Wise men from the east.

Gospel: Matthew 2:1-12

1 In the time of King Herod, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, magi from the east came to Jerusalem, 2 asking, “Where is the child who has been born king of the Jews? For we observed his star in the east and have come to

pay him homage.” 3 When King Herod heard this, he was frightened, and all Jerusalem with him, 4 and calling together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born. 5 They told him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for so it has been written by the prophet: 6 ‘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.’ ” 7 Then Herod secretly called for the magi and learned from them the exact time when the star had appeared. 8 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.” 9 When they had heard the king, they set out, and there, ahead of them, went the star that they had seen in the east, until it stopped over the place where the child was. 10 When they saw that the star had stopped, they were overwhelmed with joy. 11 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. 12 And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they left for their own country by another road.

Happy Epiphany! There is a lot going on in this story.

Wise men from the east, wherever that is, came to visit Jerusalem because they knew that a baby, a new king of the Jews, had been born.

They call Jesus “king of the Jews.” Later, Pilate will have that phrase posted on Jesus’ cross. It is his charge against the empire of Rome. That title will be the thing that gets Jesus killed as an adult—and it nearly gets him killed as an infant.

The magi come, fulfilling a prophecy. God told Abraham and the people of Israel that all nations would be blessed through their lineage. They go to Bethlehem, fulfilling another prophecy. God is doing a new thing and making good on an old covenant.

Matthew doesn’t tell us how many magi there were. Tradition names them as three—Balthasar, Melchior, and Caspar—based on the number of gifts. We don’t know for sure about camels and riches, but to travel that far and bring valuables safely, they must have had animals and a bit of an entourage. Three people is the bare minimum in the group.

What we know is this: God is using Gentiles, non-Israelites, to usher in history. Herod, who claims to be the king of the Jews, finds out about this rival from foreign visitors. He has to check the Scriptures to answer their questions, and then reacts with jealous violence. By the grace of God, the holy family has run off to Egypt, where they will stay among Gentiles until this homegrown danger has passed.

Whatever humans might have expected about the birth of the Messiah, this wasn’t it.

We would have done this differently. First off, the Messiah wouldn’t be a peasant. Mary and Joseph can’t even scrape together the proper Temple sacrifice to give thanks for their firstborn son. Second, some auntie or cousin would have organized a proper baby shower, with clothes and diapers and such. Mary and Joseph would not have had to receive foreign dignitaries while staying in someone else’s home.

It shouldn’t surprise us, then, that God keeps on doing things in ways we wouldn’t have. God keeps on inviting unexpected people into the kingdom— Gentiles, children, lepers, blind people, people possessed by demons, prostitutes, tax collectors, even a convict on death row. God keeps on choosing humility over opulence. God keeps on giving, far beyond what people could have, even giving his own life. God keeps on pouring out mercy on those who deserve it and those who don’t.

Epiphany is a good day for wondering. The word means “the coming of the light.” How will God light up the world this year? Where have we been included that we didn’t expect to be? Who is waiting to see whether God’s good news is for them, too? Where will God fulfill Scripture right in front of us? Where will God make history in our time and through our lives? How will we be swept up into God’s big adventure for this world?

Wondering and wandering together with you,

Pastor Emily