| Matthew 2:11 – “On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.” |
We admire large deeds done.
- Watch people who give large sums of money to fund some great project.
- Missionaries who seem to give up the comforts we are accustomed to are afforded a specially polished halo.
But for most people, life gets in the way of doing the impressive things.
Perhaps, you need to hear the story of The Fourth Wise Man.
You know the story, told by Matthew in his gospel of the three wisemen who make their journey, guided by the star, to the manger of Bethlehem.
The story begins with a fourth, one not told in Matthew. According to the tale his name was Artaban.
Artaban too set out to follow the star according to the storyteller. He took with him a pearl, a sapphire, and a ruby to present to the King.
He was riding hard to meet his three friends Caspar, Melchor, and Balthasar at a pre-determined spot. It was also agreed that if Artaban was late, they would leave without him.
As he rode hard, he saw in front of him a dim figure on the ground. A traveler had collapsed from a fever. Now, Artaban had a choice.
If he stopped to help the man, he would miss his meeting and the chance to see the King or move on.
If he stopped, he knew he would need camels and bearers to help him cross the desert with such a sick man. He would miss his friends.
He chose to stop. He sold his sapphire to get the needed goods.
He would miss the chance to present his gift to the King.
Once his helpful task was completed, he rode hard toward Bethlehem. But he was late. Joseph, Mary, and the baby were gone.
He was pushed out of the way by a garrison of Herod’s soldiers proclaiming the decree to kill all the boy babies in the area.
Artaban was staying in a house that housed such a tender child. The fatal knock came to the door and a mother could be heard weeping in the distance.
He opened the door and buried the ruby in the hand of the captain of the guard as a bribe.
They left, and the child was saved.
The king would never see his ruby.
For the next three decades, Artaban wandered the region trying to find this king.
He came to Jerusalem, and it was abuzz. A crucifixion was scheduled. The doomed man’s name was Jesus.
The descriptions sounded eerily familiar to that told him of the King.
He quickly made his way to the place of the skull. Perhaps with his remaining pearl, he could buy the freedom of this Jesus.
But as he hurried through the street, he met a girl running from pursuing soldiers. She was crying. Artaban stopped and asked what the matter was.
“My father is in debt, and they have come to take me to sell me as a slave. Save me.” she pleaded.
Crestfallen, Artaban took the pearl from his pocket and gave it to the soldiers and they released their grip on the girl.
Suddenly the skies darkened, and the earth shook and a tile from a house fell, hitting Artaban in the head. He sank to the ground, slipping into unconsciousness. The girl pillowed his head on her lap.
Suddenly his lips began to move. ‘Not so, my Lord. For when saw I thee hungry and fed you? Or thirsty, and gave you drink? When saw I you as a stranger, and took you in? Or naked and gave you clothes? When saw I you sick in prison, and came unto you? Thirty and three years have I looked for you; but I have never seen your face, nor ministered to you, my King.’
And then like a whisper from very far away, there came a voice. ‘Verily I say unto you, inasmuch as thou hast done it unto one the least of these my brethren, thou hast done it unto me.’ And Artaban smiled in death because he knew that the King had received his gifts.
Such is the nature of the small acts of goodness. Seek them for in the minutiae of life is the crown of life.
- Robert G. Taylor
- robertgtaylor.com
