Matthew 4: 1-11
4:1 Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. 4:2 He fasted forty days and forty nights, and afterwards he was famished. 4:3 The tempter came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.” 4:4 But he answered, “It is written, ‘One does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”
4:5 Then the devil took him to the holy city and placed him on the pinnacle of the temple, 4:6 saying to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down; for it is written, ‘He will command his angels concerning you,’ and ‘On their hands they will bear you up, so that you will not dash your foot against a stone.’” 4:7 Jesus said to him, “Again it is written, ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’”
4:8 Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor; 4:9 and he said to him, “All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me.” 4:10 Jesus said to him, “Away with you, Satan! for it is written, ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve only him.’”
4:11 Then the devil left him, and suddenly angels came and waited on him.
At the beginning of the Lenten season we look at the story of Jesus’ temptation in the wilderness. A story like our own, and yet unlike. It is like our own in that we are all tempted; it is unlike our own in that we, unlike Jesus, fall short. In this story from Matthew’s Gospel, we see Jesus being “tempted’ or tested by the devil – the spiritual being who is the chief of all that wishes to oppose God. Jesus faces three temptations – each one somewhat different, and each one having something in common.
4:1 Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. 4:2 He fasted forty days and forty nights, and afterwards he was famished.
Before we begin, let’s just set the context a bit: Jesus has just come from his baptism, where God has declared: “this is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased”. The Spirit has descended upon him, and it is said that he was “led up by the Spirit” into this wilderness place. The declaration that Jesus is the Son of God is the voice in the background; the voice in the foreground is the that of Satan. The first two tempations begin by questioning the truth of the voice heard at Jesus’ baptism – “if you are the Son of God”. Temptation begins by questioning not only the voice of God, but our identiy in God.
The First Temptation:
4:3 The tempter came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.”
What is this temptation about? Jesus is, quite naturally, probably a fair bit hungry after a time of fasting in the wilderness. Fasting is a difficult spiritual discipline to practice because we are so accustomed to taking care of our physical needs. To intentionally deny our physical selves is at best, (we tend to think), counter intuitive, and often downright unnatural. There are really two parts to this temptation: first is just the temptation for Jesus to break his discipline of fasting – after all, to satisfy our physical selves is the first thing we often think of. The second part of the temptation is to “command” the stones to instantly become bread – to force it to happen, to take a shortcut from the spiritual discipline of fasting and just give in and eat. But there are no shortcuts in the spiritual life.
4:4 But he answered, “It is written, ‘One does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’” Of course Jesus answers by quoting the Scriptures: What we have in Matthew’s gospel is only the first part of the quotation from Deuteronomy. The full quote, as I’m sure you remember, goes like this:
“He humbled you by letting you hunger, then by feeding you with manna, with which neither you nor your ancestors were acquainted, in order to make you understand that one does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord”
What kind of answer does this give? Jesus is reminding us that we have physical needs (which certainly are important) but we also have spiritual needs. We are body and soul – we are physical and spiritual creatures. To feed only our bodies, without feeding our spirits, is a temptation. This season of Lent invites us to consider how we nourish our hearts, how we “live by every word that comes from the mouth of God”. It invites us also to listen – it is hard to hear the word of God until we still the background noise in our lives. On what do we live?: bread alone, or by the word of God? In a sense this temptation encompasses all material and physical temptations. It seeks to define the human as merely the physical.
The Second Temptation:
4:5 Then the devil took him to the holy city and placed him on the pinnacle of the temple,
4:6 saying to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down; for it is written, ‘He will command his angels concerning you,’ and ‘On their hands they will bear you up, so that you will not dash your foot against a stone.’”
Now the story gets a little more complicated. The devil takes Jesus up to the Temple, and while there are there he decides to throw in some passages of Scripture as well.
If we consider just the setting for this temptation, it should give us pause. For in the progression of these three temptations, this is the one located at the place of worship. The Temple was the particular place of ancient worship, the place of the Holy of Holies – and yet at the very pinnacle of the Temple, there is temptation. I suspect that things have not changed all that much in the last 2000 years. There is as much temptation in the church as there is on any streetcorner on the Vegas strip – and maybe more. One can always want to use the things of God for one’s own purposes. The church is not immune from temptation, and its offspring – sin. Temptation can take place in the ancient temple and in the sanctuary of the contemporary church. Temptation to both of the other things: failure to pay attention to the matters of the heart, and the desire for power – to have things my way. The church is not immune from all the temptations which beset any other group of individuals who gather together.
