Third Sunday after Epiphany

 The unveiling of Jesus’ Mission

1/26/25

Today we celebrate the third Sunday after Epiphany. Last week we talked about the subtle unveiling of Jesus’ ministry through the calling of his first disciples and his quiet miracle. I say quiet because he shared it only with his disciples and the servants who were at the wedding. No other person at the wedding was even aware of what took place, although I am sure some of the servants spread the word. This week we will be reading about Jesus’ first public announcement of who he is and his mission.

Since returning to Galilee Jesus has been visiting the synagogues to teach. According to Luke, many have heard him and he has received much praise. In our passage for today he returns to Nazarath, his home town, and takes his place in the synagogue. Luke tells us that Jesus stood up to read and a scroll was handed to him. It was the scroll that contained what we would call the book of Isaiah.

Jesus would have been familiar with this, and likely, any scroll that was given to him. Jesus then moves through the scroll to locate a specific passage. It appears that he is choosing the passage that he wants to read, and not that it was a specific expected reading for that day.

Jesus finds Isaiah chapter 61 and he reads “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” After completing the reading, Luke tells us that Jesus rolled up the scroll, returned it to the attendant and sat down. All the eyes in the synagogue, according to Luke, were on Jesus. Jesus then says to all in attendance, “Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.”

Was this a miracle? There was no great show of power. Jesus just read a passage and then told the people that today, in Him, this scripture was fulfilled. How did the people listening hear such a statement? What did that statement mean to them? While they may have only heard rumors from some servants that a miracle had been performed, they were familiar with Jesus. This text told us that he had been traveling and speaking in the region for a while since his baptism. It also tells us that he had been drawing a crowd, but it does not specifically tell us why. We are left to just assume that it was the content of his message, perhaps his confident delivery, that was speaking to the people.

This message was different. He did not teach a lesson, or make a theological point. He read a passage that every listener would have been familiar with, and then he sat down. The next words he spoke, well chosen I am sure, were not the start of a meaningful homily. His next words were a statement of his mission. He was proclaiming to be prophet to his people in the line of Isaiah. He spoke of comforting, freeing and healing the people of God. He equated himself to be the one to usher in “the year of the Lord’s favor”. These were not simple words that would have been spoken lightly or heard passively. Everyone in the room would have felt the impact of the claim Jesus was making.

So the question is, how did they respond? Perhaps some looked around to see if a blind man would suddenly shout, I can see. Many may have sat back in disbelief that Jesus, or any man among them, would make such a statement. But some may have thought back to the story they heard from others who felt the Spirit moving among them when Jesus came up out of the Jordan after John baptized him. Others may have thought of the story that they had heard about the wedding in Canan. There were probably some who thought about the things they had already heard Jesus say at an earlier visit to the synagogue and asked themselves, could this be true?

It strikes me that this event is very different from the event at the wedding. At the wedding something happened that could not be explained, but only a small number of people actually knew what took place. Today in the synagogue no unexplainable event had taken place, but an unquestionable line had been drawn. It was no small matter for a person to claim to be a prophet. Even more, a great prophet who had come to bring in the Lord’s favor. The people had to have been jared to their core to hear this young carpenter turned preacher speak in such a way.

We don’t know what else Jesus went on to say that day in the synagogue. All we know is he boldly proclaimed his mission. We also know from what follows that he received every kind of response. There were people who were angry. There were people who were confused and wanted to hear more. However, there were also people who were moved at that very moment to want to hear more and follow this man. 

Jesus took this moment to take a subtle action, words only, to proclaim his mission. He claimed that he was filled with the Spirit of the Lord and that he had come to be a messenger to the people. Now it was with each individual to search out their own feelings and choose how they would respond.

I think it is fitting that message was so simple, with no fanfare, no divine display of power. In our lives we will face ten thousand everyday events for every divine moment. Perhaps we will see ten million such moments without ever feeling that something divine is behind it. Still, we have to choose. We have to look deeply into the world around us, at what we see and hear, but also at what we feel and somehow know. The calling of the Spirit on our life is usually far less dramatic than pouring water into an empty jar and then dipping out wine. We have to listen deeply to hear the still small voice speaking into our life, just as Jesus’ voice spoke at the synagogue leading up to this day. We have to ask ourselves what we are hearing and what it means. What are we being shown, or invited into?

We can live our lives jumping from one big event to another, but what would we miss? What is right in front of us, guiding us, helping us to understand how to live and how to be? We can ask ourselves what we would have done on that day? Then we ask ourselves what we have already seen or heard. In what ways have we encountered the divine already and know that Jesus is speaking truth? Despite all the bad things we see around us, do we already know that we are living in the Lord’s favor? Living in the favor of the Lord does not mean life is all ease and pleasure. It means that life is meaningful. The favor of the Lord is upon us when we know that all we do is to His glory. When we can sit in comfort, knowing that even if this moment is uncomfortable God is with us. Every day that we face will be full of challenges and choices, actions and consequences. We can hardly control the outcome of anything, but we can choose how we will play our part. We choose the effort that we give. It is in that effort that we can be in union with God. 

Jesus has told them who he is, and we have been told as well. Jesus invited them to put their trust in God, through him, and we have been invited as well. The Spirit that filled Jesus fills us. We need not search for it, but only open ourselves to it. I would say that no more miracles are required for us to acknowledge the power of the Spirit in the world around us. We just have to choose to believe what we have already seen, and to act as the Spirit would lead. That is the action I encourage today, and every day. See the world around you, the good and the bad, and see where the Spirit is at work, and see how you can put your efforts in the direction of the Spirit. Choose to act today for the purpose of God and see how the world can be moved.

Thanks for reading.

David

Want to know why I am writing these articles? Look here.

You can find all of the readings for today at this link.

https://www.episcopalchurch.org/lectionary/Epiphany-3C

Second Sunday after Epiphany

 Jesus’ Miracle at the wedding

1/19/25

This week is the second Sunday after Epiphany and we will be looking at the miracle at the wedding feast in Cana. A link to all of the scripture for this week can be found at the bottom of the page. The Gospel passage is John 2 1-11. The first verse of chapter 2 starts with “On the third day there was a wedding…’. I don’t know about you but this made me ask, on the third day of what? What is this the third day of. It seems like a strange way to start a new chapter. So I had to begin by looking backwards.

John 1 begins with the introduction of Jesus as the Word. I am sure this is something we will spend some time talking about, but not today. The next part of chapter one introduces us to John the Baptist (not John the writer of this book). It tells us a little about what John has been doing and how he has testified about Jesus. This second section ends by telling us that John is at the Jordan River in Bethany as he is baptizing and testifying about Jesus. Neither of these sections make any reference to a day or even a timeline. What seems to be clear is these two sections are setting the stage at a very high level. First it tells us who Jesus is, and then it tells us what John is up to.

The next section begins “The Next Day…” which indicates to me we are leaving the introductions and begin to talk along a timeline. So the next day, day 1, Jesus comes by where John is doing his preaching. Then without telling us directly it seems that John baptizes Jesus, and then following the baptism he testifies to what he sees take place. He concludes by stating that Jesus is the Son of God.

The next section begins once again with “The next day…”  and John speaks to his disciples about Jesus as he once again passes by. This time two of John’s disciples get up and follow Jesus. One of them, Andrew, goes to tell his brother Simon Peter that they have found the messiah and are following him. Simon Peter follows along and Jesus greats him and welcomes him into this small group.

By now you may have a guess as to what is coming “The next day…” Jesus has decided to leave Bethany and travel to Galilee. So here we are on day three of these events. We have gone from an introduction of Jesus and John through a three day progression that starts with a focus on John, but transitions to a focus on Jesus. On this day, as they travel, Jesus begins to call his first disciples. He already has a couple of John’s disciples as well as Peter with him, but they came based on the word of John. Here we see Jesus making the initial contact with people who quickly drop what they are doing to follow him.

Now we have reached our passage for this week and it begins “On the Third day…”. So in three says we have gone from Introduction of Jesus and a quick review of John’s ministry to the establishment of Jesus as a ministry in his own right with a small group of followers. So what happened on the third day? Jesus arrives in Cana, which is in Galilee, where Jesus decided to start traveling to as he called his first disciples, and there is a wedding taking place.  

As I read this it really struck me that this was quite a rapid progression in the life of Jesus. Likely these events took place shortly after the 40 days that the other Gospels tell us Jesus spent fasting in the wilderness. In these three Short days our narrative moves from focused on the ministry of John to Jesus. John was in the river drawing crowds and talking about the Messiah who is to come and Jesus walks by and is Baptized. Day 2, Jesus is still hanging around and John inspires some of his own disciples to connect with Jesus. Day 3, Jesus moves out from the region John is preaching and begins to establish his own ministry. As I thought about the phrase “On the third day” I could not help but think about other places that we hear that phrase. The first to come to mind was “On the third day he rose again”. We say it every time we read The Apostles’ Creed. But that isn’t all. Jonah was in the belly of the fish for three days. Abraham travelled with Isaac for three days, and then he laid eyes on the mountain where he was to make his sacrifice. Before crossing the Jordan river into the land that God promised them Joshua had the Israelites spend three days in prayer, to prepare themselves. There is something going on with these three day periods.

So before we even look any further into what happened at Cana, let us think a minute about what is going on. Why didn’t Abraham just take Isaac three hours away from his home in order to offer his sacrifice. What was that three day journey like for Abraham and Isaac? Isaac was probably excited. He and his father were going to worship God alone, and God was going to provide the sacrifice when they got there. What a powerful experience for him. Probably less enjoyable to Abraham. For three days he was considering what God had asked of him. God had made a promise to give Abraham a legacy of descendants through Isaac, but now he was asking him to put him on the altar as a sacrifice. What was God’s plan? How could he give up the son he had waited so long to have. How would God fulfill his promise? After three long days Abraham was faced with this great task from God, and he had to choose. We know how it turned out, but Abraham did not, especially for those three days. He just walked and talked with Isaac and in the end put his faith in God. What a transformational moment in his life, more so because he spent three days building up to.

The story is similar for Jonah, and for the Israelites on the banks of the Jordan river. They faced monumental tasks. They believed in God, but they also saw their situation and not just a passing glimpse. In both of these cases they sat and viewed their circumstances and evaluated their faith and then decided to act.

So three days was a significant period of time for many of God’s followers from the start. A time that turned Abraham from a father of one, to a faithful servant of God and a father of nations. A time that turned Jonah from an unwilling prophet into a spokesman for God who turned the hearts of a City. So perhaps in these three days we see the journey of Jesus from a carpenter who loved God into something more. Into the Son of Man that was ready to bring his message to the people. What amazing things God can do in three days.

Now, before we return to Cana I have to make a small confession. I don’t know that the third day was the same day as the third “the next day” in these passages. One commentator said that from Bethany to Cana was a three Day Journey across Galilee. Ok, maybe this was the sixth day after Jesus was baptized and not the third. But I think either way the writer's choice to note that “On the third day” Jesus arrived at the wedding was significant. I think it invites us to look at all that God has done in so little time and ask what could God do through us on the third day, if we joined in right now.

Now, back to our hero in Cana. Jesus, and his newly formed group of five disciples, arrive at a wedding. Jesus’ mother is there and appears to be helping with the refreshments. It is likely this was a family member's wedding and it is typical for various members of the family to help to serve and provide for the feast. The servants come to Mary and let her know that the wine has run out. Mary turns to Jesus and says simply “they have no more wine”. To which Jesus asks, what does this have to do with me? Apparently Jesus hadn’t been given responsibility for refreshments for the celebration. He goes on to say that his time has not come. Maybe he had a feeling that his mother was asking him to perform a miracle, and not just go buy some additional wine. Mary’s response was simple. She does not even address Jesus’ question. Instead she turns to the servants and says “Do whatever he tells you”. I think maybe Mary knew something that Jesus was still working through. Mary knew that Jesus’ three days had passed and now was his time. He had passed through his transition from God fearing carpenter to messianic minister. But she did not argue her point to Jesus. She did not instruct him to take action. She did not rebuke him for not stepping into his appointed role. She simply told those who were waiting to do what he said, and she went on her way.

