Century Christian Church
(Disciples of Christ)

1301 Tamarack Road, Owensboro, KY 42301, (270) 684-0286, Pastor:  Rev. Jim Westmoreland

Where Do We Put The Wise Men?
Matthew 2:1-12
by Jim Westmoreland

The day of Epiphany marks the coming of the Wise Men to worship the Baby Jesus. The season of Epiphany, which ends the Sunday before Ash Wednesday, builds on the importance of the Christ Child visited by the Gentiles. It points out that Jesus did not just come for the Jewish people, but for all people.

So, where do we put the wise men in the Christmas story? Most of you have put up your Christmas decorations or you are getting ready to. When you get out your nativity scene each year, there are several pieces for you to arrange. There is a stable and a feeding crib, and some animals. There may be sheep and cows, goats and donkeys, and even a camel. What people are there. Well, there is Mary and Joseph and the baby, Jesus. Then, there are usually four shepherds and two wise men, right? No? Was it five shepherds and one wise man? (It would probably be hard to find two wise men!) No? You say it was three shepherds and three wise men. We'll see . . .

Our modern nativity scene is really a composite of the accounts of the birth of Jesus found in Matthew 2 and Luke 2, the only gospels to mention Jesus' birth. Luke tells us about the shepherds, but does not mention a star. The shepherds know to come to Bethlehem because of angels appearing to them in a vision telling them to go to Bethlehem and they would find the baby, God's Messiah, lying in a manger. They were looking for a newborn and family in a stable where a baby was lying in the feed crib. Matthew tells us about magi from the East who saw a special star in the sky, signifying to them the birth of a special king. It appeared to move and they followed it.

These magi, or wise men, have been the subject of confusion and humor, more than any other characters in the Christmas story. Like the story of the little boy who was setting up a manger scene in the corner of his S.S. room and, puzzled for a moment about what to do, he yells to the teacher, "And where do I put the three wise guys?" . . . Are the wise men just part of the background in this story or do these seekers from the East have something to teach us?

In the storyline that has evolved over the years, three kings looked at the stars and saw a special one that was moving and believed that it signaled the birth of a new and special king. They got together with each other and decided to get on their camels and follow that star. They would have arrived at the stable first, but they had to stop and ask directions about where the Messiah was to be born. They pulled up at the stable in Bethlehem just after the shepherds had gone in. They sat their camels down, dismounted and went in to pay homage to the baby in a manger.

There is a lot in this popular account that the gospels do not confirm. Here is what we do know. The "three kings of Orient" were not kings. They were magi, wise, men, professional scholars in astronomy, the study of the stars, and astrology, the interpretation of the meaning of the movements of the stars. We do not know how many of them there were, only that three gifts were given. There is no mention in Matthew of the manger or a stable or of shepherds. Matthew specifically says that the wise men entered a house. In 2:16 Herod gave a command to kill all the baby boys two years and younger based on the time he ascertained from the magi. So, the wise men's visit to see Jesus was up to two years after his birth!

Was the visit of the wise men just staging in Matthew's story of Jesus' birth, or do they have something to teach us. Where do we put the wise men?

It is significant what Matthew has done in his birth narrative. Matthew is considered the most Jewish of the four gospels. He is the one who quotes the most scripture and has the most references to Jesus as the Messiah. So, it is surprising that he does not tell us about Jews looking for the long-awaited Messiah, but Gentiles who practiced the Zoroastrian religion based on astrology. They are the ones who see the special star in the east and come to worship. This is not insignificant! Written primarily for a Jewish audience this birth narrative would have shocked his hearers. Gentiles, pagans, those outside the faith-how could they lead us to the Messiah?

But we discover something about them that we can learn for ourselves, and that is that wise men seek for truth and wisdom. Their minds are not closed. Over and over the bible tells us that if we seek, we will find. The wise men had wisdom because they were seekers. Some people say they are open-minded, but they do not seek to know about God or to grow in their spiritual relationship with Him. I would not want to equivocate laziness or lack of discipline with open-mindedness. Where do we put the wise men?  They are not passive or aimless. They belong with the seekers.

