Dear Friends,

At this time of year, we celebrate Epiphany and hear again the story of the wise men; journeying with them to kneel before the Christchild. Matthew’s Gospel does not mention how many wise men set out on the journey to find the new King, or indeed what their names were, but tradition settled on three: Caspar, Melchior and Balthazar. But do you know about the other wise man, the fourth one, named Artaban?

Artaban also studies the stars and believes that a new King is about to be born, a King who will be the great hope for the world. He arranges to meet up with his fellow stargazers, so they can travel together to find the King and worship him. Artaban sells everything he owns to buy a special gift for the King – three gemstones; a sapphire, a ruby and a pearl.

However, on his way to the appointed rendezvous, Artaban comes upon a man lying on the ground. Artaban tends the man’s wounds, feeds him, and stays with him until the man recovers his strength. This delay means Artaban is too late to meet up with his friends, and he uses his sapphire to buy a fresh horse and provisions for the journey across the desert.

Artaban reaches Bethlehem, but too late. The other wise men are on their way home, and Joseph and Mary have fled to Egypt with the baby King. Just as Artaban is about to leave, Herod’s soldiers arrive bringing mayhem and slaughter. Artaban pays off an army captain with his ruby to save a young woman’s baby from death. Artaban takes up his quest once more travelling first to Egypt, and then many other places searching for the King. As he travels from place to place he encounters many people who need help. Artaban feeds the hungry and clothes the naked, heals the sick and comforts the captive. Thirty-three years pass in this way until Artaban finds himself in Jerusalem, following a crowd to Golgotha where two thieves and a man called Jesus of Nazareth are to be crucified. On his way to the crucifixion Artaban gives his pearl to save a young woman who is about to be sold into slavery.
36

Artaban realises he has come too late to for the King, and he has come empty handed. He takes his last breath and dies.

I wonder how many of us find ourselves at the beginning of a new year looking back over the previous twelve months, and asking “If only?” or “What if?”. “If only I had done that instead of this? What if that hadn’t happened, maybe things would have been different?” As we try to look forward, into a new year, it can feel as though the challenges are too overwhelming as traces of the past year’s struggles keep their hold on us. Perhaps for some, the good and positive things which have happened are somehow eclipsed by sad and terrible events. For others the future is uncertain and the way ahead unclear.

But we have not heard the end of the story of the “other wise man” … Before his final breath, Artaban hears these words from his King: “Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.”

Because of course, Artaban knelt before the new King when he knelt to help the man lying in the road at the beginning of his journey, before the other wise men had reached Bethlehem. And Artaban did not come to his King empty handed. He gave his gifts of sapphire, ruby and pearl; but much more than that he gave the gift of his whole self.

Be encouraged by the other wise man. As we take our first steps into the year ahead, let us go forward with great hope that all things can be possible—trusting that God walks with us. So, let us do justice, love kindness and walk humbly with God through 2018. Linda Carter