Matthew 2:1-12
Celebration of Epiphany
Introduction
Today we celebrate Epiphany. The day of Epiphany is on January 6th— the 12th day of Christmas, and churches usually celebrate it on the Sunday before the 6th, but since I was set to be out, I wanted to hold on to it for another Sunday.
Besides, I love the sight of a fully lit Advent wreath, so one more Sunday of such was appealing to me.
Not that there will be a quiz or anything, but the word Epiphany is from the Greek word epiphaneia, which means manifestation. On the day of Epiphany we celebrate the manifestation of God revealed to the world in Christ Jesus, and the Wise men represent the first Gentiles to whom he was made known.
Now you may or may not have noticed our text for today doesn’t say how many wise men came to Bethlehem. At various times in history tradition has set the number anywhere from 2 to 12. However because three gifts are mentioned, today we usually think of three Wiseman or Magi as they are also called.
And although most nativity scenes show the Magi crowded into the stable of Jesus’ birth—along with the shepherds, animals, an angel, Mary, Joseph and the baby Jesus—the Magi were almost certainly late visitors— coming perhaps as long as two years after Jesus’ birth. By then, Mary and Joseph had no doubt found better lodging for their family, which is why Matthew says the wise men entered “the house” to find Jesus. But whatever the time and place, these Gentile visitors “knelt down and paid him homage.” In older vocabulary, they “adored” him.
And while we don’t know exactly how many Magi there were, or when exactly they arrived, we do know they came from a long distance to pay homage and to adore Jesus—a long distance which no doubt took time and energy in a day and age where traveling long distances was far from easy.
And why did they? Because they were seeking something extraordinary, something they believed would be life altering, something they knew was an opportunity for something greater than they had ever had in their life—and they didn’t want to miss it. They took the time and energy to travel, to seek out, not miss this life altering, extraordinary, opportunity.
And they were wise to do so, right? Because they learned that the birth of the Messiah, and the announcement made to Gentiles, meant that everything changes— and life in this world would never be the same—it would be better.
The wisdom the Magi showed in taking the time and energy needed to seek out the Messiah is our take away on this Epiphany Sunday. The Magi, the Wise men, became aware of an extraordinary opportunity they knew they could not, and should not miss. And so they didn’t.
Can we say the same?
Move 1
In Washington DC, at a Metro Station, on a cold January morning, a man with a violin played six Bach pieces for about an hour. During that time, approximately 3000 people went through the station, most of them on their way to work.
After about four minutes, a middle-aged man noticed the musician playing, slowed his pace and stopped for a few seconds, but then moved on to meet his schedule. About four minutes later, the violinist received his first dollar from a woman who without stopping threw money in the hat and continued on. Six minutes later a young man leaned against a nearby wall and listened…but for less than a minute, then looked at his watch and started to walk again. Minutes later, a boy no older than three years stopped to take in the music and sight of the violinist, but his mother tugged him along hurriedly. The boy stopped to look at the violinist again, but the mother pushed hard and the child continued to walk, turning his head the whole time. This action was repeated by several other children, and so was the same action of every parent repeated—without exception—imploring their children to move on quickly.
After forty-five minutes of continuously playing only six people had stopped and listened—each for just a short while. About twenty gave money but continued to walk at their normal pace. The man collected a total of $32. After one hour the violinist finished the last piece and silence took over. No one noticed, no one applauded, no one asked for an encore. There was no recognition at all.
*******
No one knew this, but the violinist was Joshua Bell, one of the greatest musicians in the world, and he had just played one of the most intricate pieces of music ever written, with a violin worth $3.5 million dollars. Two days before, Joshua Bell sold-out a theater in Boston where the seats averaged $100 each to sit and listen to him play the same music.
This is a true story. Joshua Bell, playing incognito in a D.C. Metro Station, was organized by the Washington Post as part of a social experiment about perception, attention, and priorities. This experiment raised several questions: In a common-place environment, at an unanticipated hour, do we perceive beauty? If so, do we stop to appreciate it? Do we recognize the extraordinary in an unexpected context?
One possible conclusion reached from this experiment could be this: If we do not have a moment to stop and listen to one of the best musicians in the world, playing some of the finest music ever written, with one of the most beautiful instruments ever made…How many other blessings, how many life altering moments, are we missing as we rush through life?”
Move 2
We do rush through life, don’t we? And we do because we almost have to. Life moves fast—so fast there is rarely time to slowdown, let alone seek out beauty. And because life is fast, because life hinders us from seeking out beauty, because we have to do what we have to do… life gets hard. Really hard.
How then are we to find a way through, let alone become aware of the slumbering opportunities and possibilities of discovering beauty in life?
