Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem, saying, “Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.” When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him; and assembling all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. They told him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for so it is written by the prophet:
“‘And you, O Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;
for from you shall come a ruler
who will shepherd my people Israel.’”
Then Herod summoned the wise men secretly and ascertained from them what time the star had appeared. And he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, “Go and search diligently for the child, and when you have found him, bring me word, that I too may come and worship him.” After listening to the king, they went on their way. And behold, the star that they had seen when it rose went before them until it came to rest over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. And going into the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshipped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh. And being warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed to their own country by another way.
Epiphany is a wonderful festival of the church year, reminding us that the birth of Christ was indeed for people of every tribe and language and people and nation as the gentile wise men come to worship the newborn King. God Himself revealed to these foreigners that something of cosmic and eternal importance was taking place. They knew it was not just for the people of Israel, but for them as well. And so they followed the star and sought out the king.
As they enquired of Herod where they might find the One born King of the Jews, it’s fascinating that this perverted, murderous rogue of a leader, still knows exactly where to look to find out where and how God’s promises will be fulfilled. He calls on the chief priests and the scribes who know God’s Word inside out, and they promptly tell him that the prophet Micah had foretold that the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem.
So here we have a psychopathic ruler who will try to kill the infant Jesus, a bunch of religious leaders who will ultimately succeed in having him crucified thirty-odd years later, and three gentile noble men – and all of them display some form of confidence in God’s Word!
But given that they all seem to accept God’s Word as truth, why do they respond so differently? On the one hand we have an evil mad man like Herod, who can acknowledge the truth of God's Word, but who goes on to murder babies to secure his own future. On the other hand, we have the wise men who are guided by the Word to visit the infant Jesus and ‘rejoiced exceedingly with great joy’, falling down and worshipping the Lord and giving Him gifts fit for a king. How can they hear the same Word and respond so differently?
What about us? What makes us as Christians read the Word of God and yet fail to act according to it? Or as James puts it, to be hearers but not doers of the Word (James 1:22-25)? As Luther would say, we fail because the devil, the influence of the world and our own sinful flesh actively work against God’s Word and ways, and need to be defeated daily as we strive to live in the grace and forgiveness won for us on the cross of Christ Jesus.
Thanks be to God that we have access to the Light of the World, who shines in our hearts, and chases away the darkness of our selfish desires and the power of the devil. As we begin the new year, let’s ask God to examine our hearts, lead us to repentance, and create a new and right spirit within us, so that we may truly hear God’s Word and respond with the same joy and faithfulness that consumed the wise men. Then we can be light in the world, reflecting and spreading God's light into the darkness of the world around us.
A blessed Epiphany to you all,
Pastor Matt Anker