Matthew 2:1-12
In the time of King Herod, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, magi from the east came to Jerusalem, 2 asking, “Where is the child who has been born king of the Jews? For we observed his star in the east and have come to pay him homage.” 3 When King Herod heard this, he was frightened, and all Jerusalem with him, 4 and calling together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born. 5 They told him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for so it has been written by the prophet:
6 ‘And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah, for from you shall come a ruler
who is to shepherd my people Israel.’ ”
7 Then Herod secretly called for the magi and learned from them the exact time when the star had appeared. 8 Then he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, “Go and search diligently for the child, and when you have found him, bring me word so that I may also go and pay him homage.” 9 When they had heard the king, they set out, and there, ahead of them, went the star that they had seen in the east, until it stopped over the place where the child was. 10 When they saw that the star had stopped, they were overwhelmed with joy. 11 On entering the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they knelt down and paid him homage. Then, opening their treasure chests, they offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. 12 And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they left for their own country by another road.
This is an important and exciting day with so much to celebrate. First, it's Epiphany. Well actually Epiphany was on Jan 6th but today is when the church celebrates Epiphany. We have communion today and we are invited to ponder what the gifts of bread and wine mean for us all. We also have the ordination and installation of officers which we haven't been able to do for quite some time and although the service may be a little longer than usual there's a powerful tie, I think, between these three observances.
The story of Epiphany that we just read is known the world over. And many cultures here and abroad have a special celebration or a custom including making a king's cake. If you’re not familiar with a king’s cake, it’s shaped in a circle with three bright colors, and inside the king's cake the baked hide a baby Jesus figure. Now I know this is not good for your dental work but the idea is that if you bite into the cake and get the baby Jesus in your cake, then you're meant to have blessings the year round. The custom is particularly popular in Louisiana, because it also means that if you get the baby Jesus you are the host the king's party next year as well as the leader to kick off Mardi Gras. And that's a special celebration as you know for everyone, until Ash Wednesday, which believe it or not is right around the corner on February 22nd.
And while all of these celebrations are special, I want to do a deeper dive into the magi's activity, because I think one of the most important threads of the story is lost. As we see in our own creche in the sanctuary, the gifts that the magi offer are gifts of frankincense, gold and myrrh. Even the unchurched around the world can rattle those off. But for believers, looking into Herod's thoughts and actions is equally important. It is a perfect juxtaposition between being faithful and fearful.
As we know, the magi who were Gentiles, were priestly sages from Persia. They were known to have deep wisdom. They had also deep knowledge of astronomy as well as the gifts of interpreting dreams. So it makes complete sense that upon seeing this unbelievably special star rising in the East (which was an extremely rare occasion and thought to be a sign of kingship which was documented well throughout scriptures previous to this story) that they, themselves want to witness where the new King was.
Their activity was in direct response to the rising of this special star. They also accessed the scripture in Micah and made a choice to stop what they were doing to experience this world-altering event. Some say that they were dedicated, but also naïve, because they went straight to Herod, stepping right into the lion's den. I'd like to think that they were confident in their skills and ability to engage with a very fearful ogre because they knew they still could stay on their mission to worship a newborn king. Why? Because their actions were in response to God's activity. Herod, on the other hand, was just the opposite. He established himself as a king through military conquest, and although he was backed by the Romans, he was not well liked by the population, mostly who were Jews, and they wanted someone who had Jewish lineage and not beholden to Rome.
So when Herod hears the news of the Christ's birth, he doesn't ask where this happened, but when did this happen? He's not interested in finding Jesus so that he can worship Him. Instead he is immediately fearful and threatened and reacts to this news by scrambling together all the scribes and the priests to get all the details about this new king, his now perceived nemesis. This is sadly validated in the following text in chapter 2 when he orders all boys in Bethlehem under the age of two, in an attempt to find a snuff out baby Jesus.
So, what can we learn about these two parties as we seek to go forward in this new year with new officers and new Mission and Ministry to do? We want to look at where we too are being fearful, especially where we're being called to be faithful. We're being called to look at how reactive we can be versus responding to things that God calls us to. We all know when we react too quickly to something like when we get an email that really triggers us. If we react, we fire an email back and then sometimes later regret what we said or how we said it. When we react, we insist on our own way, with our family members, with our co-workers, with our neighbors. But responding is different. It’s about using our wisdom, and discernment. It's about having a quiet and gentle heart just like the magi. They saw the star, they knew what it meant, and then they knew what to do. Herod, on the other hand, was highly reactive and created anxiety for everyone he was around.
So, the question is, how do we do things differently this year? Maybe a better question starts with ‘where’. Where are we being invited to stretch and grow? Where do we need to start paying attention in our lives, in our faith journey, in our marriages, in our studies, in our health, in our relationships? Where do we need to place the fears that grip us at three o'clock in the morning? Where do we need to let go of blame and shame? Where are we being called to make a meaningful difference, to put aside our own agendas and hear the other, not as an enemy, but as someone who has a different perspective? Where are we being called to serve? Because the ordination installation is not just about the people who are going to do the work of the church, they are the ones who lead the church with me, as we go into the new place and in the new way that God is calling us in 2023. Where do we need to let go of places of fear? Fear sometimes is a helpful emotion because it gives us a sense that something's not quite right but sometimes it can take hold of us, and we can perseverate. When we do that, we drown out the voice of God.
Herod was driven by fear. He felt like his power was being threatened. He felt like his authority was being threatened. He felt like everything he had and knew was being threatened. But I wonder, I wonder… what would have happened to him if he actually went with the magi and sat down or even stood at afar and saw the Christ child, and saw the peace and the power that that child could bring. It kind of reminds me of the Abominable Snowman, at the end of the movie when his heart gets touched so much that he starts to weep and cry realizing what a jerk he's been. That's true for us as well. Friends, when we find ourselves getting triggered by things that make us anxious about what people say or do or don't, that's just Herod's voice inside of us. It's not God. So as we begin this 2023 year with more possibility than we could in the last two and a half (almost three years), we need to ask where God is and where is God inviting us!
Joyce Rupp, who I often quote, has a beautiful prayer for January and I want to share it with you. She writes:
“Loving God it is time to turn again to you. It is time to realize anew, that I am not totally self-reliant. This is a moment full of grace, that invites me to lift up my spirit to you, the one who gives freshness, the one who moves across my heart like a new snowfall, and erases all the drab brown memories of a year gone by. Come to meet me, God of life, reach into the mystery of myself, take me into the heart of this year and give me the confidence to Journey freely, lovingly, with risk, wonder and laughter”.
May it be so. Amen.