The fourth wiseman

James Cathcart January 06, 2026 3 3

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Matthew 2: 1-12 (NIVUK)

1 After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem 2 and asked, ‘Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.’

3 When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. 4 When he had called together all the people’s chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Messiah was to be born. 5 ‘In Bethlehem in Judea,’ they replied, ‘for this is what the prophet has written:

6 

‘“But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
    are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;
for out of you will come a ruler
    who will shepherd my people Israel.”’

7 Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. 8 He sent them to Bethlehem and said, ‘Go and search carefully for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him.’

9 After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen when it rose went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. 10 When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. 11 On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshipped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. 12 And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route.

“I’m the fourth wiseman. How many many wisemen does it take to change a lightbulb you ask? Four. One to bring gold, one to bring frankincense, one to bring myrrh… and a fourth one to y’know actually bring a lightbulb! That’s me by the way, I’m the wiseman who remembers to bring lightbulbs. And string, and glue and a sewing kit and a whetstone and some spare strips of cloth and a rattle.

Although that’s not quite right. I’m not a wiseman, I’m a wise woman, but James told me that the lightbulb bit would work better if I kept that until now. What is a lightbulb anyway? James never told me.

Yes I’m a wise woman, although there’s obviously limits to my wisdom given I chose to up sticks and travel halfway across the known world with ‘Goldie’, ‘Frank’ and ‘Mervin’ over there.

I did not have gold from the treasury, frankincense from the temple, or myrrh from the mortuary to bring. Instead I brought stuff like a blanket, and a teething stick and a comb. (And I stress once again that I didn’t bring myrrh like a weirdo, who does that?)

I don’t ride up the front with the boys, it makes them feel uncomfortable and they have zero chat. A right trio of no chat Charlies. Apparently they’ve been too focused on the mysteries of the heavens to y’know work out how to have a conversation with an actual human woman. I love the smell of frankincense though, that drifts from the camels upfront. And I love too cracking wise with all the others in our group. Wisemen you see never travel alone — who would do the laundry! Who would make the coffee? I brought the coffee too by the way. Although there is not enough coffee in the world to make it through a conversation about chemical compounds with Mervin the Mundane.

I can’t wait to meet Jesus. What I’ve brought doesn’t seem like much, just what any sensible woman would want to have on hand, perfectly ordinary things. But something tells me Mary will treasure all these things in her heart.”

Prayer:

Jesus,

We come to you with the ordinary things

hearts open

ready to receive.

Amen.