Another Road Matthew 2:1-12 Epiphany Sunday January 5, 2020 York Pines United Church
They told him, "In Bethlehem of Judea; for so it has been written by the prophet: '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."
When they had heard the king, they set out; and there, ahead of them, went the star that they had seen at its rising, until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw that the star had stopped, they were overwhelmed with joy. 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.
And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they left for their own country by another road.
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‘Mage, they call me, Magus, or magician; diviner, sorcerer,
wizard. They think I know and can control future events. In truth I can't. They
are who and what they are, whoever and whatever they were made. I have not the
power to change them. I am a scholar. My interest has always been the sun and
moon, the stars and planets. What are their rhythms? What effect do they have
on the earth, on people, on events? It is an ancient and honorable profession.
That's what started us on that journey so long ago.
Something which looked like a star appeared, one we had never seen before.
Without warning it appeared in our Western sky, blazing several orders of
magnitude brighter than anything we had seen. Nowhere was there a record
describing a star suddenly appearing in such a fashion. There were popular
legends, of course, of stellar events which heralded important earthly events,
such as the birth of a prophet or an Emperor. We read the holy writings of the
Israelite people, and curiously there was a statement in the book the
Israelites called Numbers: "The
oracle of Balaam son of Beor, the oracle of the man whose eye is clear, I see
him, but not now; I behold him, but not near – a star shall come out of Jacob,
and a sceptre shall rise out of Israel.... One out of Jacob shall rule.... (Numbers 24:15, 17, 19)
So, armed with observations, with prophetic words, and our
need to find out, we set off on roads we had never travelled before, language
we did not know, different food and different people.
I never did like traveling. The camels were stubborn, balky,
miserably uncomfortable to ride, stinky, bad tempered, and they bite. Unfortunately, they are the best mode of
transport. Sometimes I would get off and walk, just to get away from them. Most
nights we camped by the road, with only a miserable fire to warm us, and our
clothes to cushion the stone hard ground. If and when there was an inn, it was
usually small and cramped, with poor food - and somehow whenever *we* appeared
the prices were astoundingly expensive. Sometimes the smell of those places, the
bedbugs and fleas, made sleeping on the ground preferable.
On we went, mile after miserable mile, day after dreadful
day, freezing in the snow which often hits this part of the country. I was
getting less and less optimistic about this journey. My colleagues thought this
was grand adventure, excitement, the different food and landscapes amazing, the
possibilities for learning endless. They would say it was the chance of a
lifetime to do something completely unknown, to take the risk of this journey.
Finally we came to Jerusalem, and were directed to the
palace. Herod was king, the third ruler with that name. He had succeeded in
staying in favour with Rome and carried out a great building program to
memorialise himself, and styled himself Herod the Great. Few talked about the
fact that he killed off most of his family so there would be no competition,
though he did leave a couple of sons alive to ensure a legacy.
We were ushered into his presence; because of our
credentials and the distance we had come, he treated us with some courtesy. We
asked where we might find the child born to be king of the Jews. We said we had
seen the star, and deduced that it was connected to the ancient writings. When
he heard our question his face paled; he was visibly shaken. Promising to
consult priests and scholars, he dismissed us. We were taken to guest rooms
where baths and food were provided. After we had rested, we were summoned to a
private audience, and Herod questioned us about the star. When had it appeared?
What did it look like? What made it so special? As we answered him, he
determined that we should go on to Bethlehem. He told us to search for the
child, and to make sure we let him know when this new king had been found so he
could also pay homage.
Since Bethlehem was only about eight kilometres south of
Jerusalem, we set out late that afternoon. It was just dark when we arrived.
Riding up the hill into the town, it appeared that the star had begun to move
again. Obviously Bethlehem was not going to be our next stop. So we continued,
inquiring and learning that several families had left quite suddenly, and gone most
likely to Egypt. Well, once we had gone as far as Bethlehem, we felt we must go
on to whatever end there was in this journey. We all agreed that there was some
reason for us to take this journey, even if that reason was not yet completely clear.