How else can the wise men teach us? They teach us that faith is active. They got up and began a journey to find what the star pointed to. Journey is a good metaphor for faith. The father of Israel, Abraham, left his home in Ur of the Chaldees, to go to a land that God would show him. Moses led Israel out of Egypt into the wilderness as they journeyed to the Promised Land. Andrew and Peter, James and John left their nets to follow Jesus.

We cannot come to know the living God by sending a proxy, a substitute, to find out for us. Herod could have moved beyond the political intrigue to eliminate the potential threat of a "new king" if he had been willing to make the journey to Bethlehem himself, if he had been willing to go as a seeker, if he had been willing to make a journey of faith.

By contrast, the wise men had to travel from a foreign land, the area that is today Iraq, in search of wisdom and truth. Consider your own journey of faith and you will understand what they faced. They did not know where the star would lead them, how long it would take, or what the end result would be for them. They only knew that it was important for them to follow that star to wherever it lead them.

It is not enough to know religious facts about God or Jesus. Faith is not inherited like the family jewels. Where we fall short with our efforts, we can come to know the wonder of God's grace and forgiveness. Where do we put the wise men? Among those who come to faith by venturing from their easy chairs and comfortable routines and getting on with the journey.

The wise men can teach us something else about what to do when traveling when we don't know how to get to where we are going? Stop and ask for directions. They stopped to get help from other people as they tried to find the king to whom the star was guiding them. Some of us have gotten better when behind the wheel of our cars, and we actually stop sooner to get help that we used to! But why is it that, when it comes to our spiritual lives, we have to be so determined to be independent, to stand alone, to make it by ourselves?

When the wise men arrived in Jerusalem, they knew they were in the right area, but they were not yet in the right spot. So, they asked where the new born king was and how they could find him to pay homage to him. They received their answer from people familiar with the scriptures and the prophecies concerning the birth of the Messiah.

There are many people who can help us on our faith journey - if we are wise enough to ask them. The question is "Are we willing to ask for help when we need it?" I encourage you to come to one of our S.S. classes or to participate in the Life Groups that will be starting in February to be a part of a group of people who are also on a faith journey, and you can learn from each other. Where do we put the wise men? Among those whose faith journey is humble enough to learn from others.

There is one last thing that we can learn from the wise men. The wise men accepted what God lead them to and believed. When we talk about the wise men, it is easy to make much over what they gave to Jesus-gold, frankincense and myrrh. But, think for a minute about what they were given. They interpreted the stars to be telling them of the birth of king, a king of kings. So, they set off on a long, hard journey following a star. They end up at a simple home in Bethlehem where they find a carpenter and his wife and baby boy. There are no costly treasures in this house, no purple robes, no gold rings, nothing to show that they are in the presence of royalty or one destined to be a great king. Only the star stood overhead to indicate that anything special was going on.

And they accept this! All the outward signs, except one, are telling them that they are in the wrong place and that they must have made a mistake. But they accept the single sign, the star, the sign of God that they have been following for so long, and they ignore the rest! Amazing!

Sometimes, we have a hard time accepting what God has given. We look for miracles, instant healing, signs and wonders, trumpet calls and 21-gun salutes. We pray for a special blessing and then turn away from someone looking for a meal, or a neighbor who drops by unannounced, or someone who wants to talk just when we are trying to leave. The signs from God that we seek are opened by loving, giving and caring for others.

Where do we put the wise men? We put them with those who receive the sign that God has given them, who follow and who believe.

There are four things that I hope we can learn from knowing where to put the wise men:⁽¹⁾

1. We can put them with those who actively seek for truth and wisdom.

2. We can put them with those who come to faith by venturing from their easy chairs and comfortable routines and getting on with the journey.

3. We can put them with those whose faith journey is humble enough to learn from others.

4. We put them with those who receive the sign that God has given them, who follow and who believe.

What is it like to worship Almighty God, Everlasting Father, Lord of Lords and King of Kings, who was born a lowly birth in the very form of a human being? Where do we put the wise men? As teachers, as examples and as Worshipers of the King, Jesus the Christ. Amen.

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