In 1899 Henry Van Dyke published a piece of Christmas fiction entitled The Other Wise Man.  It is a tale about the magical voyage of the three Wise Men of the East, how they traveled, guided by a single star, to bring gifts to the baby Jesus, who was lying in a manger in Bethlehem.

    But in this story Van Dyke writes of a fourth Wise Man.  This Wise Man also saw a star in the East and departed on the long, arduous journey to join the other Wise Men, bringing his precious gifts.

     In the story the three Wise Men have no trouble getting to Bethlehem; their journey is basically trouble-free.  But the fourth Wise Man experiences nothing but trouble on his journey.  First he meets a sick man, alone and dying in the desert.  Overcome with compassion, he stops and helps the dying man.  This delay causes him to miss his rendezvous with the other Wise Men.

     The result of his missing the other Wise Men is that he also misses being present at the manger when the other Wise Men give their gifts to the new born Jesus lying in the manger.

     Still, the Other Wise Man travels on.  Soon he gives away one of the gifts he had intended to give to the baby Jesus.  He does this for the specific reason that the gift will save the life of another infant who had been condemned to die by Herod's decree.

     Time after time in Van Dyke's tale the Other Wise Man stops along his life journey to help the sick, comfort the oppressed and imprisoned, and feed the hungry.

     The story concludes with the Other Wise Man despairing his arduous life.  He is very tired, and realizes that he has spent thirty-three years searching for Jesus.  He's never found him.

     But then he does. He finds himself at Golgotha where Jesus has been condemned to death on a cross.

      The Other Wise Man reaches into his pocket and realizes he has one material possession left: a pearl.  He feels certain he can bargain for Jesus' life with this.  But even on the way to bargain for Jesus' life, he encounters a woman who is being threatened with assault and murder in payment for her father's debt.  Again, he offers the pearl as ransom for her life.

     Now he has nothing and he is certain that his life is a failure.  What he intended to give in worship he has given in the service of humanity. To make matters even worse he is struck by a stone from the earthquake caused by Jesus' death and he is certain now that he will never see Jesus.
     Then, as he lay bleeding and dying, he hears a faint voice say "“ "Verily, I say unto you, inasmuch as you have done unto one of the least of my brethren, you have done unto me."

     The Other Wise Man smiles, and dies, knowing at last, that his gifts indeed were all received by his Lord.

     That is the meaning of Christmas.  Let those with ears to hear, and eyes to see, understand.

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