Journey of the Magi Matthew 2:1-12 January 3, 2016 Bethlehem s Church of the Nativity is my favorite church in the Holy Land. Visitors must bow low to enter the tiny Door of Humility, and when you straighten up you have been magically transported to another age. Renovations are taking place this year, but when I was there, the ancient marble columns were coated with soot from oil burning lamps from centuries of smoke from oil lamps. Exquisite mosaics are preserved under creaky wooden doorways in the floor. Long diagonal shafts of sunlight cut through clouds of incense. Stern, bearded priests keep a wary eye on tourists and pilgrims. The church was built over a cave where Jesus was said to have been born. Justin Martyr, writing around 140, said: Joseph took up his quarters in a certain cave near the village; and while they were there Mary brought forth the Christ and placed Him in a manger, and here the Magi who came from Arabia found Him. Origen of Alexandria wrote in the early 200 s: In Bethlehem the cave is pointed out where He was born, and the manger in the cave where He was wrapped in swaddling clothes. And the rumor is in those places, and among foreigners of the Faith, that indeed Jesus was born in this cave who is worshipped and reverenced by the Christians. The Emperor Constantine built the first church over this hallowed site around 330 AD. That structure was destroyed in the sixth century, during fighting between Jews and Samaritans, though chunks of the original floor can still be seen. Emperor Justinian had the church rebuilt, and his handiwork is pretty much what we still see today. The church was nearly destroyed again when Persians invaded the Holy Land in the early 600 s leveling almost all churches they encountered. Tradition says that when Persian soldiers entered the Nativity Church, their leader took note of a large mosaic depicting the visit of the Magi from the East, 1
dressed in Persian attire. The silent presence of the wise men protected the building from destruction. This morning we heard about the journey of the Magi from the East. As we begin our journey in this New Year, let s look at their story and glean some goodness from these wise travelers. What do they teach us? 1. The tale of the Wise Men tells us that serving the Messiah requires movement. 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. We re not sure what ancient wisdom led the astronomers from the East to conclude that a King had been born in Judea. Some say it was the appearance of a new star in the sky, perhaps a faraway exploding sun that suddenly flashed to life in a constellation associated with the Jewish nation. They were so certain something big was happening that got up and traveled a long distance to see for themselves what was up. Imagine the courage and faith it took to pack camels, say goodbye to the family, and strike out into the desert for the purpose of worship, for God s sake. In 2016, if you do what you ve always done you will get what you ve always gotten. But if you seek a new view of the Messiah, don t stay where you are. Do you long for something new in this upcoming year? Do you long for change? Do you want a deeper vision of Christ; do you want to be a better servant? Do you want more of the Spirit? Do you yearn to break free from sin that you can t seem to shake? The path that leads to the Messiah requires movement. Sometimes that means physical movement. Perhaps it will mean getting out of your comfort zone, literally: leaving a job, leaving home, leaving a relationship that is hurting you and striking out into the unknown. Maybe that movement will take you to the counselor s office, or to a trusted friend s house, or to 2
the church Fellowship. In 2016 will you take on a new attitude, set a new compass bearing, learn a new pattern of behavior? Are you willing to move to get closer to Jesus this year? Will you get off the couch? Shut off the TV or computer? Join a new group? Get out of old habits and into new? Serving the Messiah means you ve got to get in motion. 2. The Magi also accepted danger on the road that led to Jesus. When the Wise Men pointed their camels toward Jerusalem, they moved into the web of that megalomaniac, Herod the Great. Herod was a dangerous man, who killed even members of his family when he felt they were growing overly ambitious. Were these learned magi unaware of what would happen when they rode into the Herod s city saying they were looking for the new King of the Jews? But it was not safety or self-preservation that dominated their minds it was worship adoration. Their news created tension you could cut with a knife. 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. Getting tangled in Herod s web was a very dangerous place to be, but that was the risk those who seek Jesus are willing to take. Your journey of faith in 2016 might be risky as well. Do you have any skin in the game? Will you stretch your comfort zone to risk anything for your journey? Will you lay anything on the line for Jesus? Will you enter the lion s den for Jesus? Will you take a risk with a relationship? Will you embark on a path of growth that will expose you to scrutiny by others, maybe make someone upset? Are you willing to try something that cannot succeed unless God goes with you in 2016? For servants of the Messiah, too much concern for your own safety can be dangerous. 3
