supported by the fact that he now devoted a lot of his time organizing a collection to be taken by his representatives to gentile churches for the poor in Jerusalem. ("God loves a cheeful giver", he wrote in II Corinthians 6:7). He was now confident of his own achievements but longed for full acceptance of this collection as evidence of unity between the Jewish and gentile factions of the Church.

Paul echoed Jesus' advice to look for life outside the mortal body, when he wrote:

"Therefore we are always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord: (For we walk by faith, not by sight:) We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord. (II Corinthians 5:6).

PAUL'S ADDRESS IN ATHENS

On his third missionary journey, Paul visited Athens, where he would address a large crowd.  His friend and traveling companion (Luke) recorded his visit, which appears in "The Acts of the Apostles." Very likely, his chilly reception in Athens, gives us some idea of the opposition that Paul faced, and his persistent effort to make converts of skeptics. Below is Luke's account:

"Now while Paul waited for them at Athens, his spirit was stirred in him, when he saw the city wholly given to idolatry. Therefore disputed he in the synagogue with the Jews, and with the devout persons, and in the market daily with them that met with him. Then certain philosophers of the Epicureans, and of the Stoics, encountered him. And some said, What will this babbler say? other some, He seemeth to be a setter forth of strange gods: because he preached unto them Jesus and the resurrection.

"And they took him, and brought him unto Areopagus, saying, May we know what this new doctrine, whereof thou speakest, is? For thou bringest certain strange things to our ears: we would know therefore what these things mean. (For all the Athenians and strangers which were there spent their time in nothing else, but either to tell, or to hear some new thing.)

"Then Paul stood in the midst of Mars’ hill, and said, Ye men of Athens, I perceive that in all things ye are too superstitious.  For as I passed by, and beheld your devotions, I found an altar with this inscription, TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship, him declare I unto you.

"God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands; Neither is worshipped with men’s hands, as though he needed any thing, seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things; And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation; That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us: For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring" (Acts 17:16–28).

ST. JOHN'S REVELATION

John was a former fisherman, and, perhaps, was Jesus' most inspired disciple.  Not only did he write the most spiritual account of Jesus' ministry, John did something that no other writer in the New or Old Testament could do.  He defined God.  While the prophets and the apostles had all attempted to explain the relationship of God to his worshipper, John went straight back to the source and began with God himself.  "God is spirit." (John 4:24) "God is light." (I John 1:5) "God is love." (I John 4:6)

He adds: "There is no fear in love, perfect love puts fear out of our hearts" (I John 4:18 New Life Version).

Which brings us to John's most studied book: "The Revelation of St. John." Composed around 95 A.D. this book was intended for the seven churches of Asia.  Writes one Bible scholar: "Since the message of the book is relevant to all Christians under persecution, and since the book treats of divine judgement upon the whole world, the author must have intended it to be circulated among all Christian communities."

The book consists of a series of visions granted to John, while living in exile on Potamos, an island in the Aegean Sea. Writes another Bible scholar: "The language is highly symbolic and figurative, and attempts in modern days to fit its prophecies into contemporary situations that have led interpreters into all kinds of difficulties.  It is thought by many that the symbols and figures of the book would be understood by the Christians to whom the book was first sent, but the key to their interpretation has now been lost."

Having said that, there are many wonderful, and poetic images set forth in John's Revelations, including the following excerpts:

THE BRIGHT AND MORNING STAR

  "And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband" (Rev 21:2).

"And there came unto me one of the seven angels which had been the seven vials full of the seven last plagues, and talked with me, saying, Come hither, I will show thee the bride, the Lamb's wife.  And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God" (Rev 21:9,10).

"And he showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb" (Rev 22:1).

"In the midst of the street of it, and on ether side of the river, was there the tree-of-life, which bare twelve manners of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations" (Rev 22:2).

"And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light" (Rev 22:5).

"And he said unto me, these sayings are faithful and true: and the Lord God of the holy prophets sent his angel to show unto his servants the things which must shortly be done" (Rev 22: 6).

"Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree-of-life, and may enter in through the gates into the city" (Rev 22:14).

"I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star" (Rev 22:16).

"Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth. Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honor to him" (Rev. 19:6):

Note: In composing this piece, I am indebted to the commentary and writings in "The New Testament in Modern English", by J.B. Phillips. I am also indebted to the book, "Stories of Healing: Jesus and his followers", by Mary Jo Beebe, Olene E. Carroll, and Nancy H. Fischer; to "Jesus of Israel" by Marchette Chute; and to "The New Testament: A Student's Introduction," by Sephen L. Harris.

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