Musical Prelude and Service.

Matthew 2:1-12
Back during Advent, I spent a little bit of time discussing the idea of Metanoia. That change of mind or change of direction.
On this Epiphany, it only makes sense to continue that reflection. Epiphany is the idea of seeing things or your life in a new light. That moment when you have a startling realization of where you need to go. It is that moment when you realize the need for a change.
The story of the Magi – those wise ones who follow a star to the home of the newborn Jesus carrying wit them gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh – is closely connected with Epiphany. We tend to link this story with Christmas in hymns and pageants, but in the lectionary, the story is set as part of Epiphany.
Overall, where we place the story in our liturgical year is not critical, but how we consider the story with these ideas in mind can be interesting.
Epiphany is the season when we reflect on how our vision of the world is shifted by the presence of the Christ child. How do we see ourselves and our place in God’s world when we have the realization that God is with us in this way?
Popular culture, hymns and pictures have led us to the idea that there were three wise men, or Magi. We have even named them over the millennia; Melchior, Balthazar and Caspar. But Matthew never numbers them. We have also envisioned them as royalty, as Kings. Again, not part of scripture.
We are told they were wise ones studying the stars. This has led many biblical scholars to see them as Zoroastrian astrologers from Persia, in what is now modern-day Iran. Zoroastrianism is an ancient Persian religion that put great importance on studying the stars for messages of what was happening or to come.
So important, religious figures from away take a long journey following a star to find this important new born child who they are led to believe is to be a great king.
They have no idea where it will lead them, but are committed to following this star to its eventual conclusion. It takes them of course to an out of the way village and a common, not-at-all powerful family. And they gift this young mother with gold, with frankincense, an aromatic gum resin used for a wide variety of things, including in incense for religious services. It wasn’t cheap. They also gave Myrrh. Myrrh is like frankincense in that it is a gum resin known for its aroma. It is also used for anointing and embalming. Again, it is neither common nor cheap.
A great amount of ink has been spilled arguing these gifts are symbolic of what the future holds for Jesus. Gold for his royalty, Frankincense for his religious importance, and the Myrrh for his death.
This all makes sense, but I think it also simply signifies that these Magi see Jesus as important and life changing, and deserving of incredible honour after their long journey.
On this Epiphany, I find myself more attentive to the decision they make to disregard Herod’s request – that they return to him with news of where he can find Jesus. After a dream, they choose to return home by a different direction.
As representatives of a different country, a different empire, their first stop was to meet with the King of Judea, Herod. They pay the king honours and explain why they are there. This is appropriate diplomatic protocol. But after visiting the baby Jesus, they choose to break with convention and insult Herod by dismissing his royal request. This is a scandal.
Let’s take a moment to consider the villain of the story – Herod the Great. This is not Herod Antipas who executed John the Baptizer. This is that man’s father, the king of Judea responsible for the building of the great temple in Jerusalem. He is often referred to as Herod the Builder, the first king in the Herodian dynasty. He built that lineage out of almost nothing, but he did so in some questionable ways. He was also a good friend of Caesar Augustus which is one of the reasons he became the client King of the Jews under Roman rule.
I won’t go into all the details of his heritage here, but in short, on Herod’s father’s side, his family was of Edomite heritage and were at one point forcibly converted to Judaism. The Edomites are by tradition descended from Esau, the brother of Jacob. For the most stringent of Jews, Herod had no business holding the title King of the Jews.
I also need to point out that while there is no historical evidence for the coming Slaughter of the Innocents ordered by Herod, other than what Matthew writes, it is widely reported that Herod was not at all above using horrific violence to hold on to power. He is said to have killed two of his sons and their mother to protect his place in power. He had his brother-in-law, the high priest Aristobulus III, assassinated; fearing his connection to the Romans might endanger his own position. He also executed 46 members of the Sanhedrin and killed his mother-in-law in the course of events.
Augustus Caesar is quoted as saying of Herod, “It is better to be Herod’s dog, than one of his children.”
Herod was widely known to fiercely and violently protect his status quo.
There was no Metanoia, no Epiphany, no new road for Herod the Great.
For Matthew, the story of the coming Wisemen and the route they returned by, is establishing one of the main themes of his narrative. Jesus is the promised rightful king of Judea, inherited from the line of David. He is God’s promise of liberation and the coming of God’s reign here on earth. As the gospel carries on, Jesus spends a great deal of time explaining what that Kingdom of God will look like. It will confound the regular wisdom of world. It will put a premium on God’s justice and we will all be called to make decisions of wanting to be a part of what is coming. How we treat one another, how we view our fellow human beings, will say whether we wish to be a part of this coming Reign of Christ.
The Magi come to Judea and follow the protocols and the expected manners in meeting with Herod. But upon seeing the child Jesus in that humble home, they recognize who he is and in their own epiphany alter their path.
We can have more than one epiphany in our lives. Sometimes you don’t realize you are experiencing an epiphany until long after the fact. Before I chose to follow the road that took me ministry, I was very much seeking a new career. I interviewed for a few different jobs, but I never did experience success. It wasn’t until later, wondering what was going wrong, that I realized that at some point I was sabotaging my interviews. Those jobs, those careers, were fine; and in several instances supported very good causes, but something inside that I tried to ignore was telling me that isn’t where I needed to go.
It was when I had that realization that I started listening to that inner voice, that one Sunday morning spoke loud enough I could no longer ignore it.
But that’s another story I have shared more than a few times.
Listen to your dreams. Give time for the small voice that speaks to you and often disturbs your view of the world and what you should do. Because every so often, perhaps frequently, our world needs to be shaken and turned upside down. That’s how we change the world.
Not by supporting the status quo of empire.
Thanks be to God.
Rev. Warner Bloomfield

Music provided with permission through licensing with CCLI License number
2701258 and One License # A-731789