But what is the particular form of the temptation here in Matthew’s gospel? Prove that you are who you say you are, and prove something about this “word that proceeds from the mouth of God”. After all, it is written that God will do these things for you. 4:7 Jesus said to him, “Again it is written, ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’” Here is a fundamental form of spiritual temptation – using the things of God for our own purposes
The Third Temptation:
4:8 Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor; 4:9 and he said to him, “All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me.” 4:10 Jesus said to him, “Away with you, Satan! for it is written, ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve only him.’”
Next we have a temptation to power and authority over others for one’s own purposes, and through wrong means. Power in and of itself is not the temptation. The temptation comes in when one asks: how will this power be gained? What price am I willing to pay to get that power over others, and all the temporary glory that comes with it? “This will be yours, if you worship me.” The temptation here is told in its largest form – all the kingdoms of the world. But we can all fall into this temptation in our own little worlds – the desire to use power and authority unjustly over anyone in our sphere – whether that be in business, or even in our own families. The temptation to get and use power over others is of course the opposite of what Jesus exemplifies in his life – instead, as we follow the gospel story, we see that Jesus ends powerless according to the kingdoms of this world, and one of his last acts is of servanthood – as he washes the feet of his disciples. It doesn’t matter how big or small our kingdom is – it might be an empire, it might be an office, it might be a living room – we all are tempted to have unjust power over others.
Liar, liar, pants on fire:
There is, as well, a pattern in this temptation which is common to all temptation: do we assume that the devil is telling the truth in this story? And the devil said to him, “To you I will give their glory and all this authority; for it has been given over to me, and I give it to anyone I please. 4:7 If you, then, will worship me, it will all be yours.”
Is that true? Is it really the devil’s to give away? “The earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof”, says the psalm. And Jesus reminds Pilate “you would have no authority over me had it not been given you from above”. Notice Jesus doesn’t say “from below”. My point is this: Satan here acts as if these things are completely at his disposal, as if he has the power to take and give as he wishes. But this is not actually the case. So what we have in this temptation is a lie, masquerading as truth. The world is God’s – God is the one in charge here, not the devil.
It is a lie – a false promise. And this lie is at the heart of every temptation. You see, temptation promises to deliver something that it actually has no power to deliver. Like the first story of temptation in the garden of Eden, when they were told – you will not die, you will be like God.
This is the heart of temptation – it holds before our eyes something which, in the end, it cannot truly give us. Unmasking the lie in all temptation is a diffucult but necessary part of spiritual maturity.
Pakistan were skittled out for 184 after 43 overs, indebted to a stand of 73 from Misbah-ul-Haq and Umar Akmal. Umar fired four fours and a six in his 48 but swing bowler Harvir Baidwan took 3-35 as the final four Pakistan wickets fell for three runs in 14 deliveries. Jimmy Hansra made a valiant 43 but Afridi struck twice in two balls and snared 5-23 as Canada were 138 all out.
There are two significant mountains in Scripture where God speaks. In the southern part of the Sinai penninsula rises a mountain which has been known to the local Bedouin tribe for centuries as “Jebel Musa” – the mountain of Moses. The landscape, like all of the Sinai, is harsh. Ancient red granite rock greets the visitor to Sinai. What is not rock is sand, and what is not sand is dust. There are 2 main paths up to top. There is the main route which is used by the Bedouin, a series of switchbacks wide enough for a camel to walk upon. There is another, rather less trodden path – it is comprised of hundreds of steps carved into the rock by monks many centuries ago. The second path is appropriately named “The steps of repentance”. It was designed as a form of penance for the monks of the Monastery of St Catherine, which has been part of the mountain for almost 1700 years.
When you finally get to the top of Sinai, there is a spectacular view of the desert landscape for miles around. It is a jagged and rough place – a fitting spot for human beings to experience the majesty and, yes, even the terror of coming into the presence of God. It is the mountain of the giving of the Law – the commands which Moses gave to the people of Israel.
