|
Matthew 2: 1-12 These “Wise
Men” were probably ancient near eastern magi (Greek for astrologers). Which
means that they were likely from Persia, which is modern-day Iran…and which
also means…that in all probability they were followers of Zoroaster,
the ancient Persian prophet. These
men would have been literate political officers in the regions east of Judea.
Yet, while Zoroastrians had no love of the Jewish people or their religion, it
was common for foreign regimes to send emissaries to greet and give gifts to new
kings or rulers. They
had seen a star, something in the heavens, which signaled a big deal going on
and they had to go in spite of the obvious conflict between the king of Israel
chosen by God (Jesus) and the king of Israel chosen by the Romans (Herod). And,
their story has become part of Christian legend, to the point that they now have
names, and we think of them as a trio. It is true that Matthew’s Gospel
mentions no names…nor does Matthew tell us that there were “Three” wise
men. It is many years later that all that tradition gets birthed. But, we know
these wise men now, don’t we? Those
three Kings from the East – Balthasar, Melchior, and Caspar…bearing gifts
they traverse afar. A whole cottage industry sprang up in Christianity around
these people, whose names or number or place of origin we really do not know. One
of the reasons that the story of the Magi has become so dear to the Christian
family is that it signals a kind of faithful response and risk-taking that we
find really endearing and attractive. Now, over the years having studied the
stars, these wise men discerned a marvelous orderliness… a plan…they came to
believe that such a plan necessitated a Divine Planner, a Designer, a
Maker…and they were inspired to reflect on the unimaginable magnitude of power
of whoever created the stars and set them all in motion. It
was their awe of…their seeking for…their devotion to… the Creator of those
millions and millions of stars that made them wise. Then,
one night, out of the millions of stars whose names they knew, they noticed a
new star. Knowing
the proper place of each of the millions of stars you can see at night, you must
admit, is a pretty amazing thing. The new star rose a little higher each
night…it was a star with a bright point and a dimmer, arched tail...Today, we
call them comets. "I
think this means political trouble in the land over which it rises," said
Balthasar, the oldest of the wise men, who had a long white beard, and who was
the first to speak on any topic. "It
looks like it’s over the land of Israel," said Melchior, the middle-aged
wise man. On
these points they all agreed. "New
star, new king," said Caspar, who was the youngest of the wise men. "A
king, yes, but more than a king, not every king gets a star," said
Balthasar…and Israel is not just any nation…Israel has been awaiting a king
they call the Anointed One, the Messiah, the Christ. Israel’s fondest dream is
that their Messiah will come and rule over all the gods and over all of us. I
believe this new star is their Messiah’s star, and risk or not, we must pay
homage to this Messiah. It is a gracious gift from the Creator to us to have
seen the Messiah’s star at its rising. It is, I believe, an invitation into
his kingdom. How can you argue against worshiping the new ruler of the
world?" You
know this story don’t you? You
know its implications don’t you? Does
the coming of Jesus signal an end to all other ways of knowing and serving God? That
is how the majority of Christians have understood stories like this one over the
centuries. As
with most narratives, however, this episode does not fit neatly into any
prearranged theological scheme, not even Matthew’s. Epiphany
emphasizes God’s "manifestation" to all peoples in the life, death,
and risen life of Jesus. Jesus plays a crucial role in the reconciliation of all
people. Matthew’s
Gospel presents Jesus as the fulfiller of everybody’s hopes—especially
Jewish hopes but also the hopes of any non-Jews. The magi have to consult with
Jewish priests and scribes to complete their pilgrimage. Note that in this
particular passage the priests and scribes are not presented as opponents of
Jesus…That role belongs to Herod. Since
Matthew’s Gospel often portrays conflict and controversy between Jesus and the
authoritative spokespersons of his own people, it is all the more important to
note when Jewish priests and scribes are presented in a more favorable light, as
they are here. To find God’s indispensable epiphany in Jesus, these gentiles
have to wrestle, not just with Jewish scriptures but also with the then
contemporary Jewish readings of those scriptures. Matthew
tells us here that people of other traditions can "pay homage" to
Jesus Christ without becoming "Christians." The magi bring gifts,
leave them, and return to their own lives. They
do not get baptized. They do not stick around to wait for Jesus to get older.
