“Responding To God’s Extravagant Generosity” The Epiphany Of Our Lord January 6, 2008

(First read the text for this sermon: Matthew 2:1-12)

Today, finally, the wise men arrive!

Did you know that they show up so late in the Christmas story? Many people don’t – because, in most children’s Christmas Eve pageants, the wise men are part of the procession, right behind the angels and the shepherds. Since those pageants are much more formative than the Bible stories themselves, most of us aren’t aware of how different the story of Jesus’ birth is in Matthew, as compared with Luke.

It’s a treat to be able to look at all of this on a Sunday morning, because usually, The Epiphany of our Lord, January 6, falls on another day of the week! The 12 days of Christmas ended last night, on “Twelfth Night.” The Epiphany season, beginning today, extends until Ash Wednesday (which is only one month from today, this year; on February 6).

The story of the Epiphany comes from Matthew’s story of Jesus’ birth. In Luke’s story there’s the babe in the manger, and there are the angels and the shepherds. In Matthew, there are no angels or shepherds. But there is the star that we throw into out Christmas Eve pageants! And we were actually unfaithful to Matthew’s story, when, a few minutes ago, the children helped me place the wise men at the manger. In Matthew’s story of the Epiphany, where do the wise men find Jesus? Remember verse 11? We read, 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. It looks like the gospel writer of Matthew doesn't know anything about Luke's story, and assumes Jesus was born in a house!

Here’s your next Bible trivia question. How many wise men were there? The story never tells us! They give Jesus three gifts: of gold, frankincense, and myrrh, and so we’ve made it up that there were three wise men, each carrying one gift. But here’s all that the story tells us: 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."

The unnumbered wise men might have been astrologers. They have perceived that something important has happened, according to the stars. Seeing the child is an epiphany for them. They kneel down and give honor to the child. (An “epiphany” is a moment of sudden revelation; a moment when something confusing becomes clear; when connections are made; when something suddenly makes sense!)

There’s lots going on in this story. There’s another plot line! It’s propelled by the reaction of King Herod. Is he pleased to hear what the wise men from the East have to say to him?

No! He reacts with fear, and so does “all of Jerusalem,” according to the gospel writer – which means, all those in Jerusalem who want to maintain the status quo of oppressive power. Herod hears that this baby has been born to fulfill what the prophet Micah wrote:

'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.' "
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, 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."

Hmmm. Is that why Herod wants to know where this child is – so that he can kneel before him in honor? Of course not! Jesus has been born to bring in God’s new order. But Herod wants to preserve the old order, and he is fearful that this child is a threat to his power. (We read later in this chapter of Matthew that Joseph is told in a dream to take Mary and the baby and to flee to Egypt. That’s a good thing because soon after, we read, When Herod saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, he was infuriated, and he sent and killed all the children in and around Bethlehem who were two years old or under, according to the time that he had learned from the wise men.)

You know what? It strikes me that this is a story about stewardship.

Stewardship is a spiritual practice, arising out of a faith stance: that everything belongs to God, and so we are called to be generous in response to all that God gives us. King Herod does not share this faith perspective. Instead, he thinks that the kingdom of Judea belongs to him, and so he has to clutch it tightly. He has to protect it from threat – even if that threat is in the form of a helpless newborn – and so, in his fear, he causes a horrific slaughter.

But, of course, everything does belong to God, who gives it all away to us! God is extravagantly generous, and it’s a surprising generosity. It’s not like the giving that results in the piles of Christmas wrappings that we cleaned up a few days ago; instead, it is the gift of a baby born in the trappings of homelessness. What a stunning portrayal of God there is in the Christian story: that God is self-giving; that God’s generosity becomes known in God’s self-emptying. What an epiphany: to realize that this is what God is like! It’s the opposite of what anyone would expect a god to act like!

This morning we read a story of God’s extravagant generosity, and the responses to that generosity. We see how King Herod responds: with fear and violence. But look at the model of the wise men. They respond to God’s generosity in the gift of this baby, by offering their own gifts to this newborn. The wise men celebrate Christmas, not by offering gifts to each other (as we do), but by offering gifts to God!

Wow! What an epiphany this is for our own spiritual practice, as we move on from the Christmas season. Christmas is the festival of God’s extravagant generosity. What is our role in the celebration? It is to respond by how we live: how we use our time, our money; how we offer our very selves. Those are our gifts to God!
In the name of God, who is Father and Son and Holy Spirit. Amen.

Pastor Andy Ballentine
St. Stephen Lutheran Church
Williamsburg, Virginia