Epiphany, 01/06/2013

Sermon on Matthew 2:1-8, by David H. Brooks

The Baptism of Our Lord

January 6, 2012

In the time of King Herod, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, asking, “Where is the child who has been born king of the Jews? For we observed his star at its rising, 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 him, “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 wise men 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 at its rising, until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw that the star had stopped, they were overwhelmed with joy. On entering the house, they saw the child 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 left for their own country by another road.

One of the enjoyable things about the holidays is the chance for watching old movies tucked away on the media shelf. We watched a lot of bad comedies, among them the movie “Hook” with Robin Williams as Peter Pan. One of the running jokes through the film involves having an epiphany—realizing or discovering something that was always there but not obvious—and how many ways you can put the word epiphany on the lips of pirates or the experience of an epiphany in the brains of pirates, whom we don’t expect to have great insights or discoveries.

But are we any different than those grubby pirates? Do we walk around expecting to find or discover something new and unexpected and delightful. To see and realize that something is other than what we thought all these years? The one thing that we cannot do is assume that epiphanies are rare, whether to pirates or to us. If we miss them, it is because we are not looking, not paying attention to what is going on around and before us. Matthew reports that out of all the people on earth, only three individuals bothered to look up and notice a star, and then follow that star wherever it would lead them. Even more pogniantly, the three people who notice this star and follow it are not children of Abraham, but Gentiles. Matthew's gospel, written for Jewish Christians, shows that the good news is for all nations, and that this child is the fulfillment of the promise to Abraham that he will be the father of many nations. This child--who he is, what he brings, what he reveals--is not seen by those nearby or those who are a part of the Roman power structure (Herod) but by those who are far off and foreign.

To understand what I’m talking about more clearly, let’s consider what the first meaning of epiphany is—the revealing of God. The season of Epiphany itself gives us stories about the revealing of God in the world, and how God makes himself known to people. The stories we will hear over the next several weeks will tell us of the many ways God has chosen to reveal himself to people throughout history—supremely in the person of Jesus. What is more, the stories of the season of epiphany challenge us to remember that 1) we only know God to the degree that God has been self-revealing; and 2) the God of Jesus Christ reveals himself in ways we don’t really expect or anticipate.

Consider, for example, the meal we will soon share. Many would say it‘s sheer foolishness to think that Jesus Christ, Mighty Lord, Gracious Savior, is found in the bread and cup we share in his name. But Jesus promises to be in this meal; this Holy Communion is an epiphany, a revealing of the Lord.

Or again, in a day and age where scandal after scandal rocks the institutional Church and many people are bold to claim that the Church and Christianity are actually a force of oppression and evil, we claim that we, gathered here, are the Body of Jesus Christ, Mighty Lord, Gracious Savior. The word of Christ continues to be spoken in this world today because some of us serve as the mouth in the Body of Christ. The healing love of Christ continues to be shared in this world because some of us serve as the embracing arms and tender hands of Christ. There is no such thing as a solitary Christian, but we are brought together and together we are the Body, and through us Christ is revealed, despite what the world might say.

Or let us talk of Baptism. When someone is baptized, it is Jesus Christ, Mighty Lord, Gracious Savior who baptizes him or her because we as the Body perform this baptism in obedience to his command and in faith in his resurrection. It is his Word of promise, joined to the water, which makes us children and heirs of God. We do not conduct private baptisms precisely because a baptism is performed by the whole Body, and because it is in the midst of those gathered in the name of Jesus that Jesus has promised to be.

Or again, Jesus has promised to be where his faithful people are gathered. Each of us are an opportunity for someone else to encounter Jesus Christ, Mighty Lord, Gracious Savior. A Christian is called to be a priest, and the role of a priest is to be a mediator between The Lord and another person.

Here, in the space of an hour, you will experience multiple epiphanies, potentially many revelations of God. And that is no joke, but a reason for rejoicing. Even pirates. Amen.

Rev. Dr. David H. Brooks
Cary, NC USA
E-Mail: David.Brooks@ChristtheKingCary.org

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