Matthew 2:1-12
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.
On our post-Christmas trip to Ohio to spend time with family, my mother-in-law took the time to read several stories to her grandkids. One they particularly enjoyed was The Best Christmas Pageant Ever. This is the classic fictional story of how one church Christmas pageant unfolds once the Herdman kids become involved.
The Herdmans were no typical group of siblings, rather, they’re referred to as “the worst kids in the history of the world.” The Herdman kids are unrestrained by manners or social norms, and they cause more than their fair share of destruction and frustration. However, as they engage with the Christmas story for the first time, they bring their own particular type of innocence and insight to the pageant performance. It all culminates in a heartwarming production that brings everyone to tears.
One of the most touching moments is when the wise men present their gifts to Jesus. The Herdman boys discussed among themselves and decided frankincense and myrrh were “crummy” gifts. Instead, Leroy decided the best thing he could offer Jesus was the ham out of his family’s Christmas welfare basket. So that’s exactly what he proudly carries down the center aisle of the church and lays at the manger.
It’s a story that beautifully illustrates that even the “worst kids in the history of the world” are capable of profound acts of beauty, generosity, and love when they encounter the story of Jesus. The Herdman children serve as role models for how our hearts and minds can be filled with love when we encounter the Christ, whether in the pages of scripture or through the production of a church Christmas pageant. And that love will lead us to offer our own gifts for the sake of Christ, be they gold, frankincense, myrrh, or ham.
It is unclear exactly how or when the practice of giving gifts became wrapped up in the observation of Christmas. Certainly one of the influences was the story of the wise men presenting gifts to Christ. The wise men, or more accurately called magi, were practitioners of an Eastern religion, Zoroastrianism. Through some form of astrology and/or astronomy they came to understand that a new Jewsh king had been born. We are not told why the magi were interested in this development; although I think it’s safe to assume they did not set out with the intention of giving gifts to the new king. There simply would have been no reason for them to do so. The Hebrews were not a group that commanded fear, respect, or tribute from others. Scripture only tells us that when the magi encounter Jesus directly they are filled with joy. Only then do they open up their treasure chests and pull out precious items to give to Jesus.
The wise men from scripture as well as the wise men from The Best Christmas Pageant Ever serve to remind us of what is possible when we encounter Christ. We will be filled with joy and led to give of ourselves.
I hope that you have had such encounters with Christ in your life of discipleship, likely through scripture reading, prayer, service to others, or worship. Chances are good that the degree to which you live a life of generosity and joy is directly attributed to your having encountered and experienced Christ.
This is a story of profound beauty and hope; however, we can’t leave this gospel story without addressing the dire warning it also contains. There’s a character in the story who never has a direct encounter with Christ and as you heard in last week’s gospel, the world is made worse off for it.
King Herod learns of the birth of a supposed Jewish King and is filled with fear, anger, paranoia, and insecurity. He knows nothing of the joy, peace, truth, and generosity of God the Son. All he knows and cares about is his own status, power, and self-sufficiency. Perhaps things would have turned out differently for Herod had he been able to have a direct encounter with God through Christ. In the end he orders the slaughter of children in order to preserve his claim to earthly power -- a move, it should be pointed out, that did nothing to preserve his power nor derail God’s plan for salvation.
Here we have two dramatically different postures to consider. Herod looks down on others and is filled with anger, paranoia, and insecurity. The kneeling magi, on the other hand, look up with reverence and are filled with awe and curiosity.
These two postures deeply affect how we interact with the world. How much of our time and energy each day is spent looking down on others? How much of our time and energy each day is spent looking up with reverence at the mysterious and miraculous ways God is working through others?
Are the scales of our emotional lives tipped more to the side of anger, paranoia, and insecurity? Or are they tipped more toward awe, curiosity, and reverence?
As we experience the story of the magi encountering Christ, consider the invitation to approach Christ in your own life through spiritual practices such as mediation, prayer, scripture, and worship, and allow your heart to be transformed into one of wonder and generosity.
As we experience the story of foreigners and adherents to other religions giving gifts to Christ, be reminded that “members of Earth’s religions don’t need to see their counterparts as competitors or enemies. Instead, we can approach one another with the spirit of gift-giving and honor, as exemplified by the Magi” (Brian McLaren, We Make the Road by Walking, 83).
May your worship and discipleship through this season of Epiphany lead you to new encounters with Christ that will form in you a life of awe, curiosity, and reverence at God and the wonders of creation.
Amen.