While the miracle of turning water into wine is amazing, maybe it isn’t the greatest lesson we can take from this event. The miracle was part of the epiphany, at least for the disciples that witnessed it, that Jesus was more than a man. But the subtle actions and quiet guidance of a mother is something that everyone can take something from. Mary has been quietly watching Jesus from the day he was born in a stable. The wise men came proclaiming the appearance of the star in the East, and she hid that in her heart. Jesus stayed behind at the temple causing his parents to have to search for him, for three days according to Luke’s Gospel, and when they found him talking to the priests everyone was amazed, and Mary hid that in her heart. Mary was always watching Jesus as he grew and developed. So it only seems right that now, after another three day transformation, that she sees more in him then he is ready to step into. So she just opens a door and invites him to step through.

In our lives we have probably experienced both sides of this event. We have probably been a new member of a team, not feeling ready to fully participate, when a coach or boss encourages us to step out. How we were encouraged has a massive impact. Were we shoved out or gently encouraged? Did we feel invited and supported or did we feel crushed by expectations? How we feel can often have a far greater impact on the outcome than how ready we are. 

We may also have been in our workplace watching a new, young employee growing into their position and knowing they are ready for more. We have probably seen hesitation at taking on a responsibility that seems too heavy. We know that the other person may think the risk is too great and they would prefer to just hang back. However, we see that they are ready. We know that they may need support, but we know that we are ready to give it. How we express our confidence in them may determine how they move forward.

We have a multitude of opportunities to take the role of Mary. If we pay attention to the people around us we can get a sense for who they are and what they are called to do. Mary knew who Jesus was, and who he was meant to be at his fullest. So she he opened the door. We can not overlook the first part of the process. Mary watches Jesus. Are we taking the time to get to know the people around us? Are we opening doors when we can, and inviting them into a higher version of themselves? I think this is the greatest thing we can do for the people around us and for our community and beyond. However the first step is to develop the relationship that lets us know who a person is, and where they are going. The second step is to see the opportunities that are around them, and to open the door. What relationships are you building and what doors are you watching for others that will help them step up into something more than they are today?

Thanks for reading.

David

Want to know why I am writing these articles? Look here.

You can find all of the readings for today at this link.

https://www.episcopalchurch.org/lectionary/Epiphany-2C

First Sunday after Epiphany

The Baptism of Jesus

1/12/25

Today is the First Sunday after Epiphany. We will continue to look at the miracles that proclaimed the arrival of Jesus on earth. Today we will be looking at his Baptism as found in Luke Chapter 3. You can find the link to all of the reading for today at the bottom of the page. Today I am going to be focused on the last 2 verses of the Gospel passage.  Luke Chapter 3 verse 21 & 22 say:

21 Now when all the people were baptized, and when Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, the heavens were opened, 22 and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form, like a dove; and a voice came from heaven, “You are my beloved Son;[a] with you I am well pleased.”

    First off we want to recognize that here in one sentence we see all 3 persons of the Trinity. We see them and are being told how they interact with one another. However, before we get to the message, let's think about how this message came first to Luke and then on to us. Luke was not a disciple of Jesus or John the baptist, in fact Luke was not even Jewish. This means that the chances of Luke being at the river to witness this event is zero. So who was Luke? Was he an early gentile disciple that came to Jesus soon after these events and heard about them from his disciples? No. Luke was a gentile who was first reached with the gospel by Paul, after Paul's conversion on the road to Damascus. So Luke didn’t spend much, if any time, with the early followers in Jerusalem.

Why does that matter? I think it matters because of how Luke tells the narrative of the events. This is not the only time that Luke gives us a narrative about sights and sounds from Heaven. In Acts chapter 9 Luke writes about Paul’s conversion. This too was an event he was not present for. Luke is very clear in that retelling that everyone present saw a bright light, but only Paul heard a voice. Also it was only Paul that was impacted so significantly by the bright light that he was blinded. From this sorry we can see that the details, as given to him, are important to Luke and that he passes them on. We can assume that Luke heard this story from Paul as they travelled.  He may have also heard it from the perspective of some of the men traveling with Paul that day on the road. He then makes it clear to us that while both Paul and the others saw a bright light it was only Paul who heard anything. 

