Today we observe Epiphany, the manifestation of Christ to the Gentiles, with the visitation of the magi to the baby Jesus. The visit of the magi is probably the most misunderstood part of the Christmas story. The magi are often depicted in nativity scenes as if they arrived for the birth of Jesus, but Matthew says they came to Mary, Joseph, and Jesus when they were in a house, not in the stable where He was born. It’s not clear exactly how long after the birth of Jesus they arrived but it may have been as long as two years later.
Who were the magi? They were from the region of Mesopotamia, what we know today as Iraq and parts of Iran, in the area that Abraham came from. They were among the most educated of men in the ancient world. They studied astronomy and astrology, were noted for interpreting dreams, and practiced sorcery (our word magic is derived from magus). They had a priestly and political role in their culture. They offered sacrifices to their gods and it was from among the magi that kings were selected in the Parthian empire. Magi in the Babylonian empire would have been greatly impressed by the prophet Daniel’s ability to interpret dreams, and it’s likely that they learned of the prophecies of the Jewish Messiah from Daniel and other Jewish captives in Babylon. As astronomers, they believed that the heavens would tell of important happenings in the world and they would interpret appearances of comets and the movement of the planets, the wandering stars. They kept an eye on the skies in their search for knowledge.
We’re not sure exactly what the star was that led them on their journey, but it was probably not like the depictions on Christmas cards, blazing away bigger than anything else in the sky. That would have been noticed by everybody but not even King Herod and his court knew anything about it. Whatever the magi saw in the sky, they believed that it meant that a new king of the Jews had been born and so they gathered up treasures to pay tribute to this king and began the long journey to Jerusalem. It wouldn’t be necessary for the star to guide them along the way because they would know that a king of the Jews would be in the capital of Judea.
They must have been quite disappointed when they came to the king’s palace and no one knew anything about a king being born. This was not something that King Herod would be excited about. He was paranoid about rivals to his rule and we know from Roman historians that Herod had a wife and her mother, and a couple of brothers and in-laws executed on suspicion of being involved in conspiracies against him. Herod wanted to know where this child might be, not to worship Him, but to kill Him. He sought the council of the priests and scribes to know where to look. They turned to the book of the prophet Micah to determine that the Messiah was to be born in Bethlehem. Then Herod sent the magi off. I would think that the priests and scribes would be excited to hear that the Messiah had been born and would want to see Him themselves, but this doesn’t seem to be the case. The magi were sent on their way to Bethlehem alone.
The magi must have wondered if they were on a wild goose chase. They came to see and worship the newborn king of the Jews and nobody in Jerusalem knew anything about it. Had they been wrong? Had they traveled all this way for nothing? So when the star reappeared on the short journey to Bethlehem, they “rejoiced exceedingly with great joy,” I don’t think you can get any happier than that. And when they came to the house and saw Mary with the baby Jesus, they fell to the ground and worshipped Him. King Herod rejected this king, the priests were uninterested and apathetic about Him, but the outsiders, the wise men, knew to worship this little baby, the light of the world, which God had revealed to them through the lights of the skies.
Not only did these very wise men worship their Lord Jesus, they also brought gifts fitting for a king; gold, frankincense, and myrrh – the most valuable things of their world. Mary and Joseph knew they had a very special child because the angel Gabriel had made that very clear. They knew that this baby Jesus would be used by God for great things, but they weren’t sure exactly what that would be. Until now, only the shepherds had come to see this new king and praised God for what they had been told about Him. How surprised would Mary have been when these magi, men of wealth and power from a faraway land, came knocking at the door? How surprised would the magi be that a king would be born to this poor young couple? But they did not turn away in disappointment. Despite the humble circumstances of the holy family, these wise men still knew that this was a king to worship, worthy of their treasures.
The wise men knew almost nothing of the wonders of this child. He had done nothing for them. They did not know that Jesus would grow up into a man who would control the wind and the waves. They didn’t know that Jesus would heal the sick and cause the lame to walk. They didn’t know that He would be crucified by the priests who were so indifferent to His birth. They didn’t know that Jesus would rise from the tomb, defeating sin and death for all who believe in Him. They didn’t know that He could restore them to a right relationship with the one true God. They didn’t know that Jesus is the King of kings and the Lord of lords. And still they brought gifts; the best that they had to offer. But we know who Jesus is. We know that Jesus has bought our salvation, the forgiveness of our sins at a great price to Himself. He has given us the most precious gift imaginable, eternal life in His presence. an eternity of indescribable joy, peace, and love.
