The Quest For Power Vs. The Call Of Christ

Sermon Title:

The Quest for Power vs. The Call of Christ

Text: Matthew 2:1-12

Church, it’s the first Sunday of a brand-new year, and God has a message for us: Pay attention. Paying attention to what’s right in front of us—what’s under our noses—can be a life-changing act.

We just wrapped the chaos of the holiday season. That’s the mood many of us bring into January: We made it. We’re here. Let’s just relax. But instead of settling down, we find ourselves at the threshold of something extraordinary.

Because here come the wise men—the magi from the East. Right after one major event, we’re thrust into another one. Why? Well, Church, it’s Epiphany!

Now, technically, Epiphany falls on January 6, twelve days after Christmas (yes, that’s what those “twelve days of Christmas” are all about). In the early church, Epiphany wasn’t just a date on the calendar; it was the big celebration. Families gathered, gifts were exchanged, and feasts were prepared—not on Christmas, but on Epiphany. It marked the moment when the light broke through the darkness.

The word Epiphany comes from the Greek, meaning “the light shows forth” or “the light comes to us.” It’s the moment when people figured it out—when they saw the light. In Matthew’s Gospel, the birth of Jesus is a quiet, almost hidden affair. No angelic choir filling the sky, no shepherds rushing in from the fields. It’s just Mary, Joseph, and a series of dreams.

But by chapter two, the quiet is shattered. The wise men arrive from the East, following a star, and everything changes. Suddenly, the light begins to challenge the darkness. The arrival of the magi sparks a confrontation between two kingdoms: the empire of greed and the reign of grace.

And isn’t that where we find ourselves today, Church? In a world where power is pursued with reckless abandon, where greed parades as ambition, and where leaders fail to serve.

From the halls of Congress to corporate boardrooms, the spirit of King Herod is alive and well. People would rather destroy than surrender, grasp than give, hoard than help. Yet into this world of manipulation and self-interest, a child is born in Bethlehem.

This child, Jesus, doesn’t come to claim power for himself—he comes to overthrow it. He doesn’t come to hoard authority but to redefine it. His birth is more than a historical event; it’s a revolution. It calls us to examine our lives, our leadership, and our loyalties.

The magi—these foreign seekers of truth—show us what it means to pay attention. They see the star and follow it, bringing gifts not for their own gain but to honor the true King. Meanwhile, Herod, blinded by greed and insecurity, clings to his fragile throne, terrified of losing control.

And isn’t that the story of our world?

Leaders trembling at the thought of sharing power. Systems built to protect the few at the expense of the many. Greed cloaked in the language of ambition while the vulnerable are left in the cold. But here’s the good news: Jesus enters this broken world not with force but with light, not with fear but with love.

This is the heart of Epiphany, Church. It’s not just a moment of clarity; it’s a call to action. Will we follow the star or cling to the throne? Will we align ourselves with the empire of greed or the reign of grace?

As we step into this new year, let us pay attention. Let us open our eyes to the light that has come into the world. For in this child born in Bethlehem, we find the answer to greed, the cure for corrupted leadership, and the hope of a kingdom not built on fear but on love.

Let’s walk in the light together. Amen.

Let us walk through this text with a prophetic lens, asking, “What does the birth of Jesus teach us about greed, power, and leadership?”

1. Herod’s Kingdom: The Fear of Losing Power

“When King Herod heard this, he was frightened, and all Jerusalem with him.” (Matthew 2:3)

Herod was a man consumed by fear—fear of losing his throne, fear of being overshadowed, fear of the truth. Notice how his fear infects others: all Jerusalem was frightened with him. Greed and insecurity do not remain private sins; they ripple out into the community.

Herod’s fear drove him to plot against an infant, to weaponize the magi’s faith for his own gain. This is what happens when leadership is divorced from servanthood—it becomes predatory, using people instead of serving them.

Application:

Look around at our modern Herods—leaders who seek power not for the people but for their ego. Congress is criticized for its failure to serve the public, to listen, and to act with integrity. The numbers are staggering: 86% of Americans say Congress fails to take responsibility for its actions. Like Herod, they are frightened—not of losing power for the sake of the people, but of losing power for themselves.