You'll definitely notice something is missing in this story.
It's Herod. The king. The one who killed babies.
I almost didn't include the story of the wise men at all because I don't want to sanitize or change the meaning of Bible stories to make them appropriate for kids.
So why include this one?
The story of the Magi, as they're called in the gospel of Matthew, is more than just the story of Jesus being in danger, though that's definitely an important part.
But it's also the story of people outside of Palestine and the Jewish faith recognizing Jesus.
Some countries celebrate Epiphany on Jan. 6 more than they do Christmas. It's the day of gift-giving and the King Cake with its baby Jesus tucked inside.
At our house, Epiphany is a time for flags and prayers from other countries. We have a couple of wires over our dining room table, and I regularly change out what's there (because I bore easily).
Every Epiphany, we choose a different country, make food from there, and pray for the people there. This year it was Syria, which gave us a chance to talk to our kiddos about kids who don't have homes or safe places to be.
It's a small thing, but we'll keep it up to remind us that Jesus is for everyone.
Peace,
Teresa