What the Magi Teach Us About Resisting Tyrants Today
The star of Bethlehem still shines — but Herod still schemes. Will we take the other road?
Dear friends —
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To my surprise, the Advent Reflection Series became one of the most widely read and shared parts of Letters from Leo in 2025.
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“And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed for their country by another way.” — (Matthew 2:12)
The Feast of the Epiphany brings us to the journey’s end for the Magi. They follow the star, worship the newborn King, and then — abruptly — “having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed for their country by another way.”
No epilogue describes their trip home or the rest of their lives It reminds me of the Easter readings of Mark’s Gospel that famously ends with an empty tomb and fearful women, offering no neatly tied conclusion.
“So they went out and fled from the tomb, for terror and amazement had seized them; and they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid.”
These page-turning moments that conclude the gospel passages challenge the reader to put themselves in the characters’ shoes and ask: what do we do now?
After encountering Christ — whether in the empty tomb, the manger in Bethlehem, or in a disheartening trial — what do we do now?
In Matthew’s account the Magi face a choice: obey King Herod’s command or heed God’s warning.
Herod had tried to enlist them in his plot to destroy the child Jesus, revealing the dark truth: when you walk the path that God has laid out for you, you will face opposition.
Christianity isn’t spa therapy — it’s a compass to guide ourselves through this difficult world in the pathway of salvation: for ourselves and for the entire world.
The wise men chose God’s way, defying Herod’s order, and so must we. Herods of our time still scheme in every corner of society.
As the late Pope Francis observed, “today, as at the time of Herod, the evil that opposes God’s light hatches its plot in the shadows of hypocrisy and concealment.”
The Herods of our day may be corrupt leaders who abuse power, cultural forces of greed and deceit, or even the inner temptations that draw us toward selfishness and sin.
We face all three of them every single day of our lives.
After encountering the Christ child, the Magi were called to dissent from colluding with evil; in the same way, having encountered Christ’s truth, we are called to resist the powerful currents of corruption and falsehood in our world.
“They departed for their country by another way.”
This “other way” was surely quieter and riskier than the road back to Herod’s palace. It meant slipping away in secret, traveling uncharted paths, and trusting God more than the king.
In our lives, choosing the path of goodness and truth is often a quiet, risky road as well.
Here’s what that can mean for us.
