I suspect that nearly every one of us has a nativity scene, or crèche displayed somewhere around the house during the Christmas season. And if your crèches are anything like mine, they include Mary and Joseph, shepherds, plenty of animals, three wise men, and of course, the baby Jesus. Of course, if you have children in the house, the look of your nativity might be slightly different; missing pieces, broken arms, perhaps there’s a G.I. Joe mixed in with the shepherds. However, sublime or ridiculous it may look, we all know the point of these little scenes. They serve as a reminder of that Divine King born in the most humble of human circumstances so many years ago. We’ve all heard the story many times in our lives; we know the sequence of events surrounding Jesus’ birth nearly by heart. And so our crèches reflect the story, as we do here at church. The baby Jesus is not placed in the manger until Christmas Eve or Christmas day. And the wise men, as we saw this morning come even later. Twelve days later to be exact, but who’s counting?
But did you know that if we were to be completely precise, the wise men wouldn’t actually appear until about two years after Christmas! Tradition has led us to assume many things about these men that the Bible does not tell us. For one, we often refer to them as “kings,” which is probably not accurate. To call them wise is probably fair, as the mostly likely possibility is that these men were astrologers. We have always referred to them as the “three wise men,” but we do not actually know their number; all we know for sure is that they brought three gifts on their long journey from the East.
These men had seen a very unusual star, or perhaps an unusual alignment of several stars, that signaled to them the birth of divine royalty. So, like captains charting a course by the stars in the middle of the vast ocean, these mean set off to “follow” the star. Their journey brought them to the hillside country of Judea. And assuming that the start indicated a birth in the house of the ruler, they went first to the king’s house, Herod’s home. “Where is the King of the Jews?” they asked Herod. The question was completely innocent, but it was also the beginning of Jesus’ troubles. Herod didn’t like the question, of course, because he WAS the King of the Jews, and the fact that it was being asked by some exotic men who had journeyed from a distant country was even more troubling to the king. The thought that there was a rival to his throne was terribly disturbing for him.
So we get the sense that a plan begins to form in Herod’s head. But first, he needs to know where this newborn King of the Jews is. As innocently as possible, Herod instructs the magi to go out and find the baby, then to report back to him about where he is. So the magi go, continuing to follow the star that had led them there to Judea. And sure enough, it leads them right to the doorstop of the home where the child Jesus is now living with Mary and Joseph. Immediately upon entering, the magi know they are in the presence of the most wonderful king to ever be born. So they do the only thing they know how in the presence of a king. They fall to their knees to honor him, and they offer gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
These are men from a distant land; many, many months’ journey away. They may of heard of the race called Jew, but they likely had no knowledge of their status as “God’s chosen people.” They would’ve known little to nothing about God’s covenants with the Jewish people, and the words of the prophets hailing the coming of a king who would establish justice and peace for all eternity. But when they saw Jesus, they suddenly knew that this was a special king. And though he was called “King of the Jews,” the magi from the East knew that Jesus was their king, too. Simeon and Anna, the Jewish couple in the Temple, already knew of the Messiah now in their midst when Mary and Joseph brought Jesus to be circumcised. But it is the reaction of these great astrologers, who have journeyed so far, that gives us the first idea of just how big Jesus’ kingdom will be.
As we watch the whole scene unfold yet again, it raises what I think is an important, post-Christmas question: Jesus is here, what are you going to do about it? We have just celebrated again the birth of Jesus Christ. We have been reminded of God’s eternal presence with us through Emmanuel. We have sung songs, baked goodies, opened gifts; all in honor of our Savior’s birth. Perhaps through the season we have even felt the wonderful warmth and assurance of Christ being born in our own hearts and lives; either for the first time, or the fiftieth. So what are we going to do about it?
If we are going to truly know and celebrate a different kind of Christmas, this is a crucial question. Jesus’ birth means nothing if it is not celebrated throughout the year. Jesus’ birth means nothing if it does not change our lives. And I’m not talking about lives changed for just a few days or weeks. I’m talking lives changed for years to come. The wise men followed that star for several months, if not years. They did not stray from their path; they did not abandon their journey. They pressed on until they found what they were looking for. And when they did, they fell to their knees in worship of this tiny king. They knew their lives would never be the same, and so the worshipped the King of kings and Lord of lords. Wonderful counselor, mighty God, everlasting Father, Prince of peace.
Is your worship worthy of this king who has been born in our midst? Sadly, on a day like this, I’m sort of preaching to the choir. The Sunday after Christmas is one of the two lowest church attendance Sundays in the year. What a way to honor Christ’s birth, huh? What a way to honor and worship this king who has given his life for us? When the magi found Jesus, they didn’t say, “Great, there he is! We’ll come back after we’ve grabbed a bite to eat and watched the game. We’ll just drop in when it’s more convenient.” No. They fell to their knees right then and there to worship their king. And we should do no less. After all the gifts are opened and our bellies are full, the least, the LEAST, we can do is bow down to worship our Savior and say “Thank you” to God for the countless ways he has blessed our lives.
But really, there’s even more we should do. Worship is not just about honoring God, it’s also about giving back to God generously, in the same way that God has given to us. Did you remember Jesus on your gift list this year? Did you set aside a gift worthy of a king? Sadly, our general practice around Christmastime is to give gifts to one another, forgetting that it is Jesus’ birthday. This is no way to honor our Savior, we are worshipping one another and our stuff, instead of worshipping God. And the result is that lives are broken by debt, jealously, and broken dreams. Jesus did not come to take our lives, my friends, he came to give us life. And the way we experience that life is by giving to God in the same way that God has given to us.
Ken and I honored Jesus and our family and friends by saving 60 lives through Imagine No Malaria this Christmas. We also gave an extra $600 to the church in December, this was an extra gift, above our regular tithe. These gifts we gave to Jesus exactly matched the money we spent buying gifts for one another and family. If you didn’t honor Jesus with a gift this Christmas, that’s okay, because it’s not too late. Give a little extra to the church this week. Or go out and buy a coat and a blanket and carry it to a homeless person. Take some food to the family in your child’s class whose children are on the free lunch program. Because when the kids are home for break, it’s hard to afford food for three meals a day. These are the kinds of things that Jesus likes to see on his birthday. And you don’t have to honor Jesus in this way only during the Christmas season. In fact, the Christmas season shouldn’t limit us at all. The magi were two years late, but their gift was no less important because of the span of time, and neither is ours!
Jesus is here, so what are we going to do about it? After the wise men honored Jesus with worship and gifts, it was time for them to return to their homeland. But remember, their lives had been changed by this encounter with the Living Christ. They now understand completely the significance of this little boy in Bethlehem. So, it is no surprise that when they are approached in a dream and warned not to return to Herod, they act again in a way that honors the Christ-child. Their time in Jesus’ presence has assured them that this is indeed the King of the Jews and the savior of the world. And they have no doubt that if they go back to Herod to share what they have found, the child will be killed. So they immediately begin their long journey back home, but, so as to avoid Herod, they return by a different road.
So must we. Christ has come into our very midst. Emmanuel has been born among us. God’s kingdom has broken into this world. But it is all for naught if we do not follow a different path. Because, remember, God’s kingdom is not of this world. God’s ways are not our ways. Jesus’ birth is meaningless if our lives our still ruled by selfishness, money, consumerism, violence, and hatred. We have to follow a different path, the path that Jesus prepared for us through his very own life. This is the way of selflessness, generosity, humility, peace, and love. It may indeed be the road less traveled, but it is the road that assures Christ’s continuing presence and growing kingdom in our world. The gift is of God, but the choice is ours.