How are we to do all this… while at the same time trying, hoping against hope, to manage the daily compress of our job situation, relationships, family, our body, our past, our future, and whatever else you want to throw in the mix—like, oh I don’t know… a global super virus pandemic.
Author Gary John Bishop says “It seems when we are most tested we are least wise. The wisdom pantry is unfortunately mostly bear when you’re starving for that all knowing nutrient to help you powerfully take on whatever life stealing situation is currently gnawing at the pit of your gut at any given moment. So we make it up as we go along. We stitch together bits here and there and craft some life skills to manage our troubles. But is stitching together bits here and there enough? Does that practice get us to the level of wisdom we need for life? No. We need a different way.”
Bishop is right. We need a different way if we are ever going to discover beauty and the extraordinary. I suppose we could do what we do with so many needs— just ask Siri or Alexa how to plot out our daily steps. Alarm—check. Grocery list— check. Inspiring playlist—check. What’s for dinner—check! Siri or Alexa got us covered, right? So let’s keep going—“Hey Siri, how should I handle years long resentments, or dream crippling procrastination, or a life altering decision? No check.
Siri or Alexa aren’t our saviors.
So maybe the answers to finding a different way is in our diet. It’s a New Year and we’re all diet conscious right? Maybe the wisdom finding the beauty and the extraordinary is found in a daily dose… of avocado toast. Surely a high protein, good fat, energy boosting start to the day will propel us to all our hopes and dreams. Yeah. No.
So what are we to do?
Move 3
In his journal, published as a book entitled Meditations, Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius writes: “At dawn, when you have trouble getting out of bed, tell yourself: ‘I have to go to work—as a human being.
What do I have to complain of if I’m going to do what I was born for—the things I was brought into the world to do?
Or is this what I was created for? To ‘huddle under the blankets and stay warm?’ So you were born to feel ‘nice’? Instead of doing things and experiencing them?
Don’t you see the plants, the birds, the ants and spiders and bees going about their design, putting the world in order, as best they can? And you’re not willing to do your job as a human being?
Why aren’t you running to do what your nature demands?”
As followers of Christ, our nature demands that we follow Christ. And when we do, we discover the beautiful extraordinary, life altering opportunities. We discover again what we have been created for—to embody the wisdom of Christ that tells us we have been created for something far greater than we ever let ourselves believe or even grasp. We have been created for more than the schedules we have to keep or going as fast as we can. We’ve been created to be today’s manifestation of God’s presence in the world.
Conclusion
The Magi, the Wise men came from afar, making a long journey that no doubt took time and energy in a day when travel was far from easy—all to pay homage and to adore Jesus. And by doing so they were living out what their nature demanded.
They could have seen the star, admired it from afar, and then went about their busy business as usual. They could have started out on the long journey— resolved to follow through with it all…but then given up because it became harder and too time consuming—and no one would have known. But their nature implored them to keep going—no matter how long or how far it took them. The Magi saw the beauty in the sky, they recognized its invitation, they did not ignore it, they did not blow past it, they didn’t pull the covers over their heads to block it out. Instead they followed it. They sought out the beautiful extraordinary—and they were wise to do so because it led them to Jesus.
That is the wisdom of the Magi—the wise men. And we would be wise to seek out such wisdom as well—because it will always lead us to the beautiful, extraordinary, and life altering opportunities. Amen.
Pastoral Prayer: Epiphany, January 9, 2022
Holy God, we give you thanks for the cherished stories which surround the birth of Jesus, particularly for the story of that bright and wondrous star that guided wise men from far away to his side.
But we want them to be more than just stories for a holiday season. We want the light of the world to engulf all your creation.
Just as the light from the star that guided the wise men, we pray your love shine from within us to encircle and embrace all look for a better way—for nowhere is the light of Christ more radiantly present than in the faith and lives of those who have discovered his extraordinary beauty.
Help us then, O God, to let his light shine from us that we may be sources of light for others who stumble about in anxiety, self-destructive passion, hatred or any form of dimness and chaos.
We pray you grant our minds, bodies and spirit energy and courage so that we may serve as messengers of your grace for loved ones and friends whose lives have been stricken by illness, as well as to even the stranger who are at this very time walking through the valley of the shadow of death.
The holidays are over but the work of Christmas continues. So let it continue with us—us who are aware that we have been created for more than busyness, more than just getting by, more than just getting through another day.
So guide us… implore us… to follow your star instead of the crowd, to seek out beauty, wisdom and the extraordinary, to know our nature, and live it out in ways that shine bright for all to see.
Hear now, we ask, the prayers we want and need to offer in this time of Holy Silence.
All this we pray in the name of Jesus the Christ, light of the world, who taught us to pray saying, “Our…”