NIne km west of Nazareth rises another mountain – Mount Tabor. It commands a view of fertile valleys, the villages around the sea of Galilee, and it’s slopes are covered with lush greenery and gardens. It is the traditional site of the Transfiguration. There is only one route up to the summit: and though it is steep it is worth the climb. As opposed to camel, you can take a Mercedes Benz stretch limo for about 30 shekels. By the way, like the camel handlers in the Sinai, the taxi drivers are also Bedouin tribesmen. When you get to the top you see the variety of greenery – Mount Tabor receives that rare commodity – “rain”. Just as God spoke one set of words on the top of Mount Sinai, so he also spoke another set of words on the top of Mount Tabor.
If Sinai is the mountain of the Law, then let us think of Tabor – the mount of Transfiguration – as the mountain of Grace.
Law can only restrain us on the outside– but grace transfigures us on the inside. We are invited to a new vision of God in the person of Jesus Christ, and we invited to be transformed by grace, not by law. Perhaps you are still living on Mount Sinai – thinking that faith is only about following the laws – seeing God merely as the one who rewards or punishes. Or you are thinking that keeping yourself “good” in God’s eyes is impossible, but you think it is what God wants of you anyway.
Like Peter and James and John, we are all invited into a vision of God in Jesus.
And maybe like Peter our first reaction to being invited into a new vision of God in Jesus is to turn our attention elsewhere.
Then Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here; if you wish, I will make three dwellings here, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” On one level this is another echo of the Sinai stories – the making of booths. But there is also another level to be considered. Peter represents here an all too common experience in the church. When God is doing something spiritual, we turn our attention elsewhere. In this case it seems that Peter thinks what is required is a building project, as if walls and wood could contain God.
“God shows up – let’s go to Home Depot”
Now it doesn’t of course have to be a building project, but when God in Jesus makes his presence known, that is what we should pay attention to. If God is at work, don’t get bogged down in the wrong things. We can be like Peter when we spend our time and energy only on the “externals” – the mere trappings of church – and then we can miss out on the presence of Jesus in our midst.
While he was still speaking, suddenly a bright cloud overshadowed them, and from the cloud a voice said, “This is my Son, the Beloved; with him I am well pleased; listen to him!”
When the disciples heard this, they fell to the ground and were overcome by fear. But Jesus came and touched them, saying, “Get up and do not be afraid.”
The voice is like that which was heard at Jesus’ baptism. Only this time there is an addition: “Listen to Him.” But when the disciples hear this voice, they are afraid. And so are we. Because this also promises us something wonderful and terrifying at the same time. God calls us to be transfigured as well. He calls us to be his beloved, but he also calls us to share in the transfiguration of Jesus. And that means change. As we prepare to enter the season of Lent, God invites us to take a look at ourselves and see where we need to change: a habit, an action, an attitude. We are often afraid of change – but the change which God has in mind is to make us more fully into the beloved children he has called us to be. And sometimes this involves “growing pains”. He calls us to be “Christ-like”. As we learn to see Jesus, we begin to see who God calls us to be.
Now the law given by Moses was intended to shape and form people from the outside. After all, how many people slow down when they know that a photo radar trap is up ahead. That’s how the law works – it only makes a change in behavior from the outside. But grace, transfiguration – is the kind of change that takes place on the inside, and as we open up our hearts and minds to the vision of God in Jesus, we receive the Spirit of God to be changed from the inside.
When the disciples heard this, they fell to the ground and were overcome by fear. But Jesus came and touched them, saying, ‘Get up and do not be afraid.’
Touch from Jesus –
All too often we castigate these expressions of fear on the part of humans as some sort of divine bullying – as if the disciples’ fear was God’s fault. It is entirely possible, and I think more likely, that human fear at the manifest presence of God is rather an indication of problems within ourselves, rather than in God. Jesus touches and reassures: do not be afraid.
This passage is a fitting end to the Epiphany season – we have followed Jesus from birth, to early childhood, to baptism – all events which gave us insight into who he is. The Transfiguration gives us a “final” glimpse of who he is. The season of revelation is complete.
Other sermon notes on the transfiguration here and my pic of the church of the Transfiguration welcome sigh here.