In our passage today Luke gives no mention of different experiences for different people. We know he wasn’t there and neither was Paul or any of Luke’s future travel companions. He makes no attempt to explain where this information comes from. To me, that is an indication that he is telling a narrative that is widely known and broadly accepted by the people who will be reading this account. Luke did not have to say “Peter and John said they saw …” or “Peter told me that Jesus told him that he heard a voice”. He did not need to qualify the source of this event, I believe, because it was so broadly known because everyone at the river that day walked away talking about it.

That means that it was not just Jesus that saw a sign from heaven and heard a voice. It was not just the men traveling with Jesus that heard it and told the crowd about it. It was a visible sign and an audible sound that reached the eyes and ears of every disciple of John, follower of Jesus, interested passerby, and even Roman soldier that was at the river that day.

Now it does not tell us about any Roman soldiers, I am speculating. But it does remind us of the great enmity between John and Herod. It is very likely that Herod was using the Roman soldiers at his discretion to keep an eye on someone that was causing him so much trouble. However, it is not really important who was a witness to the event, what is important is that there were so many witnesses. It is significant that it was a public event viewed by all types of people.

It is significant because it is those people, those witnesses, who were the audience. This message, while spoken about Jesus, what not for his benefit. As we have said the Trinity, Father, Son and Holy Spirit are separate in nature but one in purpose. Jesus did not need to see the Spirit descend or hear encouraging words from the Father. Jesus tells us more than once in the Gospels that he is speaking out loud to the Father, not for the Father’s sake, but for the benefit of the people with him. Jesus makes it clear at the raising of Lazarus that he knows that God hears him always (without speaking) but that he is speaking aloud so that those watching will know that God responds to Jesus’ words.

So this great event by the river was not God the Father blessing Jesus and sending him out on his mission. This was not the moment that God, the Divine, entered into Jesus, the man, through the Holy Spirit. Those things are said by some, but that is not what we believe about the Trinity. Jesus was not a Man made divine by the Spirit. Jesus was Divine. Likewise, the Spirit of God is the full divinity of God in the form that hovers over the waters at creation and enters into the heart of man.

Let us get back to the river. Luke tells us that all the people, including Jesus had been baptized and that Jesus is now praying. This may be that quiet unspoken piece between Father and Son as they prepare to invite the people into the mission of Jesus. First it tells us “the heaven was opened”, I think this is the bright light that Luke talks about in Paul’s encounter. Second Luke tells us “the Holy Spirit descended upon him in bodily form like a dove.” What does this mean? Did the Spirit look like a dove as it descended? Perhaps it was just a concentrated ball of light that descended as a dove would descend onto a  branch. We don’t know for sure, but what we do know is it was visible. God the Spirit was manifesting himself in a tangible way that the people along the river could see. Then finally Luke tells us “a voice came from heaven, “You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.”. But remember, this message was not news to Jesus. It was the outward, audible manifestation of the reality that existed from the beginning between the Father and Jesus.

So what did this message mean to those who heard it? It meant that the Divine God who spoke to Moses through a burning bush that was not consumed was now giving his public endorsement to this young preacher that many of them were beginning to hear speak. It meant that a sign, like the burning bush, was sent down from heaven for them to see, to draw their attention to what was taking place with Jesus. The message defined who Jesus was, my Son, and made it clear that God was pleased with the acts Jesus was undertaking.

So what are we to do? We may have never seen heaven open so that anything could descend like a dove. We may not have heard a voice that endorses the actions of Jesus or anyone else. Or have we? Think back to a time when you struggled with a decision, or a time when you just needed some encouragement to get through a tough time. Perhaps the phone rang as you sat in your chair with your head in your hands and the voice on the other end spoke some simple words, but hope sprang up in your heart. They reminded you that this is not the first time you have faced trouble and for some reason that did not pile on more discouragement, but opened up a door to hope. Yes, this situation is hard, but so were so many others, and you have made it through.  The person hangs up, you don’t even remember what they called about, but you remember the hope they brought. Could those words have been from the Spirit of God directly to you? 

