For Sunday, January 2 list readings provides a sermon on Matthew 2:1-12, but I've already proposed a sermon on this text for Christmas Day, December 25. I come back. There is also a proposal on our list of Matthew 5:1-12. I've already proposed a sermon on this subject last year for Sunday, November 1, 2009. I also refer you. I propose therefore to this day a Christmas story on the theme of Matthew 2:1-12 fourth mage. We can have fun looking for what is completely invented and which still relies on details according to the story. With you to find them. I did the exercise with the catechumens entrusted to me this year, the answers are not so easy to find.
The fourth mage.
There's a character that is poorly understood or even that we do not know, this is the fourth mage. Everyone knows Gaspar, Melchior and Balthasar , Thomas but who knows? Yet his story is not without interest.
He did not come from afar, he has not traveled much, he does not travel at all. He was born in Jerusalem. He is a shoemaker by trade. He is very skilled in his art. He made shoes for King Herod, he also has crafted the slippers of the High Priest. But hush! is also Prince! Do not say because King Herod would not like that. The grandfather of his grandfather was already before him. They all descended from the family of the great King David. As him, his family came from Bethlehem, a small village not far away. But if the tyrant in place knew it, we would not dear in his life, he would quickly shorten , however, be discreet.
It does not go directly online course, his ancestor was the son who was born to David that his beloved concubine and who came from Moab. History has forgotten his name. Rachel may or Rebecca or Roxane. In other words his line was not very pure, and its origin Royal blurry. Anyway its ancestor, the son of David was handsome, even beautiful, eyes, embers, and wavy long hair, brown with red hair, high stature. This is not to believe him, Thomas was a carbon copy of his ancestor, which itself was strangely like his father David.
Forget the past. For now it was just a cobbler! Oh David, if you saw your little son! But we must live and Thomas did not complain of his trade as a craftsman, rather it provides them deepen the Scriptures. And that was his passion . That's why he was not surprised when the events we'll tell occurred. He had read in the scriptures that this should happen.
He had read the stories of the prophets, this strange prophecy of the prophet Micah: Micah 5 / 1
1 And you, Bethlehem Ephratah
you who are little among the thousands of Judah, 
From you come for me
one who will rule over Israel
And whose originated in the distant past,
the days of eternity .
But besides the great King, which could come from this little village?
He had also read in the stories of the prophet Isaiah:
: "Hear me, you the descendants of David. Looks like it's not enough to exhaust the patience of men, and you must also exhaust the patience of my God. 14 Well! the Lord himself will give you a sign: the young woman will become pregnant and give birth to a son. She will appoint Emmanuel "God with us". 15 The child will be fed cream and honey until it is able to refuse what is evil and choose what is good. Isaiah 7: 14
course everyone knew that Isaiah had announced the birth of King Hezekiah, who saved Jerusalem from Sennacherib seat but was not that weird that all these texts arise in same time clerical and part of his memory?
And then night: it was a dark ink, the stars shone with intensity but without really informing the campaign. The cold air made the time suitable twinkling stars. Strangely a star remained fixed in the sky. It was Venus, the evening star, a planet that we see on the horizon at the beginning of the night. Astrologers had said that the temple of the planets were in conjunction, ie they had arisen together in the sky. Such a phenomenon was rare, it usually announced a major event in human history. The star do not really sparkled, as the planets do not twinkle, but it gave a strange light.
Then a caravan arrived. It was already dark and everyone had closed doors and shutters. characters sumptuously dressed down from their camels and asked kindly but very emphatically that they are received at the palace. They imagined that the old fox Herod was going to disturb them they were wrong. Well no. After dealings usual he ushered. Nobody knows what happened to inside. Yet the Gazette the next day claimed that these illustrious personages were looking for a child, and besides a royal child. was told it was also a delegation of princes came to worship in Jerusalem. But why were they went to Bethlehem where there was no sanctuary? Why were they so crowded that the company's shoemaker never saw more? Many questions why we have no answer.
In the morning, after many salaams and in great excitement, they went on their camels. But strangely the youngest, who was light skinned and hung his gesture n'enfourcha not the animal. "There is one missing," he had told the other two. They planned together.
Indeed is it not true that these kings came from the 4 corners of the world? One was black and came from the south, another had his eyes crinkled up and down the East. He skinned who had spoken came from the North.
"He who comes from the West, where he ? He asked.
"But in the west, there is nothing! "It was the answer.
"Anyway, there is one missing and I know that it is necessarily there, otherwise our trip would not make sense and prophecies have lied. "He replied.
he said he had four witnesses, carried by winds to the 4 ensure the birth of the king who would rule the world. He did not budge.
You know that history will vindicate him. It took four witnesses, the 4 Evangelists to witness the coming of the Messiah! Yet the 4 evangelists were neither kings nor princes, and they will come too late. It was therefore 4 princes. We had three. Who was the fourth? It could not be Herod, of course. So who was he? You guessed it, I suppose!
Undoubtedly Your intuition was correct, the fourth came from the West was the one who was already there, a native of Jerusalem, but it was still necessary to find, recognize and decide to follow them.
Not difficult! We spoke to the shoemaker's shop was already open. The beautiful artisan was questioned harshly
- "And you, man, do you know if there is a descendant of the great king in this city? "
Without disturbing he said
"It's probably me, you're looking for my family descends from the great King"?
How could he betray himself thus? By telling the truth he put themselves in danger ? His height, his personable nature, her hair red highlights such as David attested without any doubt of its origins. We did not seek further evidence. Without discuss, he was forced to follow, because it is not by accident that we had knocked on his door. Fate had appointed and set off with them. To escape the wrath of the king, when everything is finished, he goes with his companions and never return to Jerusalem. This is probably why he was forgotten.
Coincidentally, a camel was still available and 3 they were, they became 4. We then remembered the prophet Ezekiel had a strange prophecy about four mysterious characters:
4 Here's what I saw: a gust of wind came from the north. There could be forms of four living creatures had a human appearance. Each had four faces and four wings. under each of their four wings, there was a man's hand. These hands were round 
born in the four directions as their faces and their wings. . They walked right in front of each home. They went where they wanted without having to turn their bodies. 13 between living beings could be seen as flaming embers could be seen moving kind of torches. The fire was dazzling and lightning flashed by.
.
Scientists decided afterwards that these were the four Gospels, but we see it, it was more of the 4 kings, the most beautiful, biggest, was born here in Jerusalem in the city of the great King. Could it be otherwise?
Buoyed by the enthusiasm of shepherds who had been awakened by a concert on 4 heavenly kings took the path that you know, it was not very far, it was a day of walking and without currently browsing Her, they found the child in its mother's arms, warm the bottom of the caravanserai! But it was not an ox or a ass blowing on him to warm up, a whole herd. Thus, Thomas realized that the prophecy was fulfilled Isaiah:
1 Arise, shine, for thy light appears
And the glory of the LORD risen upon thee.
2 For behold, darkness covers the earth
And deep darkness the peoples; 
But on my side LORD rises,
On you appears his glory.
3 The nations will walk by your light
and kings to the brightness of your dawn.
Lift up your eyes and look around
They come to you
And flocks of Kedar shall meet every home.
.
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