I’ll add a few notes and details tomorrow… You know, Moses and Elijah – representing the Law and the Prophets – bearing witness to Christ (as he himself said he wold fulfil); Elijah & his mountain experience; the difference between mere change and transfiguration; whether or not you can see Armageddon from the top of Mount Tabor; the echo of Moses’ face shining in the Sinai stories to the imagery of the transfiguration; why Jesus orders them to tell no one; learn to see the glory without the transfiguration,
Every year the American Psychological Association adds to the growing list of anxiety disorders which seem to be popping up. The phobia list is a handy reference guide for anything which might cause you to worry. Here are just a few to get you started:
Atomic Explosions- Atomosophobia
Bridges or of crossing them- Gephyrophobia.
Chopsticks- Consecotaleophobia
Mother-in-law- Pentheraphobia
Ablutophobia- Fear of washing or bathing.
In today’s Gospel reading Jesus addresses the question of fear and anxiety and worry by pointing out three things to avoid, and two things to desire: Don’t be worrying about food/ clothing/ and tomorrow; instead seek God’s kingdom and God’s righteousness:
[31] Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear?’
[32] For it is the Gentiles who strive for all these things; and indeed your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.
[33] But strive first for the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
While there is a tendency to think primarily in terms of trusting (trusting God vs trusting wealth), Jesus begins by talking about serving. The language used to set the scene is one of servitude or slavery. Trust involves choice, but slavery involves no choice – it is forced upon you. What we are faced with is not a decision as to whether or not we will serve a master, but only what kind of master we will serve. And Jesus wants to prod the fence sitters:
[24] “No one can serve two masters; for a slave will either hate the one and love the other, or be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth. [25] Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?
“a slave will either hate the one and love the other, or be devoted to the one and despise the other.“ There does not seem to be much middle ground there. Can God and wealth be so opposed? Well, perhaps not, but serving God and serving wealth certainly are.
It was one of the characteristics of the Roman Emperors that they would keep the people in perpetual anxiety over the necessities of life in order to get their allegiance and obedience. But Jesus says that God’s kingship does not work that way. God is not interested in keeping us in perpetual anxiety and worry, rather, He wants to free us from anxiety and worry: “do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink”.
Someone I read pointed out that we can trust Jesus to take away our sins and give us eternal life, but we have trouble trusting him for the next sandwich. Says a lot, doesn’t it?
Jesus gives us a roundabout question: “Isn’t life more than food and clothing?” - of course we are supposed to agree with him that “life is more than food, and the body more than clothing”. But we are then faced with the question: what is the “more”? Have you ever found yourself asking – is this it? What the “more” is will be told in verse 33. But for now we are told what we are to avoid: worrying about life in terms of food, drink and clothing. In a society whose advertising industry is built on the foundation of worry, this is either a frightening or a freeing message. Think of the collect for morning prayer (BCP): “whose service is perfect freedom”.
[26] Look at the birds of the air; they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? [27] And can any of you by worrying add a single hour to your span of life? [28] And why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin, [29] yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not clothed like one of these. [30] But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you–you of little faith?
So how does Jesus propose we stop our worrying? Jesus turns our attention not to the negative characteristics of “wealth”, but to the positive characteristics of God. It is interesting how his persuasion proceeds. He does not preach here against the evils of wealth or possessions. Instead, Jesus asks us to consider the character of God, our “heavenly Father.” This is the true starting point, and a good lesson in apologetics: begin with the goodness of God, rather than with the fault of that which you are trying to condemn.
Secondly, we are invited to consider ourselves in terms of realizing that we are worth something to God – look at the birds of the air; “are you not of more value than they?” We might tend to slip over this verse, perhaps out of a fear of – oh I don’t know - thinking too highly of ourselves or something like that. Fair enough; there is more than enough back-patting in Christian circles; why do we need an affirmation or mini-course in self esteem at this point? Jesus asks us to consider, really consider, that we have value in God’s eyes. I wonder if this is more connected with the preceding thought: our value in God’s eyes is due to the goodness of His character, rather than of ours.
[31] Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear?’ [32] For it is the Gentiles who strive for all these things; and indeed your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. [33] But strive first for the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. [34] So do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring worries of its own. Today’s trouble is enough for today.”
Here we have the goal and purpose of the church – to seek God’s kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you as well.
