“The Search Committee” Children’s Message: “Hidden Surprise”
Matthew 2:1-12 (Cakes with Jesus figurine/bean in them.)
January 6, 2008
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Today begins the Liturgical Season of Epiphany. It’s the time in our seasons of remembrance we call into focus the discovery of God Incarnate by the learned and curious, the wise men.
To review according to Matthew’s account:
1. Matthew has established the genealogy of Jesus of Nazareth (chapter 1)
2. Jesus has been born in the midst of unusual conception which turns out to be of Divine origin
3. Wise men (Magi-astrologers-RSV) from the East come on the scene in Jerusalem
4. The Holy Family flea to Egypt to get away from the wrath of Herod the Great
Matthew doesn’t waste any words on too many details, but to keep the order of the story straight, I want to remind you according to Matthew, the wise men visited first and then Joseph took Jesus and his mother and fled to Egypt…so today I’m backing up a little from last week and marking the event of the visit from the wise men from the East.
The chronological time is during the reign of Herod the Great (37-4 BC)…you remember, the ruler who was a ruthless killer. He murdered his wife, 3 sons, mother-in-law, brother-in-law, uncle and many others…not to mention all the babies in Bethlehem who were under 2 years of age.
And so, here are the learned and curious, the wise men, coming in response to their intellectual interest. They come first to Jerusalem, following an unusual star. It’s interesting…they got within about 6 miles of their destination using their knowledge of astrology.
Now, what is so significant about some astrologers coming from, say, Persia to Jerusalem? Why do we note it in our remembrance of events in the grand scheme of the Christian calendar?
Epiphany means, “showing forth” in Greek. This event in Matthew recognizes the disclosure of God Incarnate to foreigners and persons not in the immediate geographic location of what’s going on in Bethlehem. Matthew records the beginning of “people of all nations” worshipping our Lord.
Epiphany is about recognizing the Divine and the miraculous among us. How did this unfold in the birth narrative we call the “visit of the wise men?”
Well, they (not necessarily three, just “they”) came as a result of being informed of prophecy and watching for signs of its fulfillment. They were serious enough to travel a great distance to see for themselves the “King of the Jews.” Their journey was a long one. They had to put aside other things to journey to Jerusalem to answer their question. The answers were not immediately apparent for they asked of the folks in Jerusalem, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews?”
So wise men or magi—whichever label you want to use—they didn’t have ALL the answers…just a keen sense the answers could be found in the journey.
So! Let’s talk about the journey to find Christ using the features of the story of the visit of the wise men.
1. The wise men sought out the king of the Jews…they were actively looking for the fulfillment of a prophecy. They were intent enough to actually come to the city where they thought the “king of the Jews” could be seen.
Question: Have you ever been seriously curious enough to go somewhere to see what’s going on for yourself?
2. Are you actively looking for Christ? Do you expect to come into the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ? The wise men did…they spent time and money and personal energy in the endeavor. It wasn’t just on their New Year’s Resolution list.
3. Please note the wise men (magi) were human beings with all the distractions and challenges of life. They were, again, possibly a lot like you and me. In their study of their world, they found at the very least an interesting concept coupled with signs that spoke to them (the star, you will recall) which prompted them to journey to a foreign land and talk to authorities (King Herod) about their questions.
4. When they arrived at the house in Bethlehem, they were overjoyed because the star had surfaced again and they SAW the child with his mother. SO, they knew they had arrived and were in the midst of a profound situation!
5. That begs the question, “Can you tell when you are in the midst of a profound and holy situation?” Perhaps when you come for Holy Communion in just a little bit, you will sense the profound and holy situation Christ has invited you to enjoy! Perhaps you will sense the great joy of being in the presence of the Holy One. Perhaps you will be relieved to know the destination is being made one with Christ, one with each other, and one in ministry in all the world.
6. And then the observation can be made, when the wise men realized they were in the presence of someone of whom prophecy had foretold the coming, they knew what to do. They didn’t answer their cell phone, read their bulletin, take a power nap or start thinking about the football game or where they would go to each after the worship service, but they bowed down and worshiped him! They offered him substantial, real gifts—gold, incense and myrrh. They brought themselves and their material offerings to the Christ child.
7. At the end of the narrative of the visit from the wise men, Matthew says they went home by another route…avoiding evil King Herod who was waiting to do the baby harm. So, we can conclude the wise men knew what not to do as much as they knew what to do. They knew to avoid people and circumstances that would harm the unfolding of the story of redemption. They didn’t “play with fire” although they probably had the intellectual capacity to do so. But, rather they returned to their country by another route.
Christ’s birth is indeed a miracle of eschatological proportions.
Christ invites us to be a part of the journey that ends in Christ’s presence so we, too, can be “overjoyed” and changed. We, too, are invited to search, discover, and offer our gifts to Christ.
Just as the wise men from the East were included in the disclosure of the birth of Immanuel, we too are included in the invitation to accept Jesus of Nazareth as our Lord and Saviour. Christ has no ethnic boundaries but is Lord of all peoples. Christ’s table is open to all who would follow him.
We, too, are called to change the course of our current journey—to return to our daily lives as a people nurtured and transformed by the presence of Christ.
Thanks be to our God who offers us a place in the miracle of redemption. As we come for Holy Communion, may we indeed relinquish our bitterness and hatred and worry, that we might be made whole once more; through the living Spirit of Christ. Amen