Novella: The Other Wise Man

Summary
Henry van Dyke's "The Other Wise Man" tells the story of Artaban, a devout and learned Persian who prepares to follow the star that led the three Magi to the newborn King. He gathers three precious gems to honor the child he hopes to find, but a last-minute act of compassion detains him and he misses the caravan. Rather than return home and abandon his quest, Artaban vows to search for the Messiah alone, carrying his treasures as pledges to present when he finally finds him.
Artaban's pilgrimage stretches across decades and continents. He continually encounters suffering and need, and each time he sacrifices a treasure or delays his journey to help the afflicted. Though he never meets the infant Jesus in Bethlehem, his life becomes a series of self-forgetful deeds that ultimately reveal the story's central truth: genuine devotion shows itself not in correct timing or ritual, but in love enacted toward those in distress.

Plot and Journey
After missing the other Magi, Artaban spends years tracing rumors and signs of the Christ child. He uses his wealth to ransom a captive, to pay for medical care, and to rescue those endangered by war and persecution. His search leads him to Jerusalem, where he witnesses the upheavals surrounding Jesus' ministry and, later, the city's fall. Each episode finds Artaban giving away a gem or risking his life to aid a stranger, and each act pushes him further from his original plan but deeper into the life of service he had unconsciously chosen.
The narrative moves steadily through scenes of mercy and sorrow: a slave girl saved at great cost, a plague-stricken family tended, refugees assisted as empires shift and violence erupts. Time ages Artaban while the promise of meeting the Messiah remains unrealized. In the end he gives away his last treasure to save a dying child during the destruction of Jerusalem and, mortally wounded, dies in an act of compassion. He is comforted by the realization that his service to the least of the world's people was service to the Lord he had sought.

Themes and Message
Van Dyke frames the story as a moral and spiritual parable about the nature of true worship. The gifts Artaban carries symbolize human plans and expectations, while his willingness to sacrifice them illustrates how love supersedes ritual. The tale insists that the pursuit of holiness can be transformed into the practice of justice and mercy, and that divine recognition comes through acts of compassion rather than through fame, correct timing, or ceremonial observance.
Forgiveness, sacrifice, and the unity of human suffering and divine presence are central threads. Artaban's persistent quest becomes an allegory for faith lived out: the search for God ends not in triumphal arrival but in humble service. The story echoes the Gospel ethos that when one cares for the hungry, naked, and imprisoned, one has ministered to God, lending the narrative a resonant theological clarity that has comforted readers across generations.

Legacy and Impact
Published in 1896, "The Other Wise Man" quickly became a beloved Christmas tale, appreciated for its gentle prose and moral power. The story has been retold, adapted, and quoted widely, often read during Advent as a counterpoint to holiday sentimentality, reminding listeners that the true spirit of the season is recognized in self-giving love. Artaban's journey endures as a moving call to compassionate action rather than mere devotion.