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GOD'S MESSAGE THIS WEEK
Sermon for January 7, 2007 Calvary Church, The Rev. Mary A. Canavan

Scripture Readings: The Epiphany Isaiah 60, 1-6, 9 Psalm 72 Ephesians 3.1-12 Matthew 2.1-12

This is a Gospel story about choices.

First, God made the choice to reveal Jesus Christ to the three wise men. The thing that is surprising here is that God chose to make Jesus Christ known to people outside of the Jewish community. This would have major consequences for billions of people. If God had not made this choice, we would not be Christians today for we are not Jewish. If God had not made the choice to reveal Jesus to non-Jews, Christianity would still be a sub-component of the Jewish Religion, which is the way it started.

The second choice made in this Gospel reading is that the wise men chose to respond positively to God’s revelation to them. In other words, they receive the news about Jesus and eagerly set out on a difficult and arduous journey to pay homage and respect and give gifts to this, God’s Son.

The third choice made in this Gospel reading is that Herod receives the news about Jesus and he responds negatively. Instead of setting out to pay homage and respect and give gifts to God’s Son, Herod wants to remove him from this earth and send him back to God. That is Herod’s free choice.

In life, we too are faced with choices about Jesus. It does seem that since we are gathered here today, that God has made Jesus known to us. We shouldn’t take this for granted, however. There are people living at the time of Jesus who did not receive Word about him. For example, either the people at the Inn in Bethlehem didn’t know that Mary was pregnant with the Son of God or they chose not to respond to the revelation. Since no mention is made of their hostility to the Good News, it seems likely that they did not know. Also, there are people today for whom God has not made Jesus known. We should hold tight to the knowledge that God has chosen to reveal Jesus to us.

But we are all at different places in both understanding what that means and in believing what it means. Like King Herod, there may be some who are hostile to Jesus Christ, certainly there are in the Rhode Island and Massachusetts and throughout the United States and the world today. Others of us may be quite skeptical about the claims of Jesus Christ but we are here today and willing to search and ask questions about Jesus. That sounds like Nicodemus in John’s Gospel. He comes at night to ask Jesus questions so that no one will see him with Jesus. For some reason, God has chosen to make God’s Self known to Nicodemus and people like him, people who are curious but not yet committed to Christ. Then there are some of us who, like the wise men, hear the news about Jesus, believe, and set out on a path to find him and pay him homage.

It is interesting that the foreigners, the magi, or wise men, take a very dangerous and harrowing trip through the Middle Eastern wilderness to pay homage to the Jewish Messiah and to bring him gifts. It is interesting that they apparently don’t come to take anything from him. They don’t come to receive anything from him. They simply come to give him gifts. They come to honor him for who he is. They are wise men indeed. God has truly made God’s Self known to them and they are filled with a generous and overflowing spirit.

What is meant by this? It is hard to do what the wise men do. Most people come to church on Sunday to be fed and nourished, to receive Holy Communion and to hear the Word of God preached. That is one of the gifts to us from the Church, which today is the Body of Christ. Most of us want to “get something out of worship.” But the wise men simply come and give Jesus gifts, asking nothing in return of Jesus or God.

They are blessed by God with all they need. They need nothing more from Jesus than to know who he is, that God is present and to give him gifts. They have an open and generous spirit. It seems to be God’s Spirit, too. Because God gives in the same way: He gives His all for us and expects nothing in return. Perhaps we can give him a surprise gift however. Perhaps we can give something back. Perhaps we can give ourselves to him. For that would be quite a gift. Even better than the gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.

Sources and references : (note that the above is the approximate verbal text of a sermon spoken without notes and does not include quotations or footnotes (except as noted in footnote 1, below) that a formal publication, speech, or written report would include).

The New Oxford Annotated Bible (NRSV)
Synthesis – Year C – 2007/2006
Synthesis – Year C – 2003/2004
Pulpit Resource by William Willimon
Anglicans Online website – “Sermons that Work,” Year C
The Gospel of Matthew – William Barclay
The New Interpreter’s Bible, Vol. IX, Abingdon Press

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