This year, Epiphany conveniently falls on a Sunday, so this weekend we’re talking about the arrival of the Magi. Today’s readings are Isaiah 60:1-6, Psalm 72:1-7, 10-14, and Matthew 2:1-12.
Much of this sermon is based on Martin Luther’s sermon on the Wise Men as presented in Roland Bainton’s excellent Martin Luther’s Christmas Book (Amazon link). Charles Aaron’s commentary helped me make some of the connections as well.
How many of you have some kind of a nativity set or manger scene at home? Christin and I have one at home passed on to us by family when we got married. Does your nativity set have the three wise men in it? If so, where do you put them?
The truth is, they don’t really belong at the manger with Mary, Joseph, and the shepherds. They’re part of the Christmas story, but the timeline in the Bible is a bit vague. Tradition says the magi show up on the 12th day, which is why we celebrate 12 days of Christmas, then the wise men arrive on Epiphany.
Even 500 years ago, Martin Luther pointed out in a sermon the traditional 12 day timeline seems unlikely, because it would have taken 50 or 60 days to travel from Persia, the place where they’re assumed to be from. Of course, as Luther also points out, the Bible doesn’t specify where exactly they are from, just like it doesn’t say there are three of them, only three gifts.
All we know from the Bible is that they’re from the east, they give Jesus three gifts, and King Herod assumes the child must be under the age of two when he sends soldiers to eliminate the threat. If you want to follow tradition, keep your nativity set up for all 12 days of Christmas, but start with the wise men on the other side of the room, or maybe over at your neighbor’s house, and move them closer each day after Christmas so they arrive on Epiphany.
Now, if your nativity set has wise men, does it also have camels for them to ride?
Ever wonder why? Matthew doesn’t mention anything about camels. To understand why tradition gives them camels, you have to know a little history. Take a look back at the first lesson from Isaiah.
This prophecy comes at the end of Israel’s exile in Babylon. The prophet brings good news to the people: Arise, God’s light is shining on you. Get up, it’s time to go home.
The world is covered in darkness, but the Lord will arise. Once you get home, you as God’s people will reflect God’s light to the world. God’s people have the hope the rest of the world longs for. The other nations still living in darkness, who don’t know the Lord, they’ll see God’s glory through you and they’ll come to you.
And when they come, they’ll bring gifts. Specifically, Isaiah says, “They shall bring gold and frankincense and shall proclaim the praise of the Lord.” Sound familiar?
The wise men, these magi, these astrologers from far away, they are not Israelites. They are not part of God’s chosen people. But they see the signs, they see the star, they see God is doing something, and they come to Israel, bringing gifts from their foreign land. It’s probably not quite what Isaiah was picturing, but it’s certainly connected. The prophecy is being fulfilled.
Listen to the last verse from the Isaiah reading: “A multitude of camels shall cover you, the young camels of Midian and Ephah; all those from Sheba shall come.” I don’t know what a multitude of camels covering you looks like, but there they are, connected with foreign visitors bringing gifts to worship God.
There are also strong echoes here of Israel’s glory days under King Solomon, when the queen of Sheba came to worship and bring gifts. Specifically, she brought camels carrying spices, large quantities of gold, and precious stones.
Again, sound familiar?
The wise men bring gold, frankincense, and myrrh to Jesus, traditional gifts for royalty. Jesus is the fulfillment of the prophecy. The rest of the world will come and worship.
And remember, you and I are part of the rest of the world. We’re not part of the chosen Jewish nation, yet just like the magi, we’re called to come and worship. This newborn king is for us too.
These foreign visitors are “wise” for two reasons. First, Matthew calls them “Magi” – they’re something like magicians or astrologers. They’re not necessarily kings or royalty, but they’re clearly wealthy, and probably make a living dispensing advice and religious services.
Now, in general, you don’t need to be particularly wise to know where to look for a newborn king. The star led them to Israel, and once they got to Israel, these “wise men” went to the obvious place, to the capital city, Jerusalem, to the palace. Matthew doesn’t tell us exactly what they were expecting to find, but if I were looking for a royal baby, I’d expect to find some sort of celebration, maybe a public announcement on the palace gate, or at least something in the newspaper.
Think about all the fuss over Prince William and Kate’s baby, Prince George. There are very few things secret about a royal child. Imagine how they feel when they got to the capital city and find nothing. No one has a clue what they’re talking about.
But the second reason we remember them as wise is because they understand God is doing something. When their assumptions about where the king-child would be found turn out to be wrong, even when it seemed perhaps the star had misled them, they didn’t give up.
They go to King Herod, who has his own reasons for wanting the location of any newborn kings, and he directs them to the priests to consult the Scriptures.
Luther sees this as an example for us. God points these wise men to the Scriptures before they can continue their quest. If they hadn’t stopped to read the Bible, they never would have made it to the baby in Bethlehem.
Even after they identify Bethlehem as their destination, no one in Jerusalem seems to have believed them enough to go with them. And yet, in faith, they continue their journey until they find the child. They persist in their quest to worship God, even when others don’t care enough to join them. Again, a good example for us.
After their long journey, the magi do find Jesus. But the scene they find doesn’t appear to be anything special. There’s no palace or crown, and the angels have long since gone. There’s just Mary and Joseph and this ordinary human baby named Jesus. But the magi believe the prophecies.
Despite all appearances, they are willing to believe God is at work. So they come, they give their gifts, and they worship.
Their worship does not make sense to the world. This child is not rich, or powerful, or well-connected. He hasn’t done any miracles yet. It takes a lot of faith to see this humble child as God’s light rising upon the world. Listen to Martin Luther’s reflection on their worship.
“Though they saw but a tumbled down shack and a poor young mother with a poor little babe, not like a king at all, meaner than one of their own servants, they did not shrink, but in great, strong faith cast out all misgivings of common sense, and, following simply the word of the prophet and the witness of the star, they accepted him for a king, fell on their knees, worshiped him, and presented their treasures.
The world would not have done so, but…would have looked for a velvet cushion and a host of servants and maids.
The world makes presents to those who already have enough, and, to provide them, snatches the bread from the mouths of the hungry who have nothing but what they earn with their bloody sweat.If we Christians would join the Wise Men, we must close our eyes to all that glitters before the world and look rather on the despised and foolish things, help the poor, comfort the despised, and aid the neighbor in his need.”
As we celebrate Epiphany and remember the wise men today, I wonder, where do you expect to see God?
Do you expect to see God in big, glamorous productions, surrounded by gold and jewels?
Or do you have the faith and wisdom to see God at work in humble, unexpected places, in ordinary people, in a piece of bread and a sip of wine, in family and neighbors giving Christmas presents, in hospital rooms and homes and schools?
Please pray with me.
Gracious God, open our eyes to see you in our own humble surroundings. Give us the wisdom to seek you and recognize your presence in places the world ignores. May the light of your coming illuminate our darkness and draw us to you. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen