Best and Worst - A Sermon for Epiphany

Isaiah 60, 1-9
Matthew 2, 1-18

“It was the best of times. It was the worst of times.” With those words, Charles Dickens begins his epic novel, “A Tale of Two Cities.” Such words find a powerful echo in our Gospel Reading this morning.

For the best of times, we are able to look to the story of the magi. Just 6 days ago, our thoughts were on Jesus in the manger. Then we found him visited by shepherds, men of little status whose working lives were such that they lacked the ritual cleanliness to be fully participating members of Israel’s religious life which meant in effect being outsiders.

Now we meet another group of outsiders, the mysterious magi. We do not know when Matthew sees them as coming to visit Jesus. Often it is noted that they visit Jesus in a house as though this puts a considerable difference between the time of their visit and the earlier visit of the shepherds. However, this is not necessarily so. The Greek word that is often translated as “inn” in terms of no room at the inn, is “kataluma” which is only used elsewhere by Luke to refer to the arrangements for the upper room whilst in the Parable of the Prodigal Son, Luke uses a different word for a commercial inn. Given that most basic homes were one room homes with a lower level for animals who could reach up to a manger at the family living level, there is good reason to believe that Jesus was born in the main section of a home of relatives whilst the kataluma or spare room was already occupied. If so, the two visitations need not be far apart.

But what of these magi? Their visit fits an Eastern pattern of great births being accompanied by momentous events in the sky. Certainly we know of a comet in 11BCE in Gemini with its head towards Leo, seen by many as a symbol of Judah, which may have heightened messianic expectations. We also know of planetary conjunctions in both 7BCE and 6 BCE which would have added to a sense that momentous happenings were on the way. Magi from present day Iran or Iraq would have noticed these things and taken them seriously. But who were they?

One commentator, Brian Stoffregen puts it like this;

“Originally in Persia, Magi were dream- interpretaters. By Jesus’ time, the term referred to astronomers, fortune-tellers, or star-gazers. In fact our word “magic” or “magician” comes from the word Magi. They were horospope fanatics - a practice condemned by Jewish standards. We might compare the to people in fortune - teller booths, or people on the “psychic hotline” or other “occupations” that fore-tell the future by stars, tea leaves, Tarot cards etc. They were magicians, astronomers, star-gazers, pseudo-scientists, fortune tellers..”

Another writer, Nathan Nettleton, puts it like this;

“They were the speakers of the sacred words at the pagan sacrifices. At worst, the term referred to a magician or sorcerer, or even a deceiver. Magi were people whose activities were repeatedly condemned and prohibited throughout the scriptures and were completely anathema to the people of Israel.”

Do you get the picture? These Magi were not just foreigners which to some would be bad enough. They were also those whose religious practices were far removed from those of Israel. God’s blessings are seen to be for even the most unlikely of people. For this Christ has come to demonstrate God’s love for all.

But can we learn from these Magi? I think we can. Part of my upbringing was in a religious context in which you almost feared being unorthodox. God might not like it. And yet, there are times when I find myself uncomfortable with the sort of religious expression that claims to have it all. Bono and U2 were castigated some years ago by some supposedly orthodox Christians when they produced a song entitled, “ I still haven’t found what I am looking for.” I can’t see the problem with that especially given the spiritual depths in amny of their songs. You see, the example of the Magi was that they were searchers. They didn’t claim to have it all but they saw their lives as a journey of discovery. And in that they are an example to us. We don’t know it all. But if we like them are prepared to be diligent seekers, then like them we may be graced by a vision of God’s light, by our Epiphany. So a message for today, is to dare like them to take the risk of seeking and God may well bless us with our own Epiphanys which transform us as doubtless the Magi were transformed by what must have been a surprising experience for them as they knelt before the infant Jesus.

And what of those gifts. Gold, frankincense and myrrh - hardly ideal gifts for a baby although my father tells me that he was enrolled in a “Funeral club” within days of being born. Of course, gold points us to Kingship, frankincense to priesthood and myrrh to suffering and death. But there is another understanding that is worth considering. Gold, frankincense and myrrh were used by Persian magicians as elements in their practices. Taken this way, the gifts become infinitely more sacrificial for they can be seen as representing a surrender of old ways and old understandings as they embrace the new revelation that has come to them in Christ. Now they become a challenge to us. A challenge that asks of us if we are using our gifts in a way that conflicts with the way of Christ and if so are we like the wise men prepared to bring those gifts to Christ.

Well, the wise men are part of the good side of Christmas. And yet there is a shadow side. And that shadow side is to be found in Herod the Great. Although as an Idumean he was not a pure Jew and his relationship with his people was difficult, he might have been expected to be one of the stars of the story. And yet like so many rulers, when feeling threatened, he had a tendency to lash out with cruelty and brutality. Even his own family experienced this. Not for nothing was it said that it was safer to be Herod’s pig than his Son. Later to effect mass mourning on his death, he prepared massive executions to coincide with his passing.

Herod reminds us of the dangers of power being used for domination. For we know that too often, people have to die for the fears, ambitions and vanities of leaders. How often have people been seen as expendable just as Matthew presents the infants of Bethlehem as being expendable in the sight of Herod. Herod’s violence is unleashed with brutality. And in that we see something of an ongoing human story. For as American Methodist theologian Walter Wink has written, the dominant myth today is not the official stories of any of the world’s great faiths but the pagan rooted myth of the redemptive value of violence. A myth which has destructive outworkings, a myth which perhaps lies at the heart of yesterday’s snuff video (I’d call it pornographic) where the solution to a violent man is seen as public violence and so as has always been the case, this myth, Herod’s myth leads on to ever increasing circles of hatred and violence.

Follow Jesus and see the contrast between him and Herod;

- A contratst between non violence as opposed to violence
- A Valuing of all however undeserving as opposed to valuing only those who are useful to Number 1
- A courageous compassion as opposed to a destructive rage.

Soon the Holy Family will have to flee. Soon they will become refugees in need of asylum, a journey followed by so many in the 2 millenia that will follow. For the life of Jesus like that of the rest of humanity will be no fairytale but will interract all too powerfully with the forces of darkness.

But this morning whilst we must move into being realistic about our world in which power is so often used to squash others, we can indeed encounter hope. For in Christ, God’s light has entered the world. Darkness cannot put it out. And we are called to live every day as signs of the Light even when it puts us a million miles away from the tyranny of the majority and the drumbeat of conformity.

The best and the worst. The worst is all too real but the best is greater and at Epiphany we can celebrate that the all embracing love of Christ, the Light of the world, that is the most powerful force of all, greater than any of the man made abominations that are weapons of mass destruction.


Preached at Torrington Methodist Church on Sunday December 31st 2006