Matthew 2:1-12 Pastor Nathan P. Kassulke
The Epiphany of Our Lord Sunday, January 7, 2024 “Wise Ones Worship Jesus”
Who are these guys? For years, we celebrated Epiphany by talking about the Magi, a word that probably came up nowhere else in our experience. Our current translation calls them Wise Men, with both words capitalized. The capitalization means that these are not just men who happen to be wise. They are men in official positions in which their wisdom is used as they carry out their responsibilities. And beyond that, we don’t know a whole lot about them. We know what we read and learn about these particular Wise Men in Matthew 2. Scripture doesn’t tell us how many there were or whether they rode camels. We know that they were Gentiles, men not from the nation of Israel, the descendants of Jacob. And their worship of Jesus when he was still very young makes them first Gentiles we know of to worship him. As Jews and Gentiles alike worship the baby Jesus, we clearly recognize that he has come for all people. Unlike what many nativity scenes show and many songs suggest, these men did not come to the stable on the first Christmas night. They came some time later, at the longest perhaps two years. Even though we might be curious and uncertain about some things, these Wise Men serve as models for us, non-Israelite believers who celebrate the birth of the Savior. These Wise Men demonstrated spiritual wisdom. They serve as examples for Jew and Gentile alike, men and women alike. They show us that Wise Ones Worship Jesus. And it is wise for us today to consider their journey, their joy, and their generosity. Their journey brought these men from the east to Jerusalem first of all. The Bible does not specify their point of origin, though what we call the Middle East (as opposed to the far east) seems most likely. Their journey may have been some 500 miles or even more. And they left on that journey when they noticed a special star that indicated to them the birth of the King of the Jews. This star was clearly a special sign that God used to alert them. They were given by him a unique opportunity to play their special role in his unveiling of salvation history. And they were able to undertake this journey. And no distance was too great for them to travel. In a lot of ways, the Wise Men are very different from you and me. A different time, a different place, a unique opportunity and a special sign. But what is the same is the importance of seeking and worshiping the Savior. You don’t need a journey of 500 or more miles. You have opportunities right here at your fingertips and in your neighborhoods and at a sanctuary much more accessible for you than Israel was for our Wise Men. So, unfortunately, we can take this for granted so easily. Our worship can become routine rather than heartfelt. It can be crowded out by other appointments and busy work instead of being of supreme importance to us. We marvel at a long journey because we know that our own selfish sinful natures would be so reluctant to put in so much time and effort. The journey of these Wise Men is a reminder of how much we need our Savior. The Wise Men did not find the Savior at their first stop in Israel. They went to Jerusalem where the palace was. That seemed to make perfect sense. The sign of the star had taken them that far, but they needed more information. They had an audience with King Herod and asked him about the King of the Jews whose star they had seen and whom they had come to worship. And the one who was at the time King of the Jews, the man sitting in that earthly role, was alarmed. This was a ruthless King and politician who would stop at nothing to pursue his own interests and to protect his position. He had murdered family members to protect his throne. He was prone to jealousy and rage. When he was troubled, all Jerusalem was troubled. And they had good reason. Herod never