Article December 11, 1915 Issue

Journey of the Wise Men

PAUL R. HOLDEN

The experiences which befell the wise men on their journey from the East to Jerusalem, as related in the second chapter of Matthew, is of special interest to Christian Scientists, since they too pass through strikingly similar experiences on their way from sense to Soul. The Orient, where the wise men abode, was then the seat of all material learning, whence it has spread over all the earth. It is of interest to note that the wise men turned away from all this learning and the splendor of material sense and achievement. They turned their backs upon it, as it were, and set out to find the Christidea, that which was to reflect to the world spiritual light, and lead on spiritual progress.

We are usually quite content with that which fully satisfies us, and no longer look about for something in its stead. Wise men indeed were they to realize that merely human learning and human possessions, no matter how wonderful, can never really satisfy. We too, as we start out in our search for the priceless realities of Spirit, must begin like them by turning away in our thought from a material sense of life; from a belief in its claim to be that which is true or powerful or satisfying. Having believed for so long in this material sense of life, which Christ Jesus designated as "darkness," our perception of Spirit, Truth, is at first very faint, merely a star-gleam, as it were, in our "night of error," as Mrs. Eddy calls it in that wonderful first paragraph of the Preface to Science and Health. As the wise men faithfully followed the faint gleam of spiritual light which had dawned upon their consciousness, it led them on, nearer and nearer to that which they had started out to find and which they so longed to reach, — to that spiritual attainment which alone satisfies. To material sense they beheld a little babe, but their spiritual perception, which had grown fuller and deeper as they obediently followed the leadings of Truth, recognized in him, as Mrs. Eddy goes on to explain, "the human herald" of the Christ, the "light of the world."

Among the vicissitudes incident to the journey was an experience which is common to us all. The wise men met and were detained for a while by Herod. This king was, as we read, both wicked and powerful, and however unjust, his mandates were law to those over whom he ruled. Indeed his career seems to have made him a fitting symbol of all that is evil and fear inspiring. As the wise men were confronted by this apparently overwhelming embodiment of jealous pride, so we in our effort to follow the light of Truth find ourselves confronted by unjust and cruel material laws, discordant conditions, fears and trials, which seem overwhelmingly great and powerful to us. Nevertheless, if we depart from the material sense of things, we too shall again behold "the star." They could not see the star, the light of Truth, nor further follow its guidance, while their attention was fixed upon the darkness typified by Herod. Neither can we see the spiritual light which will destroy our sense of mental darkness with its fears and discords, so long as we stand listening to what error would say to us. Like the wise men, we must depart, turn away from error, if we would retain our vision of Truth.

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