Leading the way, we have the example of our missionaries, our athletes, who with courage take up brave positions. One of our friends is working in troubled Lebanon these days. Tyler and Katie and Ruby are on the runway for Africa. Others live under the shadow of unstable governments. But there are other kinds of courage too. Some of you live with chronic pain; some of you are facing sicknesses that might kill you, some of you who have lost loved ones know how dangerous and lonely that road can be. All of us are called to face increased danger in a culture awash with guns; we are asked to minister in an unstable world without sacrificing our identity as a peaceful, welcoming people. We must not give way to fear. We must accept a higher threshold of danger to follow the Prince of Peace. As a church, we are looking at a big stewardship commitment that will put us in a more precarious place, financially. Saying yes to a building exposes us to risk. The safest thing to do is to just hang on where we are, to hang onto our money, circle the wagons. But we are deciding on a path of growth a path that blesses future generations. Take courage and commit youself as we face the dangers and uncertainties that lie ahead. Too much concern for your own safety can be a very dangerous thing. Are there courageous people among us who will risk for the poor and homeless, for refugees, for those who have never heard the gospel of peace? Who will stand up for life, for the helpless, for prisoners, even for those who hate us? Will you give gifts that stretch your budget when the culture around you says, Save it for yourself. Think of yourself first? The Magi teach us: embrace risk. 3. What can we learn from the journey of the Magi? They teach us that What appears to be a detour may be the most important leg of the journey. The learned scholars told Herod that the Messiah was to be born: In Bethlehem of Judea; for so it has been written by 4
the prophet 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 The Wise Men expected to find the newborn king in the King s palace. But the ancient promises said that the Messiah would not be born in the halls of the powerful the ruler of Judah would be born in lowly, dusty Bethlehem. Herod was fairly certain that all this was all a crock. Bethlehem is only seven miles from Jerusalem, Herod didn t bother to check it out himself, or even send a soldier to see if there was any truth in the old wives tale. He may have even enjoyed a good laugh as the strange caravan packed up and headed south on the Bethlehem Road. But the Magi held their tongues, and suspended judgment for they knew that what appears to be a detour may be the most important leg of the journey. Have you found yourself on any pointless detours in this past year? Any seeming deadends? Perhaps there are some who can t wait to get out of this town, this school, this marriage, this job, this sickness, this life challenge. What s the point of it all anyway? Be very careful, for each leg of the journey brings its own lessons. You may even be wondering how you came to be here, among us. You may think that the winds of change, and the misfortunes of life have blown you off course. Pay attention to the journey of the Magi perhaps even your mistakes, like theirs, have served to lead you someplace you truly need to be. Kings and treasure are found in the most unlikely places like Bethlehem. Wonders and wisdom are hidden in the most unlikely locations. What appears to be a detour may prove to be the most important part of your journey. 4. So the magi set off, and the Word says they learned another lesson along the way. On our quest, God gives us just enough light for our travels not as much as we want or think we need, but just enough. 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 5
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. The wise men traveled to Bethlehem guided by the light of a single star. They pieced the puzzle together, using all the insight they could gather: light from the scripture, insight from Jewish scholars direction from a dangerous King and now a single point of light that dimly pointed the way. Would you like God to illumine your path? He will, but maybe not in the way you prefer. We prefer GPS; God s directions are more like cryptic directions scratched onto the back of a Food City receipt. We want a smooth road and halogen streetlights. God s path causes us to feel our way along and trust on our ability to walk by faith. My experience has been that God does guide us but he rarely gives us the next two directional instructions. He might give us the next step maybe step and a half and we don t get anything else until we strike out in faith. Only when we re in motion does God reveal the next step. 5.Finally, the Magi discovered that The road less traveled is often the path that leads us home. And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they left for their own country by another road. This less traveled road is actually well worn for those who have eyes to see. Take the narrow road the hard road that leads to life. Get up now and begin journeying for God. It might be risky; it might be dangerous. There will be strange detours that will make you think you have become lost, but don t fear, even the detours lead you to a good end. Count on the light of God to lead you, though the way will be dim, and you ll be required to step out in faith, 6
unsure if your steps will hold up. But there will be just enough guidance when you need it. Better yet, let s go together. 2016 is going to be a great year in the life of this church, and I hope it s a great year for you too. Let s lay our gifts before the King, and follow his star wherever it leads. I look forward to traveling with you. 7