CELC The Epiphany of Our Lord

The Epiphany of Our Lord – January 6, 2006

Matthew 2:1-12

Who are the wise men of our time? Perhaps they are wise women? Since the Redskins made the playoffs this year, some might say that Joe Gibbs is a wise man for going back to the traditional ‘ground it out’ style of football. Others might say the financial advisor they had who gave them the perfect direction on what stock to buy was wise. Others might say President Bush or John McCain or some other politician.

There is no doubt that scripture tells us about wise men and women. There is Deborah in the Old Testament and Anna in the New that are both wise women, along with others.

But, tonight is about the three wise men, isn’t it? I may have three different wise men in mind when I say that, and in fact have them and one more, too.

The three wise guys to me are Joseph, Moses and Daniel. They are the three great wise men who appear early in scripture. Remember that wise men were plentiful in the time of Israel, the time of Joseph, Moses and Daniel. They often worked for the court and could be called magicians, enchanters, sorcerers and astrologers. Wise men had these ‘handles’ because they were thought to be wise about things of the world.

Indeed, Joseph had the God given gift of being a wise man. He is called upon the Egyptian court to interpret the king’s dreams and he does, wisely.

Then there is Moses, also divinely called and endowed with wisdom by God, he spars with the magicians and enchanters of Pharaoh’s court before he finally wins freedom for the Hebrews. You remember the things Moses did, things like turn his staff into a snake, only to have the wise men of Pharaoh do the same thing.

And let’s not forget Daniel. Living in Babylon he is one of the Israelites who will not worship a false god and is thrown into the fiery furnace. Not only does he survive the blasting flames, but he becomes a wise man in the court of Nebuchadnezzar.

These are three wise guys that form what being a wise man is all about in scripture. First, they work in foreign courts. Unless we look at scripture, my guess is that most of us would assume that a wise man would only be working for us, not the court of a foreign king.

Second, each of these wise guys is wise because God made them so. They do not claim their gifts for leadership and dream interpretation to be of their own doing. They know God has blessed them and they use their blessing to bless others.

Compare these fellows with what the world presents to us as being wise. Perhaps the epitome of a wise man is the typical lead character that dominates a John Grisham novel. He is rich, thin, handsome and smart. In fact, in a John Grisham novel you cannot be too rich, too thin, too good looking or too smart, whether you are a wise guy or wise gal.

Interesting that God does not look for the too thin, too rich, too good looking or too smart to be wise men. I say this because the fourth wise man I think of this evening is the Apostle Paul. He certainly was the epitome of a faithful wise man: he was blessed by God with gifts that he used for sake of others, in the Name of Jesus Christ. And for that matter he did end up in a court of sort of the Roman Emperor.

But what is important about Paul is how he used his voice for others. In writing a letter to the Corinthian believers he starts with a reflection on what is wise and foolish. He compares for us the wisdom of the world and the wisdom of God. The wisdom of the world for Paul is to try out smart the others, to compete, to have groups that fight with one another to lord it over the other. On the other hand, the wisdom of God looks like foolishness to the world. It looks foolish, says Paul, because God’s wisdom is the cross. In the cross, a symbol to the world of weakness and defeat, God was wise, loving each of us so completely that all our sin is forgiven and we are granted eternal life.

The great joy of God’s wisdom that looks foolish to the world, is knowing how it changes us, how it moves us away from being people who must choose up sides with the thin, rich, good looking and smart to try and win. The cross moves us from battles to love, to reaching out with the love that God has given in the cross to each of us…each of us who are now wise women and men. We are now wise because we trust that the grace of cross is for us and it is the final word about life over death. You see the wise women and men of the time are you. You have been made wise in the cross of Christ.

Thus created in the cross wise women and men, we come here and worship. That is what the Matthew’s wise men of the East did when they encountered the grace of God in that little Bethlehem baby. They knelt and worshipped. Not a bad idea for the wise people of God. Amen.

Pastor Robert F. Holley