What is this gift worth to you? The wise men brought treasures to Jesus worthy of the king that He is, their very best treasures. Do you offer Him your best or do you offer Him what you can get by with, just enough to ease your conscience? Do you recognize that the offering you give to the church is your gift to Christ, a response to His love and His mercy for you? There is nothing that we can do that will repay Him for His sacrifice for us but we can and should be grateful for the precious gift of His blood that gives us new life and our gratitude is shown by serving Him as our only Lord and Master.
Jesus tells us that we are to love God with all our heart, with all our mind and with all our soul. Jesus tells us “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Our heartstrings are tied to our purse strings. If we love our Lord with all our heart, allow Him access to our mind and our soul, then we also will be compelled to share the treasures of our bank account for the advancement of His kingdom. But this is among the hardest thing for us to do as Christians. We don’t want to give up what we have worked hard for. We don’t see that giving to His church is giving to the Lord. And that’s a fair question to ask before providing financial support to any organization that claims to serve our Lord Jesus Christ. Is the Lord being served at Holy Trinity? Is Holy Trinity advancing the kingdom of God?
This church serves the Lord by serving His people. At this church you hear the truth of God’s Word read and proclaimed. You receive the forgiveness of your sins by proclamation after the confession and you are given Christ’s very body and blood which has been shed for the forgiveness of your sins. And this is a church that serves people outside the doors as well. We provide financial support to several local organizations such as Iredell Christian Ministries, the Pregnancy Resource Center, and others that serve the Lord. We have served the Lord in the past year by holding Christ-centered seminars on marriage and coping with grief. We have served the poor of this country in West Virginia. Holy Trinity is a part of the body of Christ that is helping to advance the kingdom of God. We can do more, but we have a great foundation – the cornerstone of this church is Christ.
Operating this church requires money – money for salaries, for paying the mortgage, for utilities, and for conducting ministry. And that money has to come from you. I have seen that you are a generous people. My first day here, a visitor stood up and gave a story that touched your hearts. And you responded by opening your wallets. He may not have been telling the truth, but it was your response that showed me that this congregation has a heart for the Lord and for those He came to serve. You have opened your hearts and wallets to those such as Sean and Crissy Heath who have come to speak about their ministries. You have a heart for the Lord, but sometimes we haven’t opened our wallets wide enough to support His church. Last year, we fell about $15000 short of a trimmed down budget. That meant that our loan payment was late 10 months out of the year and we had to pay late fees each time. It meant that our pledge to the Southeastern District which supports missions in our area, including New Hope, and around the world went unmet. This year, the congregation voted to step out in faith and give of our firstfruits to the mission of our church body. And that means that we will need to also step out in faith and increase the contributions to the church.
I know these are hard times for many of you and it can be difficult to provide for the church. But the thing is: support for the Lord’s mission has always been difficult. God required a tithe, ten percent, of His chosen people’s flocks and produce to support the ministry provided by the Levites who were given no land of their own. And Jesus also supports the concept of tithing when He rebukes the Pharisees for neglecting justice and mercy while being sure to tithe. He tells them they should act in justice and mercy while also giving a tithe.
We live under the grace of God and not under the Law. Tithing is not a requirement for salvation. God loves you and does not withhold His forgiveness and mercy if you do not tithe. But tithing is a suitable goal for those who love the Lord. It’s hard enough to cause you to adjust your priorities, but it’s not unattainable. Unless you’re barely able to put food on the table, you can probably do more for the Lord. It might mean foregoing the newest iPhone, 600 channels on cable, lunch at Wendy’s, or going to a movie or an expensive vacation. But are these things truly more important to you than serving God through supporting His church?
And I believe God will bless you for trusting in Him enough to give graciously and generously to His mission on earth. He may not bless you with material things, but He might. He may bless you by removing your desire for the things of the world. He may bless you with a desire to give even more, to support missionaries or relief operations across the world. He might just bless you with the desire to go yourself. God will bless you for trusting in Him in all things.
You have been blessed by God in so many ways. The magi brought lavish gifts to the newborn king even though He had done nothing for them. But you know that Christ has won the victory over sin and death for you. Bask in God’s grace and love and respond to His love by trusting in Him in all things.
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with peace by the power of the Holy Spirit. Amen