They do not return during Jesus’ adulthood to become his disciples, nor do any
of their descendents. But
Matthew presents them as faithful in their response to the God of Jesus Christ.
No doubt, they have been changed by their journey and especially by its
destination. They are most certainly allies of Jesus, but they are not
Christians. They remain magi, even after their encounter. The
issue is not whether or not God chooses to visibly manifest the light of divine
love amid the darkness of human experience…the issue is whether we are
spiritually positioned to perceive God’s light and to participate in God’s
redemptive mission in the world. Let
me repeat that… the issue…is whether we are spiritually positioned to
perceive God’s light and to participate in God’s redemptive mission in the
world. I
suggest that the text contains both warning and promise. We are warned that our
religious affiliation and social standing in the world do not guarantee that we
are in the best position to perceive God’s light. Those of us who are
"rightly related" in church and society may be most in danger of
missing God’s appearance to all the people of the earth in our day. Yet, we
have the promise of being transformed by God’s light of justice, compassion,
peace, and wholeness… when the seductive invisible forces of our culture do
not captivate us. We
should not be surprised or overly concerned about the behavior of King Herod,
who is portrayed as being "frightened" by the wise men’s inquiry.
After all…the wise men wanted to know the whereabouts of the child "who
has been born king of the Jews" so that they might pay homage to him rather
than to the Roman Empire. And those who do not submit to the established regime
and its ideological agendas naturally threaten the rulers of the empires of that
day…and of our day. Independents,
new voices, and "outsiders" are suspect by rulers who demand
allegiance within simplistic "either-or" camps. Criticism of their
established regime is not allowed; those who articulate other critical
perspectives and have the integrity to risk acting on them may be silenced,
sanctioned, marginalized, or even killed by the rulers of particular regimes. What
does, however; captivate my attention…is that Jerusalem’s elite religious
leaders…the chief priests and scribes…are so closely aligned with the
interests of the empire that they also are frightened by the determined
questions of the wise men. The example of this group of religious practitioners
should be sufficient to warn us of the possibility of our being so enmeshed in
our particular culture…that we miss our counter-cultural calling. In
a culture, which worships economic affluence, we are called to work for economic
equality. In a culture in which social policies of justice and compassion are
often replaced by blind application of "progress", we are called to
care for the oppressed in our communities. As
we consider today’s text, we see that Herod uses these allies, priests and
scribes, to gain information about the Messiah’s birthplace. They are
"experts in the Law"—meaning that they are highly skilled in
interpreting the written sacred texts. However,
I am not surprised by their apparent limitations interpreting situations,
relationships, or "the signs of the times." Such interpretations in a
globalized society involve risk and may be quickly dismissed as
"partisan" or the narrow parochial interests of one’s own
"tribe." So, do we, like Herod and the religious leaders, miss the
experience of epiphany, the manifestation of the God acting in and for the world
today? Does God remain hidden to us, read about only in sacred texts, but poorly
perceived in matters of great importance to our times? I
suggest that the wise men in our text gave us clues to consider in
this season of Epiphany. One
clue…is seeing the sincere worship of the wise men who did not consider God as
being so obviously present among them that they continued to search diligently,
prostrating themselves before Jesus and not Herod and his empire. Another clue
is the wise men’s joyful commitment to freely and generously offer their
gifts. Perhaps we miss the joyful experience of Epiphany because of our human
tendency to hold on to what is most precious to us, rather than risking letting
it go. The
truth is that earnest seekers only ever have part of the truth…the pursuit of
wisdom, the search for the Christ, is a lifelong journey. It unfolds over time
and with a lot of help...and we will, as the "wise men" demonstrate,
make a lot of mistakes—really stupid ones along the way...we will study the
stars and miss what is right in front of our noses...we will blunder into throne
rooms unprepared. We
will forget we only have pieces of the truth, and that even Herod had access to
information (such as the Bethlehem prophecy) that we need; in this story, Herod
gets his chance to repent, turn around, and join us on our quest.
And that means that the “Herods” of today have the same opportunity. We
will have to take the gamble to offer them that chance. And if they will not
join us…we will have to return to our own country by another road. But that is
always true, once you have met the Christ. You always
go
home by a different road. |