So on we went - all the way into a small place in Egypt, the
star continuing to lead us - until suddenly it seemed to stop over a small
house. Or maybe we just thought it did – I was never too sure. Yet we knew somehow
that this was the place! They welcomed us into their small home, and we saw in
the lamplight a small child. His mother invited us to sit, and offered us food
- humble, but delicious and warm, far better than the food in the inns. We
knelt to look at this child more closely. He seemed an ordinary child, and yet at
the same time there was nothing ordinary about him. It was as if he were filled
with something far more than human. We gave our gifts, tokens of gold, incense
and perfume fitting for new kings. Even though his parents were poor, they
received our gifts with a royal grace and dignity, acknowledging us but in
complete humility.
It was late then, and the road was quite dark; they had
little room inside, but suggested we camp in a small shed next to the house,
where there were a couple of goats and some chickens. The wind seemed not so
cold, nor the ground quite so hard; but sleep was filled with strange dreams. I
awoke more than once feeling terrified, seeing a vision of Herod's face
streaked with blood, and loud screams of terror which made me break out in a
sweat. Something was not right.
The next morning over breakfast, we discovered we all had similar
dreams, and decided that we would not return to Herod. All around us were unknown
roads, and everywhere in the wilderness there were thieves and vandals – but we
knew that we had to take the chance. So with directions from Joseph, we angled
around through the hills, back toward Hebron, then turned East below the Salt
Sea, before returning to our homes on a different road – one far less
travelled. It was on our way home that we heard the tales of a massacre of
small boys under two years old. We realised that Herod would not have let us
live either.
That was many years ago, and I have taken other journeys
since then, but none quite like that one. I am not even exactly sure why I
went, since I hate to travel without a really precise map all the way and all
the details in place. I have come to think that I was drawn on that journey,
pulled by the one who inspired the prophecy and raised the star. On that
journey, I saw two kings: one, Herod, a skilled political ruler who eliminated
any perceived threat; the other was the child. For all Herod's acumen and
experience, he was no different than anyone else who has touched power. For all
the child's helplessness and innocence, he seemed to be the embodiment of a
saying from the ancient Israelite holy writings, come to life:
"Look, the
young woman shall become pregnant, and have a son, and he will be called
Emmanuel,"
which in their language means, "God is with us."
I think that is the one phrase which sticks with me after
all these years. Despite the cold, the discomforts, the strange food and
dangerous roads, despite the fact that I am not even of their faith, I believe
God was with us on that journey. Had I stayed home I would have regretted that
for the rest of my life.”
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“People who journey without being changed are
nomads. People who change without going on a journey are chameleons. People who
go on a journey and are changed by the journey are pilgrims.” (Rev. Jody
Seymour)
Every year, we celebrate Epiphany on the Sunday closest to the actual day of January 6. Every year, the lectionary brings us the Magi. Every year we take all the elements of three years’ worth of biblical story and scrunch it down into roughly six weeks - four of Advent, one for Christmas, and one for Epiphany. We tend to forget that this was a story played out over several years, and with many layers of meaning.
The Greek historian Herodotus cites the Magi as Medeans living in Persia, which at the time of Jesus’ birth was part of the Parthian Empire. They were scientists, priests, astrologers, and had existed for around five thousand years; they were almost certainly Zoroastrians. They were not just 'wise men,' and they were not kings, but rather an entire social class.
“They were the center of spiritual-political authority through the ages of several great empires. They interpreted dreams and were responsible for sacred rituals, including animal sacrifices. The Magi may have even been responsible for crowning any new ruler who came to power. If true, then to be crowned without the favor of the Magi would jeopardize the legitimacy of any king.
The Magi believed that the stars could be used to predict the birth of great rulers. They believed that the next great ruler was about to be born: the "king of the Jews." But even so, why visit the newborn king of a foreign nation? It is not implausible to assume that the main intention of the Magi was diplomatic in origin. If a new king had been born, it would prove useful to pay tribute to him and his family. They may have assumed that Herod, the ruler of Judea and Palestine, had produced a son, an heir to his seat of power, who would exceed his father's legacy by leaps and bounds. Rome and Parthia were the two "superpowers" of the era, and Palestine was a significant part of the political view.”
