“The Adoration of Some Wise Men”
- Matthew 2:1-12
January 6, 2008
Dr. Michael C. Yarbrough

          When I was a little boy, my family had a beautiful nativity set that came from Germany.  The figures fit in a beautiful stable made of wood and straw.  Each piece was handsomely colored – much like the figures made by the Hummel family.  We had a donkey, a cow, several sheep, and two angels wearing flowing gowns and sporting big, white wings.

          But the pieces that fascinated me the most were three richly dressed, foreign-looking guys wearing exotic robes edged with gold trim.  One wore a crown, another had a hat that looked like a North African fez, and the third wore a turban on his head.  They definitely weren’t from my neighborhood.  Each held an interesting-looking box or jar, and was escorted by a big camel.  As they were set out, and constantly re-arranged year-after-year, the figures got chipped and worn.

          But they were regal guests, carefully stepping over the cow-patties, wrinkling their noses at the smell of the donkey, nearly tripping over the sheep, and definitely seemed out of place in a stable.  Why would these guys go to all the trouble to see a carpenter’s son laying in a hay-manger where the animals eat?

          The magi make us think of far away places and mysterious knowledge revealed.  We don’t know where they came from or how many there were.  They might have been wise teachers from the Arabian or Syrian Deserts, or astrologers from Babylonia or Persia.

          What brought them to Mary and Joseph’s side?  “A star in the east,” Matthew wrote.  And yet, astronomy experts tell us that there were no comets or supernovas in the sky around the time Bible scholars think Jesus was born.  We know that six or seven years before that time, Jupiter, Saturn, and Mars came close together in a rare planet conjunction in the zodiacal constellation of Pisces.  Pisces was a constellation sometimes associated with the Hebrews and with the end times.  Jupiter was associated with the ruler of the world.  Saturn was identified as the star of the Amorites of Syria-Palestine.  Perhaps when all these came together, astrologers would have projected that a ruler of the last days would appear in Palestine among the Hebrews.

          The presence of magi add respectability to the nativity scene.  They suggest that something special – something important – is happening there.  They are the token celebrities in the stable (sort of like Oprah on the campaign trail).  Matthew is hazy about dates and places.  They came either to Bethlehem (some 5 miles southeast of Jerusalem) soon after Jesus’ birth or sometime later to Nazareth (up north – where Mary and Joseph lived) when the boy was a toddler.  This later time is suggested because Herod, in an effort to kill the baby, gave orders to kill all Hebrew baby boys up to two years old. (Matthew 2:16)

          Thirty-six years ago, I was in Athens, Greece the week after Christmas.  That week, the Greeks were just beginning their Christmas gift purchasing.  St. Nicholas comes on Christmas Eve, but the people don’t exchange gifts until January 6^th: Epiphany.  The Epiphany gift exchange commemorates the adoration of the wise men who brought gifts to Jesus.

          Remember the Christmas carol: “On the twelfth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me…?”  The twelfth day of Christmas is January sixth: today: Epiphany.  For many Christians, this is the time to give gifts.

          Matthew, in three short paragraphs, tells the magi story.  The visitors were intelligent, wealthy, non-Jews – who came looking for a little baby boy king.  They came to pay their respects to one called “King of the Jews.”  They traveled at great personal risk and financial sacrifice.  And when they finally found the one they came to see, Matthew wrote that “they were overwhelmed with joy.” (V. 10)

          Dropping to their knees, the magi “paid him homage.” (v.11)  To pay homage means to literally give oneself as a vassal to another.  It is the gesture of laying one’s life before the mercy of a king.  The normal action in this circumstance is to lay prone (on their stomachs) before the baby.  It is the same position that the defeated take before those who have conquered them so that they might expose themselves to be slain by the victor’s sword.

          What the magi were doing was to treat Jesus as a king.  How odd!  These were not Jesus’ own countrymen.  They did not know Jesus or even worship the same God he did.  The behavior of the magi comes from some kind of spiritual insight.

          What in your life is worthy of your worship?  To what do you pay homage?  You worship what you value most – your gods.  What – or who are your gods?  Really.  Not whom or what you say they are.  Your gods are whom or what you demonstrate by the way you live.

          Are your gods your children or grandchildren?  Your parents or your job?  Money?  A dream or an idea?  Your country or a belief?  Is your god your church – or maybe even nothing at all?  In this culture, we would not literally fall to place our faces in the dirt and stretch out our arms in supplication to anyone – or anything - - but what we truly value most is our god!

          The little baby – whether newborn or nearly two years old is a dependent that needs rescuing from a powerful king.  The little one doesn’t really look so special – does he?  He gets hungry and eats – gets sleepy and falls asleep – gets fussy and whimpers.  His diapers need changing.  He doesn’t seem to be very knowledgeable.  He doesn’t say “mama” or “dada” yet.  He isn’t wealthy.  His father is a tradesman – a carpenter.

          But look again.  A group of anonymous strangers from another country “pay homage” – lie prone in front of the crib.  They took precious gifts from their saddlebags and handed them over to this Jewish family.  They didn’t ask for anything – probably couldn’t even speak the language.

          When these magi peered into the house – or at the young mother’s lap – or into the stable’s manger – I honestly believe that they didn’t see just a little olive-skinned, brown-eyed, dark-haired Jewish baby boy.  They saw something revealed to them through God’s great wisdom.

          It is certainly possible that they heard a little voice at the back of their minds asking: “what in the world are you doing here?”  We are luckier.  History has allowed us to see and know so much more.

          We know that the baby is the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.  We know that he is the Prince of Peace.  We know that he is the Son of Righteousness.  We know that he is the one that the Jews called Messiah.  We can worship – can adore – can follow – this little one – this crying one – this helpless one – because we know who this baby really is!

          This is a new year with all kinds of changes and challenges.  May we become as wise as the magi who came from the eastern frontier.  May we, too, adore Jesus, expecting nothing in return, asking no favor of him except to serve him.  May we, too, “pay homage” – kneel down – or lie down on our stomachs – giving him our full attention – giving him our resources – giving him even our lives!

          Let’s pray.

          God of all nations – of Jews and Persians and Americans – we start this New Year with hope and new dreams – and yet it is already full of uncertainties and problems.  Remind us today that you are always with us on the journey.  Give us the courage to follow the example of the magi.  In the name of the one they came to worship we pray.

Amen.