What are our priorities? – as individuals and as a community?
Have we ever done anything which requires us to trust God?
There is a good deal of food for thought when this gospel passage is heard alongside Isaiah:
They shall feed along the ways, on all the bare heights shall be their pasture; they shall not hunger or thirst, neither scorching wind nor sun shall strike them down, for he who has pity on them will lead them, and by springs of water will guide them…But Zion said, “The LORD has forsaken me, my Lord has forgotten me.” Can a woman forget her nursing child, or show no compassion for the child of her womb? Even these may forget, yet I will not forget you. See, I have inscribed you on the palms of my hands.
The question about what we shall eat and drink takes can take on a new meaning when heard in the context of communion. With what do we feed our souls? There is a marvellous answer to that question for those who hold to a higher view of the sacramental grace offered to us in the Eucharist.
Dante & Virgil continue to weave their way through the souls of those whose sin was excessive love of worldly things – avarice. The poet summarizes the process of repentance on the mountain with a wonderfully simple image:
the mass of souls whose eyes were, drop by drop,
shedding the sin which occupies our world
XX.7-8
How is sin overcome? By sheer willpower to do good? By an abrupt turning (conversion) to what is good and virtuous? Well, at least in this canto, Dante gives us the image of the relationship between the sorrow of repentance and the progress toward virtue. Perhaps we live in age when the idea of actually being sorry for one’s faults is a bit gauche. Not-the-sort-of-thing-we-do, at least at our church.
Mount Purgatory reminds us that there is, for most of us, no shortcut to virtue. Mind you, those of us who are notoriously fault-ful will find that many of our closest companions wish that we would at least try to hurry along the path. Nevertheless, I suspect that the tears of repentance are a form of mourning or grieving, as one “dies to sin”, to borrow New Testament language.
The souls who are on this level sing a two-fold song. During the day they recite examples of the humilty of Mary who gave birth in a lowly stable, and the generosity of Nicholas (yes, the original Santa Claus). But as night falls they cry out examples of avarice and greed. Thus Dante and Virgil see virtue and vice juxtaposed as day and night, and the reader can easily grasp what the poet is conveying.
Toward the end of the canto Dante feels the mountain shake and tremble, accompanied by a shout so loud that it startles him. This prompts Virgil to draw closer to him and reassure him with the words “You need not fear while I am still your guide”. (XX.135) In the story of the poem, we learn that the exuberant shout of Gloria in excelsis comes as the mountain releases the soul of a penitent who is ready to “move up”. While Dante does not immediately understand what is happening in the mystery of grace, the presence of Natural Reason (in the figure of Virgil) should be enough to keep him from fear.
“Grace does not destroy nature, but perfects it.”
Fascinating world we live in.
Here’s the facebook page that is calling for dissent, and here’s some BBC video of what is happening on Cairo streets today.
“You saw,” he said, “that ageless sorceress
for whom alone the souls above must weep;
you also saw how men escape from her.”XIX 58-60
Previously we learned that Dante had encounted a Siren in his dreams. The dream ended as Virgil, under the direction of a “saintly lady”, tears apart the outward garment of the siren and exposes for what she is on the inside. We are told the name of this saintly lady who initiated exposing the Siren – she is perhaps a type of all the saintly ladies of Dante’s world: Mary, Beatrice, Lucy. Likewise the Siren does not have a specific name given – she is as well a type of all deception which has an outwardly attractive appearance but inwardly is corrupt.
How is it that we are capable of being so deceived, and how is it that we can escape from such deception? The Siren herself tells Dante that “whoever dwells with me seldom departs/ I satisfy so well” (XIX. 24).
LIke all self-deceptions, it is difficult to see the truth except by persuasion from outside oneself. In Dante’s dream it was a figure of grace (the sainlty lady) who begins the process. Human reason (the figure of Virgil) is able to complete the task of realizing the truth of self-deception, but because it is bound by the falsehood which the human will has embraced, it cannot begin the process unaided.
This is a pattern for the spiritual life, and for the purgation of the sins of Avarice, Gluttony and Lust which will be addressed by Dante. Each has an outwardly attractive power which binds human will power, but each has an inward corruption which in the end not only fails to satisfy, but ultimately destroys. The movement out of self-deception begins not with ourselves, but with divine grace.
