Scripture Matthew 2:1-12
In the time of King Herod, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, magi from the east came to Jerusalem, asking, “Where is the child who has been born king of the Jews? For we observed his star in the east and have come to pay him homage.” When King Herod heard this, he was frightened, and all Jerusalem with him, and calling together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born. They told [Herod], “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 magi 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 in the east, until it stopped over the place where the child was. When the magi saw that the star had stopped, they were overwhelmed with joy. On entering the house, they saw the child [Jesus] 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 [the magi] left for their own country by another road.
Sermon
There are two great episodes that make up the Christmas story. These episodes are: the birth of Jesus in the manger, with angels and shepherds as the witnesses; and the arrival of magi. One scholar has described them as, “…surprising visitors from the East, some combination of astrologers, philosophers, magicians, religious advisors, courtiers, intellectuals of prestige and wealth…”[i] Today we are present for that second episode, in all its drama and political intrigue. We are present for the arrival of the magi.
We don’t know precisely how many of these wise astrologers came to visit Herod. We know that they brought three gifts, but there may have been two magi, or there may have been ten, or even more. They may have been all men, or there may have been women among them; women also participated in the art and science and mystic revelations of the stars.
However many they were, the magi came to Herod for directions. How could they find Jesus? They were asking about the birth of a child whom, in their minds, he surely must have known about. After all, their reading of the newly risen star told them that this child was the King of the Jews.
But Herod did not know. And Herod believed that he was the King of the Jews. And so, he was afraid. One thing I’ve learned about human nature is that fear and anger often go hand in hand. So, when we read in verse 3, that King Herod was frightened “and all Jerusalem with him,” we might have a good idea why that is. When the King is afraid, that fear is bound to spill out onto innocent bystanders, and it might just look like anger. In this story, that is exactly what happens.
Herod retreats to his own court wise men and asks them where this child could be. A note about Jesus’ age: In the story we read on Christmas Eve, the word used for Jesus is “babe.” In this story, the language consistently used is “child.” Scholars believe this puts Jesus at about two years of age. The court scribes and sages look through the scriptures, and based on two passages in the Hebrew Bible, they report back that the child must have been born in Bethlehem—just about five-and-a-half miles south of Jerusalem. Passing along this information to the magi, Herod also makes a request: that the wise ones return to Jerusalem to tell him exactly where to find the little boy, so that he, too can go and show his respects.
The magi visit Jesus and find that he and his parents are living in a house now. They present their marvelous gifts. And after they leave, they head home by a different route than the one they came on, because they’ve had a dream that they should not return to Herod after all.
We call the day when we read this passage the Feast of the Epiphany, a word that means “revealing,” because there are at least two things that God reveals to the world in this moment: In the discovery of the young king by the gentile wise ones from the East, God’s love shines forth for the whole world. In the birth of the child of Bethlehem, God reveals that divine love is not limited to one community, or one tribe, or one religion, or one race. God’s love is for everyone, including foreigners, and those who practice religions other than Christianity or Judaism. God’s love is for everyone, including people who are very different from us, as the visitors were from the one they were there to pay special honor. God’s love is for everyone, including people we don’t like, trust, or understand. God’s love shines out for the whole world. God’s love is for everyone.
The other epiphany, of course, is Herod’s realization that a child has been born whom he sees as a threat. This epiphany is where fear turns into fury. In later verses in this chapter, Herod does what he believes will protect him from the scourge of some no-name kid becoming King. He orders the slaughter of all children aged two and younger in and around Bethlehem. But Joseph has already been warned in a dream, and so he, and Mary, and Jesus flee to Egypt. They become refugees in another country, which took them in and allowed them to live there in safety and peace.
Even in the face of brutal dictators, God’s love still shines, everywhere, for everyone. And we are called to be bearers of that light. Remember: Jesus called the ordinary people who came to hear him and to be healed, “the light of the world.” Jesus calls us to be the light of the world. So how do we allow ourselves to shine?
The first answer to that, is to do exactly what you are already doing. You are here. You are listening to the Word, and you are taking in and living with the story. You are opening your hearts in prayer and praise. You are singing songs of hope. You are dwelling deeply in your faith. That doesn’t mean you have all the answers—none of us has all the answers. But you are “living the questions,” to borrow a phrase, and that is a true sign of deep engagement with your faith—to be willing to continue to ask the questions, and to be willing to rest in the liminal space between understanding and mystery. Dwell deeply in your faith, and you will shine.
Another way to shine is to create and maintain connections—to be a part of a community. You are already a part of at least one community—this faith community—but I suspect most of us are part of other communities as well. Breakfast buddies, Book Groups. Hockey teams, soccer teams, lacrosse teams, football teams. Bible Studies. Volunteers of all stripes. Scouts. Lyceum. Schools, and grades. Water aerobics and Zumba attendees and lap swimmers. Mahjong players. League of Women Voters. We shine when we dwell in any of these communities, and others like or unlike them, because we reach out to share our gifts and interests and enthusiasm and experiences with others. We make connections, and we stay connected, and we will shine.
We shine, too, when we participate in God’s long-term project of creating a better world. I know many of us feel that burden in these troubled days, wondering what we can do in our own frightening world. None of us can do it all. No one has the capacity to fix everything (though I regularly pray to God to do just that). But we can do this: what can figure out what is ours to do. What is that? Only you know. Maybe one issue calls to you, touches your heart, more than others. Maybe there is an organization you can join, or support, or share information about. Maybe you can pray. Each of us has a role in God’s great and beautiful plan, each of us has corners in our soul that lead us to read certain stories, find out all we can about certain problems, empathize with certain people. You’ll figure it out. Do what is yours to do, at this stage in your life, and that may mean, again, continuing in what you are already doing. Only you know for certain. Do what is yours to do, and you will shine.
There are countless ways to shine. I’ll name just one more. You shine when you learn the lifelong lesson of being yourself—exactly who God created you to be. When you let go of the pressure society applies to us to be or think or act a or look a particular way, living a life of performance rather than presence. You shine when you are comfortable in your own skin, when you are at ease with your choices, and when you are 100 percent you, at all times, in company or alone with a good book. Be who you are, and you will shine.
Arise, good people of God. Shine! For your light has come. The glory of the Lord has risen upon you. The light of the world will continue to shine through you, today, and all your days. You will shine.
Thanks be to God. Amen.
[i] Meda Stamper, “Epiphany of Our Lord: Commentary on Matthew 2:1-12,” January 6, 2025, Working Preacher, https://www.workingpreacher.org/commentaries/revised-common-lectionary/epiphany-of-our-lord/commentary-on-matthew-21-12-14.