January 4, 2015 Matthew 2:1-12

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 my favorite questions is, “If you could invite someone, throughout history, to a dinner party, who would it be?

Many people assume, as a pastor, I would say Jesus, as it does seem to be the correct answer for any Christian, but I imagine it would be a little like inviting both a goody two-shoes, and a protester into your home, not exactly a fun dinner party either way, and combined sounds even worse. Deb Trapp came up with the current Pope for her answer in Lectionary Bible Study, and I get it. He seems to get it more than perhaps any other religious figure since Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and in some ways inviting either of them would be a little like inviting Jesus, fascinating - but perhaps not very fun. I tend to lean toward fun, and therefore, for years now, I have said I would pick Willie Nelson. Once described as the least famous seeming, famous person, I think he would couple good stories with a practical unpretentiousness, which, probably is the source of many of those wild, yet grounded, tales he seems to exude. I think with Willie, I wouldn’t have to worry. I wouldn’t even have to call him Mr. Nelson, and I think he would be just as enthused about paper plated finger-lickin' BBQ, as he would some cassoulet on Blue Willow. He just seems down to earth.___

And so, I think about the wisemen, and that Jesus was the famous person that they chose to meet. Perhaps the wisemen were more goody-two shoes than I - bringing their fancy gifts, and more prone to protesting then I - going home by another road. Maybe they just had more in common with Jesus. Perhaps they could relate to him, or at least hoped to, being the most learned of their time having studied the scriptures and the stars, maybe it was because they were kings like he, or maybe relative proximity played a part, the ability to travel to Jesus, like my scheming that Willie is a Texan and I know a few of his haunts, like Luchenbach, or Floores Country Store. Maybe for the wisemen Jesus just seem closer, more attainable. When I imagine Jesus as this lofty figure perhaps to them, coming to Jesus was coming to see God brought down to earth.

And if I think about it that way, I know I too have traveled to see Jesus, and continue to be surprised at how close he is at hand. This is because I have sat with so many of you, you whose stories bring me closer to God, who reflection of Christ brings the divine down to earth. I think of Jason McClaughry telling the Confirmation Class how being a geologist is an expression of his faith, like Rev. Thomas Condon before him, and I think of the rocks Jason brought as if they were offerings of gold, frankincense and myrrh, and the youth touching each one over, and even in their quiet being moved, for in the expression of faith Jason illuminated Jesus was brought down to earth. In the same course, I think of Lynn conveying to the youth the grace he felt through his adoption which inspires him to return that grace through the offerings of he and Deb’s mission work, and I think of their gifts in the patient and nurturing interactions with our youth through days and days of our summer mission trip and there before us the divine was made tangible. I think of when Spencer pondered how little recognition Joseph, the father of Jesus, receives, or Michelle, after finding a version of Mary and Joseph to which she could relate, articulated that their humanness made Jesus feel closer at hand. Through the words of our youth, in those instances, the holy could be seen walking among us, and we payed homage. I think of these things and realize that out there in the church playground grass in the early Autumn of the year, I too was kneeling before Jesus, that the divine was brought down to earth in the people of God. I went to Charlie’s this week and Evan clearly and profoundly articulated why he sought to be confirmed and baptized, “because,” he said, “I feel like it is the first step in a journey of learning what the Lord has in store for me,” and there with my chill cheese dog, like a down-home paper plate of BBQ, I saw the holy child in the openness of the teenager before me. Likewise, deeply sunken into the leather couches with wretched posture and hearing the piercing coffee grind interrupting Sorbenots old school dance music, Jesus could be seen in Calli as she explained her faith. Like the magi, I had seen the star at its rising, as I have watched Calli grow into this faith during our trips and youth group gatherings, and there I was, bad posture and all, watching the place the star had stopped above the child and I was overjoyed. Jesus was brought down to earth and there I was paying homage to Christ by hearing the witness of the faith of our community.

These are the most recent moments that come to mind, but in this congregation I have heard so many more from so many of you, and I always am in awe and surprised when I do. I forget that I don’t need to take some pilgrimage back in time, and accompany wise men or attempt to be as learned, bringing gifts beyond my means. I do not need to finagle some trip back to Texas to meet Willie, or to the vatican to see the Pope, but instead simply get to walk down the street and meet you over chili cheese dogs, or loud coffee, or in the grass of our playground and there, in you, I will witness, Jesus, God brought down to earth.