We are at the beginning of a new year and
we are now in the season of winter officially, the length of light each days is
now beginning to lengthen and are daylight time is gradually expanding. This in
our church year puts us into the season of light-epiphany. We left the stable
of Jesus birth, last week and we travelled to the temple with Mary & Joseph
where Jesus was recognized by Anna & Simeon as the Messiah, now many more
months have passed, the journey very long as today we travel with the wise men,
guided on their journey by the light of the brilliant star.
At
the time of Jesus birth, the glory of the Lord shone as the angels shared the
good news of Jesus birth with the shepherds and once they had received the news
they came down the hill sides and came to the manger. The good news of the
Christ child reached the shepherds first. Shepherds were,
on an economic scale, on the lowest rung. The shepherds were people at the bottom of the rung
economically, working in the more rugged mountainous areas where crops could
not grow. Shepherds were often wage earners, being paid to watch the sheep of
others. Shepherds usually lived apart from society, being largely nomadic. It
was mainly a job of solitary males without children. Shepherds were most often
the younger sons of farming peasants who did not inherit any land. Working long
and lonely hours; God’s good news came to them first.
But it didn’t stop there. As the news
filtered out, hundreds and possibly thousands of miles away, in a whole other
system of light, the message was brought to the highly skilled
astrologers/scientists. They were researching and searching the skies and
spotted the unusual light. They put together a caravan of supplies that
included many animals to carry the food and tents and possession needed for an
undetermined length of time. They rallied their servants – the cooks, the
farmers, and the camels for transportation and set out to follow the light,
knowing its destiny was of utmost importance and bringing with them, gifts for
a king.
When we read the scriptures and piece the
different passages together. Matthew never mentions a stable or a manger regarding
Jesus birth. Matthew tells of the birth only through the telling of what is to take place through the
words of what the angel told Mary & through Joseph’s dream. The details of
Jesus birth are not included. But what is included is the visit of the wisemen
who came after Jesus was born & the flight to Egypt of Mary, Joseph &
Jesus that would follow the visit of the wisemen.
Mark begins with John the Baptist preparing the
way. Luke tells of the birth of Jesus
and being laid in a manger & the news to the shepherds, the trip to the
temple for Jesus Circumcision and then 40 days later for dedication and
recognition by Anna & Simeon, but no wise- men. The gospel of John begins
with The Word – the wisdom and power of God & precedes to John the
Baptist.
So it takes many
passages to receive the full array of events of Jesus birth and what followed
it. Still leaving little said about His childhood and early years. But we
understand they were in preparation for what was to come.
When the caravan arrived as the words say
that we sang this morning in The First Nowell state
“This star drew nigh to the northwest,
O'er Bethlehem it took it rest,
And there it did both stop and stay
Right over the place where Jesus lay.”
O'er Bethlehem it took it rest,
And there it did both stop and stay
Right over the place where Jesus lay.”
We do not know how many Wise men there
actually were. Three is often the number represented because of the 3 precious
gifts they brought all gifts for a king. They may have, as is one speculation,
travelled up to 1000 miles having brought provisions with them for an extended
journey. So the number of people and animals may have even numbered in the
1000s in order to bring enough food for the people as well as the animals to
see them through their extended travels. There was certainly no drive through
or ride through restaurants or drive through barns where they could restock
their supplies or even finding a comfortable place to sleep through the night
would have been scarce.
Astrology in the ancient world was very
big. Men believed they could foretell the future from the stars. They also
believed a person’s destiny was settled by the star under which he was born. As
the stars pursued their consistent courses; this obviously represented the
order of the universe; so when suddenly this unwavering order of the heavens
was broken by some brilliant marvel, some glorious light, it did appear to the
astrologers-scientists that God was breaking in and announcing something
miraculous.
So these Wise Men from the East were likely scientists. The Greek word
"magi" (translated to "wise men" in the KJV bible) can be
traced back to the Avestan language of Persia/ancient Iran. In fact, the word
was used to describe the priestly class of the dominant religion of the region
at the time, Zoroastrianism. The word originally used to describe those - Magi
- indicates that they may have been Zoroastrian clergy. Well what was
Zoroastrianism. It was one of the
world's oldest surviving religions, which combined a study of the universes
origin with
death and afterlife and the belief in one God or, "combining a cosmogonic dualism
and eschatological monotheism in
a manner unique [...] among the major religions of the world".[ Ascribed to
the teachings of Zoroaster the Iranian prophet it exalts a deity of
wisdom, as its Supreme Being.[3]
a manner unique [...] among the major
religions of the world". Ascribed to the teachings of the Iranian
prophet Zoroaster, it
exalts a deity of wisdom, (Wise Lord), as its Supreme Being.
(Wikipedia)
So in speculation, the Maji most likely
practiced another religion and God used their faith and knowledge to bring them
to the Christ. More ironic, God used scientists who practiced other religions
to let King Herod and the chief priests and scribes of the people in on the
news that Christ the Messiah had been born.
From the bottom of the rung the shepherds
to the higher accomplished rung at the top, the good news of God’s Son spread.
God reaches beyond people scared foolish by God’s glory to those who observe
the glorious star at its rising, and persistently and sincerely follow it to a
king. All along the way, God directs them, first by a star, through scripture
and then finally in their dreams, coaching them to not heed to Herod’s request.
The
wise men brought Christ their best gifts! They brought far more than a hastily
grabbed bill out of the wallet. They used their TREASURES to make the long
journey to see the King. They carried precious treasures of gold, incense, and
myrrh from their far-away country as a gift to Christ. The Magi as well used
the gifts of their TALENTS too! They were men who knew the heavens. They
understood that the star they were seeing was a special sign and then acted on
that knowledge. In all that they did they gave Jesus their gift of time too.
They put their careers and their lives on hold, so that they could take a
journey of several weeks - perhaps even months - to Bethlehem. The Wise Men
listened to the Lord’s TRUTH – the prophecy of Micah – and acted upon that
truth and they were successful in finding what God had sent to redeem the
world. (Paraphrased
from Sermon on Matthew 2:1-12 The Epiphany of Our Lord - Trinity Ev. Lutheran
Church - Pastor A. Christie)
Our Lord God announces the birth of the
Messiah to shepherds through angels on Christmas, to Magi via a star on
Epiphany, and to the political and religious authorities of God’s own people in
and through visitors from the East. From a manger, where a child lies
wrapped in bands of cloth, God’s reach, God’s embrace in Christ Jesus, extends
further and further. Jesus approaches and shares meals with the down and
out. His loving touch, he places on those sick and weighed down and challenged
with inabilities. Jesus even calls the dead back to life. Ultimately, Jesus
draws all people to himself as he is lifted up on the cross. In Christ Jesus,
no one is beyond God’s embrace.
God’s radical grace can be wondrously
challenging and even frightening. The Magi as scientists who may have practiced another religion, shows how God
reaches out to people to announce good news in and through Christ and what it
means for individuals to have faith and for gatherings of the faithful to be
the church. With this New Year now before us, make it fruitful in faith,
knowing God’s light and strength is present in every moment and God’s grace has
no limits or boundaries or distance that it cannot reach.
Influenced by: Barclay Comentary – Matthew
1-10,
Working Preacher -Craig A. Satterlee
Bishop, North/West Lower
Michigan Synod, Lansing, Mich.
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