When we open up our Bibles we are reading about the experiences that others have had, but we are also being shown the mechanisms for how God works. We are given a glimpse of his Divinity in action in the lives of followers, sceptics, and even soldiers who seem to be against him, and us. It does not take a miraculous event at a river for God to open heaven. What it takes is for us to be willing to see the heavens open and to hear the message of God. Sure an audible voice might seem like it would be easier to grasp, but maybe it would just scare us away. The best way for us to see the movements of God around us and hear his voice is for us to just remain open. Open to the fact that God is always at work. Open to the fact the Spirit of God is working inside of us. Open to the fact that we are created in the image of God and as such can shine forth all that is God. Open to the fact that our personal thoughts and ideas may be the very thing that prevent God from shining to us, or in us, or through us to others. 

So we are to ask ourselves where we see God at work. Where is his Holy Spirit descending and his voice speaking out? Then, once we have noticed, we can see how we can take part. How we can be part of the message and work of Jesus in the word today. That, I believe, is our mission. To notice God at work and find out how we are invited to join in. I hope this week you will have a time that you see God at work, and experience his invitation to join him.

Thanks for reading.

David

Want to know why I am writing these articles? Look here.

You can find all of the readings for today at this link.

Second Sunday after Christmas

Second Sunday after Christmas

1/5/2025 

This week we are celebrating the second Sunday after Christmas, which this year happens to be the 12th day after Christmas. That means tomorrow is “The Epiphany of Our Lord”. If you come from a background, like mine, that did not really mention Epiphany let me start by giving a high level overview. The Epiphany of our Lord is a feast day set aside to celebrate the incarnation of Jesus the Christ into the world. It focuses on three events in Jesus’ life, the  visit of the Magi, Jesus’ baptism, and the miracle at the wedding in Cana.The link to this week's full reading can be found at the bottom of the page. I will be focusing on the gospel passage Matthew 2:1-12 as I discuss the visit of the Magi, what it meant to ancient Israel, and what it means for us today.

Before we dig into this week’s Gospel passage I want to spend a few more minutes discussing Epiphany. Epiphany of Our Lord is a feast day. In my personal background religious feast days were not something that were celebrated, or even mentioned. Christmas and Easter were basically the only celebrations on my version of the religious calendar. As we move through the year we will be celebrating many feasts and I will try to speak a little on the tradition behind them. Tomorrow is Epiphany, a feast that celebrates the revelation of Jesus. While the celebration focuses primarily on today’s Gospel reading and the arrival of the Magi it also remembers and celebrates two other significant events in Jesus’ life. The First is his baptism in the Jordan river by John. The other event is the wedding in Cana, where Jesus performed a miracle. These three moments in time were events that showed Jesus to be more than a man. They were indicators of his divine nature, the long awaited Christ.

Matthew chapter two tells us about the arrival of the “wise men from the east” in Jerusalem. They came declaring that they had seen the start of the King of the Jews and they had come to worship him. Who were these wise men, or Magi, as they are often called. The text in Matthew does not give us many details. Far fewer details actually then each of us probably “know” about the Magi. For example we “know” that 3 men visited. But we do not know that from the passage. The passage just says wise men, it does however list 3 gifts, so we have assumed 3 gift givers. We “know” that they were kings, but again not from the passage. However Old Testament prophecies about the birth of Christ talk about Kings coming to worship before him, so we have called these wise men kings. Finding out that some of the things we “know” about the story of the Magi are not so definitely spelled out does not make our experience of the nativity invalid. It just points out that over time there has been speculation about details that we have accepted that are not clearly spelled out here in the only passage in the New Testament about their visit.

But do not be discouraged. I am not here today to tell you how the “Christmas Story” is full of speculation and conjecture. I only mention those things to remind us that what the words say and what they mean or point to, or can be assumed to mean and point to, can be a very large swath of knowing. That is OK, because today we are going to read that same passage and not only talk about what it meant to those who read it first just 50 or 60 years after Christ walked the earth, but what it means to us today. The writer, I am sure, did the best he could to capture the events of the time, but he probably gave little thought to how people 2000 years later would be reading the same message. But we read it, and all these years later we receive fresh inspiration from God by doing so.