Well, what did they find in Jerusalem? Herod had syphilis, was paranoid and almost dead. There was a laundry list of people happy to step in and help Herod along to the next world if need be. He had killed his previous wife and several sons out of suspicion that they were trying to kill him. He knew the new king was not one of his offspring. So he consulted with advisors, found out about the prophecy, and determined to find this usurper to his power.
After a journey of about 1300 miles into a foreign country, the Magi found Mary, Joseph and the child who was maybe two or three. What went through the minds of these astrologers and scientists as they met this peasant couple of a different race and religion? The gifts they brought imply a legitimising of the rule of this king. They were not Jewish. They were foreigners, Gentiles, considered pagan. If you look closely at your Christmas cards, you might see that tradition has one of them African, one Asian, and one Caucasian. Nowhere in the text does it say there were three – it is quite likely there were more. We have assumed three because of the gifts, but that’s a tenuous association at best.
David Barker at West Hill United Church in 2009 told the story of Sea-Tac Airport in 2009, deciding that rather than include a menorah in the seasonal decorations to celebrate Chanukah along with Christmas, a decision was made to remove all religious symbolism rather than incude the Jewish community. David goes on to ask : “What if the Messianic announcement and the Jesus birth were calls, not to a new believing, but to a new doing? What if the nativity was a grand act of ecumenism, summoning the faithful, whatever the faith – like the Zoroastrian magi - to engage one another as fellow travelers on a spiritual pilgrimage? What if that is the Christmas message?”
Magi, rich and influential Zoroastrian priests, scholars and astrologers - made a pilgrimage to a town in a country more than a thousand miles from their home. They saw a convergence of celestial phenomena which they believed heralded the birth of a new king, perhaps even a new kind of king. They travelled an incredible distance, even by today’s reckonings, found the one they were seeking, and when they did presented incredibly expensive and significant gifts, and according to Matthew, worshipped the baby. They were not of the same faith as Jesus’ family, yet somehow what they found transcended any individual faith. The star, or the light, transcending religion.
I believe something happened to the Magi in that pilgrimage. Their instincts were all in place, and they knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that they could not return the same way they came, that in fact there was no return. So they revised their travel plans, and took another road. It was a road they had never travelled, and they knew there was danger. But they also recognised Herod as a danger. They were true pilgrims, because they were willing to set out on a long, long journey without knowing if they would even live. They found what they were seeking, and they went away changed by their entire experience. I am sure Mary and Joseph were changed by the encounter as well. In the story, Joseph and Mary did not turn away these “pagans”, or refuse to have anything to do with them because they were Gentiles. They did, apparently, welcome the visitors and accept the gifts. Hospitality to the stranger was paramount.
So who are we, today? Are we true pilgrims, willing to set out on a different road, and be changed by what we experience? York Pines together with King City and New Hope, discerned a road, and made plans – but it wasn’t quite real, it was in process. You knew you were looking for something different, and had some idea how it would work, but in truth that really isn’t yet known, and what *is* at the end of this coming year may not be at all what the plan was when you started out. The time to travel, however, has come. You are leaving the fields, the birthplace, the singing and possibility of prophecy, and going into Narnia in the dark, but with a constant light shining. What will happen next, with a new vision, not quite clear.
Will you be chameleons, changing to
suit what is around, to blend in rather than attract undue attention? Are you nomads, wandering from place to place
but with no vision of any kind, nothing to follow? Or are you pilgrims on a
journey? Are we in the church all pilgrims? Because if we are then we are on
our journey with peoples of all faiths - and we owe it to those others to have
respect for the many ways God is revealed in the world, and to honour God
wherever found. Our religion should be the means by which we find God revealed
in humanity as we make this pilgrimage, on a new and unknown road. May it be
so.
Sources
1. www.magijourney.com
Sources
1. www.magijourney.com
2. story based on blog “The Mage’s
Tale” by William McWeeny 1997
3. http://nouspique.com/component/content/article/52/248-the-magi-today David Barker
4. Dr. Jody Seymour, Davidson United Methodist Church, North Carolina.
3. http://nouspique.com/component/content/article/52/248-the-magi-today David Barker
4. Dr. Jody Seymour, Davidson United Methodist Church, North Carolina.
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