Interface Worship at St. Paul’s Anglican Church, 10127-145 St., Edmonton will celebrate the season of Epiphany with an alternative worship service called “Revelation”, Saturday, January 15, 2011 at 7:00 pm.
This service will include poetry by Mark Polet, prophetic painting by Lori Youngman, music led by Kathleen Pate, prayer station devotional exercise, meditative time, open art tables, the Bread of Life liturgical sculpture, a Black Water Reflecting Pool, and the extensive use of original symbols, rituals, and imagery. The Eucharistic liturgy allows worshippers to embody the themes in a unique sacramental ritual of enduring quality and significance.
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The progression of the Christmas season began not only with Advent, but many months before. With the Annunciation it was the angel Gabriel who spoke directly and clearly to Mary about the child who would come. And throughout the Gospel stories leading up to the Nativity, angels and direct revelations were prominent – they figured in the stories of Elizabeth and Zechariah as they waited for the birth of John the Baptist. On Christmas eve, too, we remember that there was a revelation to the shepherds in an unmistakable and sure fashion: the glory of the Lord shone round them, a heavenly chorus filled the skies, and they were told in certain terms to go to Bethlehem, and they would find the child Jesus.
Then we celebrate Epiphany – the coming of the Magi to adore and worship the newborn King, the revelation of Christ to the Gentiles. If Christmas is about the shortest route from here to Bethlehem (as the Shepherds discovered), then Epiphany is about a longer, ‘pilgrim’ road to Christ.
Instead of angels and visions, we have the image of the magi following a sign in the skies – in nature – and for a longer period of time. The magi see the intentions of God in the skies. This is not new: Psalm 19 tells us that the heavens themselves declare who God is, and that his handiwork is seen in created nature. But still with a tinge of the “Christmas miraculous”, it is a peculiar kind of sign – “we observed his star at its rising”. The magi know that there is something significant happening. In a way we might in all likelihood hazard a guess that they even believed in the divine. But the whole story of Epiphany reminds us that a general belief in God is a beginning point, not the end point.
The magi have a general idea of this God and this King of the Jews, but they don’t know how to find him. The general revelation that God gives us are evident everywhere, and the wise pay attention to God’s hints about Himself that he has placed in the world. Traveling by starlight is a wonderful thing, it got the magi to the right country. But God does not want us to come to a country – to a merely general idea of God. He wants us to find Jesus.
In the Epiphany story there are several characters who have the opportunity to find Jesus, but refuse. First we have “Herod, and all Jerusalem with him”. Matthew says that they both had the same reaction – “They were frightened”. They are afraid of something new – a new power that they have no control over. Herod is frightened because the new king of the Jews is a threat. Herod is the ruler and there is room on his throne for no other. The people are afraid because they are afraid of Herod -= anything that upsets him, upsets them. They know Herod is a bit of a tyrant – and anything that makes him upset is a threat to their peace and well being. At all costs – don’t get Herod agitated.
I need to avoid the temptation of reacting like Herod: I am threatened that God wants to somehow be King in my life, ‘rule’ my life. Who is on the throne of my life? Is it Jesus, or is it me? There can be only one ruler, one king. Is it Jesus, or is it me? Herod decided that there was no room for Jesus in his world. I am in charge of my life, and no one else. Self sufficient, self determined, and in the end, self centered.
The people who make up “all of Jerusalem” in the story are frightened like Herod, but for different reasons. They are perhaps a step ahead of Herod. They have not placed themselves on the throne of their lives. They do not say “I will rule my own life”. Instead, they have let someone else rule their lives. But they have picked the wrong person. They have decided to let Herod rule their lives. Why does Matthew say “Herod, and all of Jerusalem with him, was frightened”? Jerusalem is frightened because Herod is frightened. They have thrown their lot in with Herod their ruler, instead of with God, their true Lord. Whatever Herod thinks, they think, whatever Herod says, goes. If Herod is scared, then we better be scared, or at least act like it.
