January 6, 2022 – Epiphany

 “In the time of King Herod, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, asking, “Where is the child who has been born king of the Jews? For we observed his star at its rising, and have come to pay him homage.” When King Herod heard this, he was frightened, and all Jerusalem with him; and calling together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born. They told him, “In Bethlehem of Judea; for so it has been written by the prophet:

 ‘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.’”

 Then Herod secretly called for the wise men and learned from them the exact time when the star had appeared. 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.” When they had heard the king, they set out; and there, ahead of them, went the star that they had seen at its rising, until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw that the star had stopped, they were overwhelmed with joy. 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. And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they left for their own country by another road.” Matthew 2:1-12

Sometimes it seems that our contemporary world is so different from the ancient world that we read about in scripture. Who are the Magi and why are they so fascinated with a star? Where do they come from? Why are they going to see the baby in Bethlehem? Good questions, so let’s seek some answers.

What is intriguing about today’s Gospel story is that the Magi were most probably Iranian, or Persian as they are sometimes called today. These wise men from the East were probably from Iran, having read the message of the stars from an ancient castle outside of the town of Saveh, some three hours drive from Teheran. There is a 2400 year old castle that still stands today on a hill in the windswept desert, surrounded only by lonely shepherds. Not only were the Magi from a country with which many countries today are in conflict, they were most likely Zoroastrian, a pagan religion of the day that worshipped fire as the symbol of god. The gifts they brought were symbolic of the child’s future.  In other words, depending on what gift the child might favor, his or her choice would indicate the nature of their future.  If the baby favored gold, he would be a king. If the baby favored the incense of frankincense, he would be a god. And if myrrh were chosen, he’d be a sage – a wise man.  Jesus accepted all three and indeed became all three, a king, a god, and a sage. Here is an aside – a little interesting tidbit. This tradition of a child favoring gifts that might determine their future is a tradition that is continued at least in the Korean culture, and maybe some other cultures as well. On a baby’s first birthday, numerous gifts symbolizing a possible future are set out before the child – so their possible future vocation is supposedly determined by the child’s choice of a gift. 

But in the days of Jesus, these wise men came to Jerusalem to King Herod, who was not at all pleased to hear about the birth of another, rival king. Herod the Great was a convert to Judaism and was proclaimed by Rome to be the king of the Jews. You can see that Herod would be quite worried about another king who could claim his throne.  Yes today is Epiphany day, but there is so much that is hidden, so much that we can learn from in this beginning of the New Year. There is intrigue – there is paganism – there is political power – and of course there are dreams that also play a part in the birth of our Lord. In the United States we often hear that politics, or let me be clearer, that “preaching” politics is a no no. But we cannot deny that from the beginning, the life of Jesus was political. We hear some say that Christianity is the only right faith and yet, from the beginning, other faiths were acknowledged, in the inclusion of the Magi in the story of Jesus. Our Christian faith certainly comes from an intriguing, historical background don’t you think? 

On this day of Epiphany, the story of the Wise Men informs us today about who we are, in wonderful dual-like, Lutheran fashion. We are political, involving ourselves in social action – and we are pious, seeking to allow Christ into our lives so that we are changed people – changed from the inside. We are risk takers, not always content with social norms – and we are rule followers, knowing that we are formed by our right practice, and our right living. We are dreamers, seeking to do ministry not only that is practical, but also unconventional – and we are practical people, knowing that our faith begins with Word, Water, Bread, and Wine. And finally, we are studious, we are always seeking to know more – and we are spontaneous, ready to act on our faith, no matter where, when or how that might present itself. And above all – we are generous; like the Wise Men, we share generously our gifts, giving to all in need without question.

Pastor Dave