Joy and Gifts: Gentiles Recognized God's Light
Daily Scripture
Matthew 2:9-12
9 When they heard the king, they went; and look, the star they had seen in the east went ahead of them until it stood over the place where the child was. 10 When they saw the star, they were filled with joy. 11 They entered the house and saw the child with Mary his mother. Falling to their knees, they honored him. Then they opened their treasure chests and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. 12 Because they were warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they went back to their own country by another route.
Daily Reflection & Prayer
Paranoid Herod killed even family members to keep his hold on the throne. His fear and rage, as we saw last week, forced Joseph and Mary to take their baby to Egypt. The magi were honest seekers, perhaps even inspired by Isaiah 60:6. When they saw the star—familiar from their studies—they “were filled with joy.” Yet, perhaps unknowingly, their gifts also pointed to the story’s end. Scholar William Barclay said: “Gold for a king, frankincense for a priest, myrrh for one who was to die—these were the gifts of the wise men.” *
- The contrast is surprising. Matthew wrote that wealthy foreigners who’d just seen Herod’s court “saw the child with Mary his mother”—a poor peasant girl. Yet “falling to their knees, they honored him.” What allowed these Persians to value the simplicity of Mary and her child more than the external glitter of Herod’s court? What do you learn about your God who valued worship from Zoroastrian visitors who came to see the newborn king because of an invitation in the stars?
- Epiphany, like Christmas, was the start, not the end. Scholar N. T. Wright saw parallels: “Jesus will finally come face to face with Pilate, Caesar’s subordinate. His soldiers are the first Gentiles since the Magi to call Jesus “king of the Jews” (Matthew 27:29), but the crown they give him is made of thorns, and his throne is a cross. Instead of a bright star, there will be unearthly darkness (Matthew 27:45), out of which we shall hear a single Gentile voice: yes, he really was God’s son (Matthew 27:54). Listen to the whole story, says Matthew.” ** How does Jesus’ full story—star at his birth, darkness at his death, light in his resurrection—give your new year greater light and joy?
Prayer
Prayer: Lord Jesus, the magi honored you not just with their gifts but when they paid attention to the dream warning them not to play along with Herod. Help me to honor you both by acts of worship and by avoiding foolish choices against which you warn me. Amen.
GPS Insights
Janelle Gregory
Janelle Gregory, who serves as Resurrection's Human Resources Lead Director, wrote today's Insights. Janelle finds that her heart is constantly wrestling with the truth that she needs a Savior, and the times when she's at her very best are when she's just too tired to put up a fight.
I still have the nativity set I grew up with. You might notice that it is a little… off. Mary, Joseph,
baby Jesus, and shepherd – all accounted for. Even the sheep made the cast! But when it came to the wise men, we only had two. Not three. Just two. I don’t know if we had a defective box, if one wandered off under a couch never to be seen again, or if my older sister repurposed the third wise man as a makeshift Ken for her Barbies. Whatever the reason, I only knew there to be two wise men. It never bothered me much. They still showed up. They still brought gifts. They still worshiped. In what we know historically about the actual wise men, it was likely far more than three that showed up, so even a complete nativity set is still… well, incomplete.
Yet even with two wise men, it’s easy to see that they don’t completely fit in with the other cast of characters. They look different, they are dressed differently, and I could even tell that they are in a different socio-economic class. My little nativity set was demonstrating a truth about God. He draws people whom we may not expect, and he doesn’t wait for perfection before welcoming their worship. No one asked the wise men to blend in, to change clothes, or learn the “right” way to show up first. Their presence didn’t disrupt the story, it expanded it. This baby, this Savior, wasn’t coming for just a certain set of people. Jesus came for all, maybe some we wouldn’t imagine or even want.
I wonder how often we miss modern-day “wise men” because we’re expecting the wrong packaging. What if someone is seeking God but doesn’t have the right vocabulary yet? What if someone is worshipping in a style we’re not used to? What if someone’s faith story doesn’t line up neatly with ours? The wise men didn’t become Jewish before they worshiped Jesus. They didn’t fully understand everything. They brought what they had, and they showed up with open hearts.
I think this forces us to ask ourselves if we’re limiting our perceptions of who might be drawing near to God. There might be people coming into our lives from “the east” who look different, talk different, even believe differently, yet they’re coming with what they have to worship God. Maybe the question isn’t whether our nativity sets are complete, but whether our welcome is. Because if God made room for outsiders at the very beginning of the story, surely we can make room now – even if they show up missing a piece or two.
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Scripture quotations are taken from The Common English Bible ©2011. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
References
* William Barclay, The Gospel of Matthew—Volume 1 Chapters 1–10 (Revised Edition). Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press, 1976, p. 33.
** Wright, N. T., Matthew for Everyone, Part 1: Chapters 1-15 (The New Testament for Everyone) (p. 12). Westminster John Knox Press. Kindle Edition.
