Beyond Resistance to Embrace
The festival of Epiphany, (marked on January 10, 2016)
Matthew 2:1-12
How big is the embrace of God's love in Jesus Christ? Is it this big – or this big – this big (gesturing wildly) – or ????
This isn't merely an intellectual question. This question goes to the heart of God and any part of human understanding of the birth, life, death and resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth.
Today we celebrate the festival of the Epiphany. This festival has been understood as the celebration of a greater revelation of God's presence and love embodied in Jesus. This festival pushes beyond some of what had been previously understood by many – that God's favour lay primarily with and for the Jewish people.
This festival of Epiphany pushes us into wrestling with the depths of the love of God in Jesus – as well as the magnitude of the embrace of that love and its implications for our lives as followers of this Jesus . . .
The magi (wise men in common parlance) are interesting people. We don't actually know how many of them first came to Jerusalem and then moved on to Bethlehem looking for the child. Tradition has often assumed that their number was 3, since there are 3 gifts listed. But their exact numbers are not specified. We do know that magi were attentive to the stars. They were likely astrologers.
Isn't it I interesting that the first people actually searching for Jesus in Matthew's gospel, (different than Luke's gospel, where the first seekers of Jesus re shepherds) are astrologers. These magi of Luke's Gospel are not Jewish! Unlike Jesus, Mary and Joseph and all of the first followers of the adult Jesus, these astrologers are likely Persians. Attentive to the stars they are being drawn to Jerusalem where they make further inquiries as to the child's birthplace.
On this journey they encounter a variety of people. One of them is King Herod. At first glance it appears that Herod is interested in their search for benevolent reasons. He even enlists people who can aid the magi's search. The chief priests and scribes know their sacred writings. They send the magi on their way to Bethlehem.
Once in Bethlehem the magi find the child and his mother. They are filled with joy. Upon meeting the child they kneel to worship the baby. They offer him their very best gifts.
Only then are they warned of King Herod's deception through of all things, a dream. How interesting – through the means of a dream and the arrangement of a star or stars, they are led to worship this wee child, the King of the Jews, the Saviour of the world. Not only that but they are also led to protect him from Herod, the powers that then were.
Dreams and stars aren't the usual ways that Lutherans have discerned the work of God's Spirit. But then sometimes, perhaps even often, God's ways are not our ways. Amazingly God uses various ways and means to reach out with an embrace beyond our imagination, intended for all people!!!
Now one might think that such an amazing embrace, this love of God in Jesus, would be good news for everyone. Not so!
Not so – for Herod. Herod loved power and all of its trappings. He would, (look ahead just a few verses) DO ANYTHING to attempt TO MAINTAIN POWER. He even stooped so low to kill all the children in a particular area who were 2 years of age and younger. But Herod's resistance is not the only resistance to the amazing embrace of God in Jesus Christ.
Later we see significant resistance from the religious authorities. They also liked power. They sought to maintain the status quo – their positions of privilege.
But before we are too quick to judge them, how about us? Do we enjoy our status quo? Are we willing to welcome others, anyone, into 'our' church, 'our' "families", 'our' country?
Much of human history is marked by distinct refusals to accept, to be embraced by this love of God in Jesus Christ. Someone we just don't or won't see that this love of God in Jesus is for all – including even us.
Many of the covenant people for a long time were convinced that the favour of God, was primarily, if not only, for them. Later many, many Christians felt that the love and deliverance of God in Jesus the Christ was primarily or only for them! I know far too many Lutherans who feel that our 'understanding' of Gospel is the best or even only one.
But the magi show us differently. God's love in Jesus Christ is not limited by our understanding nor by our intentional or unconscious resistance and opposition to Him.
The suffering and risen Jesus, born in that wee town of Bethlehem approaches us even now. He lives among us, tenting in our hearts and minds to change us, to embrace us with God's love while showing the truths of ourselves, our world and of our need for God.
As this occurs, as this seed of God's Spirit through Jesus Christ begins to grow in our beings, nothing can stay the same. Honesty within and among ourselves and with God necessarily grows. Humility, patience, empathy and advocacy begin to indelibly mark his followers.
This doesn't mean that the resistance within and without ends.
But God's embrace in Jesus Christ is stronger, more steadfast and wiser than any and all resistance.
So, dear people, this day, this year, be opened to the amazing grace of God's embrace in Jesus Christ. We may never be able to understand how encompassing this is, but let me assure you that God's embrace has the capacity to direct and transform us again and again and again. May this be our reality, for Christ's sake and the sake of the world. Amen.