We are like “all Jerusalem” when we are controlled by someone else’s reactions and someone else’s opinions. The people of Jerusalem were afraid of Herod – he controlled how they felt. They were really at his whim. It is a very subtle, but very powerful, form of fear. “All Jerusalem” is like someone who is constantly waiting for someone else’s reactions, someone else’s approval or disapproval, someone else to tell them how to act, what to do, someone else to tell them how to live. The only problem is, they picked the wrong king. They picked Herod instead of God. We don’t need to pick Herod, but as long as we fail to choose God, it doesn’t matter who controls us.
So Herod does a smart thing. He calls together the chief priests and the scribes of the people, and finds out exactly where the new king is going to be born. He knows where to go – find the people who know the scriptures – the chief priests – the professional clergy are supposed to be paid to know these things. Herod does not go to the Temple or to the Scriptures to get closer to God; he goes for his own purposes. He wants information for his own purposes. He wants the Temple and the Scriptures to serve his own ends, not God’s purposes. If we approach the Temple (the Church) and the Scriptures in the spirit of Herod; we will have missed the point. Both the Church and the Scriptures are God’s, and are intended to serve his good purposes.
So the chief priests and the scribes read the scriptures – they know the Scriptures well – it does not take long before they give Herod the answer to his question. The new King will be born in Bethlehem. But chief priests do not themselves have any personal interest in going to see the new King. Amazing. They had all the information from God right in front of them, and they don’t bother to do anything with it. Maybe Herod did not tell them that the wise men had come. But no matter, they were blind to the presence of the star, which the wise men had followed all the way from the east, and they are blind to the importance of their own scriptures. At any rate, they were too busy playing church to actually take the time to find God. They have no love for the object of which the scriptures speak. They know the King will be found in Bethlehem, yet they do not bother to go.
So how does the story proceed? Herod calls the wise men secretly. That alone is a warning sign. Why secretly? He sends them on their way with a bit of a false promise. Go and find the child, and then let me know so that I may do him homage as well. As the wise men head out – there ahead of them is the star – it’s still there, but no one is paying any attention. God gives us signs, but often we are blind to their presence. Herod is looking at his throne, the scribes are looking at their scriptures, the people are all looking at Herod, and only the wise men still recognize that the star is still there.
The wise men do what the others do not – they actually make the effort to get to where Jesus is.
2:9 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. 2:10 When they saw that the star had stopped, they were overwhelmed with joy. 2:11 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. 2:12 And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they left for their own country by another road.
So the magi have finally found Jesus. And what is their response? Their first response is joy – “they were overwhelmed with joy”. That is what happens when we find Jesus. That is what awaits us at the end of the journey. Next, they paid him homage – they worshiped him and acknowledged Him as King. After the joy comes the worship. That means acknowledging Jesus as King. Jesus as the center. Jesus as Lord. And then, after joy and after worship, comes offering of their gifts. In response to who Jesus is and the joy He gives, we offer ourselves and our gifts to Him.
So how do you find Jesus? Maybe we all can start out like the magi – with a general idea of God, and a general idea that He is guiding you. Like the magi, we need to turn to the scriptures. If you don’t read them, you will never really get the specific directions that God is trying to give you. Approach them with the right spirit, the right purpose. Ask for help along the way – the church is meant to be that way. The wise men knew when they needed to ask someone else for help. And pray. Ask God. When you find Jesus, rejoice. After all, He is God. Put Him in the center. Ask yourself whether what you are doing honors him a King. Offer to him what you have, who you are.
The way forward for any of us is an Epiphany story. It is about us paying attention to the signs of God around us: the visions, the dreams, the stars and the Scriptures. It will be a pilgrim story: it took the magi up to two years to find the destination they were looking for. Patience in God’s work is not always appreciated in our instant world. But we trust that for us as a people, we will find our joy as we worship him, and offer ourselves to our King.
Yes, I know all you folks are thinking to yourselves: “What shall we get felix hominum for Christmas this year?” Let me make your shopping experience easier: red-hot cinnamon candies, straight from Dante’s Inferno:
courtesy the good folks at Archie McPhee, where there is lots more for that special stocking stuffer.
Alighieri Dante: Penguin Classics Divine Comedy #2 Purgatorio
Eric Carle: The Grouchy Ladybug (*****)
H. A. Rey: Curious George's Opposites
Jaroslav Pelikan: Christianity and Classical Culture: The Metamorphosis of Natural Theology in the Christian Encounter with Hellenism (*****)