Now back to the narrative and what the wise men did. They asked the question “Where is the one who has been born King of the Jews?” That seems like a pretty bold question when you think about where they went to ask it. They knew that the center of the Jewish culture was Jerusalem. They also knew that even though Jerusalem was controlled by the Roman Empire that they still had a local King. But knowing this they walked into the City of the current “King of the Jews”, King Herod, and asked for directions to the newly born King. This did not please Harod, it frightened him for a lot of reasons. What if Rome heard this talk about a “King of the Jews” other than himself. What if the people heard this and decided these men spoke about their long awaited and prophesied about Messiah, and what if they took action?

This brings us to the first thing we want to consider. How did these wise men from the east know about Jesus’ birth and why did they “know” or at least believe that it was significant. All we know about these men is that they are called wise, they came from distant lands, and they had a knowledge of astrology, because we know that they watched the stars. Using that knowledge they saw something so significant that they travelled a long way to arrive in the kingdom of Harod, and asked about the birth of a King. They were not discouraged by the power of Rome, or the despotic nature of Herod. They had “seen” something they knew was significant and they sought after it. 

These men were not Jews living in a foreign land  who were educated in Old Testament prophecy. These men may have been from Pursia or Egypt or Babylon or even further away. Wherever they came from they had their own culture. They have grown up with their own religious beliefs and their own prophecies. But at the time of Jesus’ birth they came to know about it. With that knowledge also came the knowledge of its significance. We have no idea how they knew Jesus had been born. We have no idea what compelled them to leave their own land with their religion and their God and travel to Jerusalem. But we know they came. I  believe that something divine inspired them through the shining of a new star. We know that it compelled them to travel. We know that they were fortified to ride into Roman territory and before the local King declared that they had seen the sign of the Real King.

After his initial shock, Harod pulled together his best and brightest scholars and figured out where this star may be pointing. He pulled the Magi into a private audience and told them about Bethlehem and he sent them to find the child. He also instructed them to return to him with details so that he too could go worship the child. 

The Magi locate the child. They came before him with expensive gifts and then they worship him as he lays in his mothers arms. These men do not come from a culture that has been waiting generations for the birth of a Jewish baby that will save them. In fact the Jewish people themselves  had not been waiting for a Messiah that would save anyone outside of their own people. But these men had been shown something. They knew that this child, born in this village, was significant not just to the Jews but to them and to all the world.

It is because of this that they came. They had never travelled to Jerusalem to visit Herod as King. They were not there because of some future earthly kingship. They had been given knowledge of the Divine Kingdom that was to be Jesus’. That kingdom on earth that Jesus referred to so often as the kingdom of God.

The Magi came to Jesus because they had somehow see a future that would find both Jews and gentiles invited into fellowship with the true King. The King that would not just rule over a people but that would reconcile and deliver all people back to their creator.

So what is this story to do with us? We have poked some holes into what we “know” about the story. Did that make it less significant? Absolutely not. The core of the story is what we are called to look at and remember. What inspired these men to travel? We don't know, but we do know that there is something that can speak to and inspire us. We can recall how boldly they rode into Jerulalam and asked about Jesus. We can recall how Mary and Joseph welcomed them in and accepted their gifts and their worship on behalf of Jesus. We can see that no place and no people is outside of the love and message of God. We can look at this story and see ourselves in many roles. At times we are the wise person, we have heard something that we don’t understand and we are invited to pursue it. Will we? At other times we are Herod, we sit in a place of power and we know what we think is supposed to happen, but we are challenged by something new.  What will we do? We can be the parent of Jesus experiencing this approach from outside of what we know. How will we respond?

The Magi worshiped Christ and then, because of a dream, they returned to their own country without returning to Herod. Does God speak to us in such mysterious wasy and if so do we listen? These men returned to their countries and lived their lives. They did not relocate and eventually become disciples of Jesus, at least not that we are told. Do you think that means their link to him was lost. I would hardly think so. If they had the “wisdom” to see a star, travel to a foreign land, challenge a King, and then worship an infant child, I am sure they had the wisdom to continue on in a life glorifying Jesus even while they lived in their own country. This is our mission too. How have we responded to the wisdom and experience we have of Christ in our own life? What grand trip have we undertaken, but also, what simple daily tasks do we carry out in keeping with what we know about Jesus.

Thanks for reading.

David

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You can find all of the readings for today at this link.