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Invitations from the Magi
Matthew 2: 1 – 12 |
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Summary
Invitations from the Magi The Magi are the mystery characters in the story of Jesus’ birth. In generations past, they were commonly identified as the three kings from the East. We now know them as Magi or astrologers from the East, but it is unclear from the text how many were actually in the party. The number three is the traditional reading, but this is based on Matthew’s mentioning of three gifts rather than a strict accounting of the number of persons. The Magi are included in our Nativity scenes and Christmas hymns, but why does Matthew include these mysterious figures in his presentation of Jesus’ birth? What can we learn from this narrative about pagan astrologers who turn up in Israel to celebrate the birth of Jesus the Messiah? The story of the Magi confronts us with four invitations to realign our lives with God’s story and his vision for authentic life as the people whom God created us to be. Invitation One: Following Jesus to experience a real life The story of the Magi is astonishing. Magi living hundreds of miles from Israel leave their families and the comforts of home to chase the mere possibility of encountering the long-awaited King of the Jews. What would have driven these men to go to such lengths to meet a king? They must have realized through their observations of the stars that something spectacular was happening. Moreover, their God-given longing for the true God must have been stirred within them. Blaise Pascal, the 17th-century scientist/philosopher, said, “There is a God-shaped vacuum in the heart of every man which cannot be filled by any created thing, but only by God, the Creator, made known through Jesus.” God created each of us for relationship with himself and others. We know this instinctively. However, too many of us fail to act and remain unchanged. The Magi offer a model for life. When they were confronted with the opportunity to connect authentically with God and experience true life, they left their homes for a journey into the unknown. They followed a star hoping to find a king. They risked the security of the status quo for the chance to taste bona fide life. What would you give for a chance to live the life of God’s dreams? What would it mean for you to live as the person whom God created you to be? Jesus comes to all of us today and says, “Follow me.” This text invites us to follow Jesus as the true way of experiencing the life God offers us. In Jesus, we don’t have to follow a star; we follow the living Son of God. Invitation Two: Experiencing true joy in encountering Jesus. After the detour in Jerusalem, the Magi arrive in Bethlehem. When the Magi recognized that they have reached their destination, they were overwhelmed with joy. This was the joy of discovering the source of true life. As humans created in God’s image, we long for happiness. We long to find meaning and fulfillment in life. Yet how many of us actually find it? When was the last time that we were overwhelmed with joy? Children are constant reminders of the delight of living. When I was a little boy my family enjoyed going for car rides to look at Christmas lights and decorations in the neighborhoods on the south side of Houston. My parents used to tell us stories of when we were preschoolers, our responses to good light displays were memorable. They told us we would squeal at the top of their lungs, “LIGHTS!” at the site of any display. It was as though we had discovered some lost artifact of infinite worth. Our faces would glow with miles-wide smiles. Joy like this is a gift from God. It is a reminder of something that too many of us have lost. The Magi rediscovered their capacity for true joy when they encountered the baby Jesus. Their testimony stands as an invitation to us to pursue true God-given joy by seeking Jesus. Don’t miss the subtle warning there. The Magi represent outsiders in the story. They are not Judeans. They are foreigners from a faraway land. Yet it is these outsiders who experience the joy of pursuing and finding Jesus who came to “save his people from their sins.” Herod’s response to Jesus’ coming is not surprising given Herod’s notoriety, but it is surprising that it is not Herod alone who is frightened at the announcement of Jesus’ birth — all Jerusalem is frightened as well, says our text. Jerusalem represents the insiders in the story. It is in Jerusalem that the priests and religious leaders dwell. They even knew that Bethlehem was the place to look for Jesus, but this knowledge did not bring them joy. The joy that Jesus offers is open to insiders and outsiders. Are you interested? Invitation Three: Finding our true self in the surrender to and worship of Jesus The Magi aren’t content to experience Jesus from afar. When they arrive at their destination, they approach and enter the house where Jesus and his mother Mary are. Their response is profound. In the presence of this young child born not among the rich and powerful of the Jerusalem elite but out in the country in Bethlehem, these wealthy astrologers from the East bow down and pay him homage. To pay homage means to bow in the presence of someone or something greater than oneself. It is to assume the humble posture of worship. The phrase “pay homage” is repeated three times in our passage and is a significant one in Matthew’s gospel, used 13 times. In Matthew’s gospel, “paying homage” is the proper response to the person of Jesus. It is the recognition of his person and authority. In the context of our story, this act of submission and worship by the Magi stands in radical contrast to the actions of Herod, who sought to thwart God’s plans through the murder of the young king. There is a polarization of responses to Jesus in our text: worship or murder. This story presents no middle road. But the Magi do not stop with worship. They also offer the baby Jesus costly gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. These gifts are gestures of submission. They represent the surrender of the Magi to the Lordship of Jesus. They are symbolically offering themselves to Jesus for the building up of his kingdom. This text invites us to do the same. True life is not found in amassing power, wealth or prestige through our own efforts. True life is found in surrendering all that we are to Jesus. Through their example, the Magi invite us to surrender ourselves to Jesus as our true sovereign and move from a life focused on self to a life centered on serving Christ. Invitation Four: Returning to our old lives to share the message An encounter with God is never merely an existential experience as its own end. When God meets us, we are transformed from self-centered persons committed to self-fulfillment and gratification. We enter an other-oriented existence as the Spirit propels us back into the world to participate fully in God’s mission to bring salvation to the ends of the earth through Jesus Christ. The Magi do not remain in Israel with the Savior of the world. They found the deepest longing of their hearts. They offer themselves to the King. But they return to their homeland. We do not hear from these men again in the New Testament, but these unnamed Magi become the very first Christian missionaries in history. They came to pay homage to the King because they instinctively realized that Jesus was the one for whom their very beings longed. But encountering Jesus becomes a call to go back into the world for the sake of God’s mission to bring healing, hope, reconciliation and good news. Having met Jesus, the Magi return home. Don’t miss the significance of this for the gospel story. They do return to their old lives but they are now living as transformed persons. The actions of the Magi foreshadow the end of the gospel where the risen Jesus sends out his followers into the world to make disciples of all persons. This is the Gospel mandate. Or as Alex McManus reminds us, “The Gospel comes to us on the way to someone else.” The Magi do not isolate themselves from the world. They become agents of transformation for others. This is our call as well. The Magi remind us that an encounter with Jesus is a commission to become his ambassadors. Conclusion: Every Nativity scene is rich in imagery. Its characters seem familiar but their significance deepens with careful examination. The Magi come bearing gifts for the newborn King of the Jews. But don’t miss the profound invitation that they offer to us. They remind us that the coming of Jesus is good news indeed and that encountering Jesus is an invitation to the life that God created us to live. May we heed their call. |
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