Upper Path Valley Presbyterian Church

Matthew 2:1-12

“Eyes Up!”

Rev. Meagan Boozer

Before we completely leave Christmas behind, we have to finish what is traditionally part of the Christmas telling of Christ’s birth story- the story of the 3 wise men who came to bring Jesus gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.

I want to begin by clearing up some idea we might have about this story:

1. The first century world into which Jesus came was a very literate world. Some say it was the period of the most widespread literacy the world was to know until some 18 centuries later. In Palestine, for example, there were schools in every town, with mandatory education for all children over the age of 6. As for medicine, first century rabbis practiced laws of health that were often far ahead of common standards in mid- 19^th century Europe and America. As for dentistry, it was surely possible to buy false teeth in 1^st century Jerusalem! We much remember or learn that the basic elements of mathematics and engineering existed in Mesopotamia 35 centuries before Christ. Three centuries before Jesus lived on earth, the size of the earth and its distance from the sun had been calculated with surprising accuracy, and efforts in chemistry and physics were already laying the groundwork for the research and discoveries of modern times. By 200 B.C. the library in Alexandria, Egypt, had more than 700,000 scrolls, as its administrators sought to fulfill their goal of collecting a copy of every known existing scroll. ¹

Therefore we must put out of our mind the idea that the times into which Jesus came were a primitive time in every way. Yes, compared to what we have and what we know now, it seems primitive- but it was not an illiterate world- in fact it was a world in which a little group of recognizable scholars became part of the Christmas story.

2. The guys we call the three kings weren’t kings at all. Did you hear anything in the Scripture we read about kings? No! They were wise men from the East- and what that means we’re not really sure about either. We don’t know much about these “wise men.” We assume there were three because there were three gifts given. They must have been students of astronomy because they noticed a change in the stars. They might also have been political scientists because they came searching for a new king; and they must have been interpreters of dreams because they were able to understand in a dream not to return to Herod after seeing the Christ child. It is often concluded that these fellows were from Persia. The wise men of that country were the teachers and advisor of the Persian kings and were usually quite skilled in philosophy, medicine, and natural science. They were generally admired for their search after truth.

They traveled 100’s of miles on a trip that took more money than they probably had, to spend traveling over a rough terrain for several weeks (or perhaps even months). Maybe our Christmas pageant isn’t so off after all when we dress these men so elegantly. They probably did dress as they would want to be received by a king themselves- dressed for an audience with royalty.

3. In these centuries, godless behavior was rampant (sort of like our times right now), yet there seemed to be a great expectancy. William Barclay, the late Bible scholar says, “When Jesus Christ came into this world the world was in an eagerness of expectation. Men were waiting for God… They had discovered that they could not build the golden age without God.”² But, they weren’t necessarily looking to the Jews for their spiritual answers. By the time the wise men began their journey, the Jews hadn’t been a viable political force for nearly 6 centuries. As a nation state they were not seen as a power to be reckoned with.

So why would anyone from another place and culture want to see a new King of the Jews, of all people? Why take this trip with months of preparation, weeks of travel, to see a king of a nation that wasn’t very important? Travel to find a new Caesar, yes; but to find a new king of Jews? No way.

The wise men must have known something of the writings of the prophets- not enough to know to go straight to Bethlehem- because they had to stop and ask for directions in Jerusalem- but enough to know that there could be something really big going on with this star and the kind and everything coming together all at once.

I think it is intriguing to think about this star and the wise men, and about God, of course. I think it is something worth pondering, “Why would God make the star stop over Jerusalem instead of just taking the wise men straight to Bethlehem?” Did they need to hear from the Jewish leaders the Scriptures they only vaguely had heard before? Did they need to know, before they encountered Christ, that he was the One prophesied about centuries before? Did God want to teach them something right then, right there that God is also teaching us over and over in our own lives?

Does God want us to remember that what might look to us like a destination is often only a pause, or a stop along the way?

These guys were intelligent. They were book smart. But they needed to learn something much more important on this trip. Listen to these words from 1 Cor. 3:18-19, “If you think that you are wise in this age, you should become fools so that you may become wise. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God.”

How do we come to be wise in the eyes of God? Follow God. Seek God. Go where God calls you to go, and stay ready to keep on moving. Graduations, weddings, retirements, births, new jobs, new homes, trips, good grades, completion of medical procedures, completion of construction projects, a certain amount of money in the bank, reading through the Bible in a year, having a winning season, all of these things are good goals, hopes, and dreams. God wants us to have good goals, hopes and dreams. But if they become our destination, our be-all and end-all, we will be the ones considered foolish in the eyes of God.

I think of thousands of persons who have chosen over the centuries to go to mission fields that contradicted all their natural sense of comfort and order, and who sometimes died there without apparently accomplishing anything. I think of persons who have continued loving a spouse, a child, a sibling, or a friend when everything demonstrated that the person didn’t merit such loyalty or love. I think of a congregation as a whole, and many individuals in it, who went beyond what anyone said they could, or even should do in 2005, to follow God’s leading, to seek the King.

I don’t know where you are as we begin this New Year, but I’ve settled it in my own mind and heart that I want to be more radically foolishly wise than I have ever been before my Lord in 2006. I don’t want to get comfortable doing anything we do, thinking we’ve already reached the pinnacle of excellence or service. I want to be reminded that seeking Jesus is the goal – every single day. And, I want to help you do the same.

Well, I tell you, I think the best way to do this is to keep it simple, yet strive for excellence. Always make every effort to learn more, yet remember the basics. Keep our knees bent in prayer, yet raise our eyes up to God. He alone is our destination- at the manger, at the cross, and at the empty tomb. He will lead us through whatever lies ahead, just as he has led us in the past. He will guide us, as he did the wise men, to His perfect light- Jesus Christ- the light of the world.

As we begin this New Year, I’d like for us all to listen to a beautiful song recorded by the band, “Casting Crowns.” May it be a great way to remind us that Jesus is our destination- Jesus is our Savior- Jesus is our friend that never gives up on us- Jesus is worthy of being our “Lifesong.” May the message and melody of this song get and keep us all moving in the right direction this year.

I once was lost, but now I’m found

So far away, but now I’m found

I once was lost, but now I’m found

And now my lifesong sings

I once was blind, but now I see

I don’t know how, but when he touched me

I once was blind, but now I see

And now my lifesong sings

I once was dead, but now I live

Now my life to You I give

Hallelujah

Let my lifesong sing to You

Prayer: O God, thank you for finding us in our lost condition. Thank you for opening our eyes to what is real and true. Thank you for giving us life, full life. Help us, dear Lord, to keep you as our destination on matter what is going on around us. Help us to stay focused. Help us to come and worship you, and give you all that we are, and all that we hope to be. May your name be the song of our hearts. Amen.

1-1-2006

1 Everyday Life in New Testament Times, A.C. Bouquet, 1954, chapters 10,11

2 The Gospel of Matthew, Vol. 1, William Barclay, p. 18