Jesus as OTHER: Matthew 2:1-12 - Epiphany Sunday

¹In the time of King Herod, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, ²asking, “Where is the child who has been born king of the Jews? For we observed his star at its rising, and have come to pay him homage.” ³When King Herod heard this, he was frightened, and all Jerusalem with him; ⁴and calling together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born. ⁵They told him, “In Bethlehem of Judea; for so it has been written by the prophet:
 ⁶‘And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
  are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;
 for from you shall come a ruler
  who is to shepherd my people Israel.’ ”
  ⁷Then Herod secretly called for the wise men and learned from them the exact time when the star had appeared. ⁸Then he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, “Go and search diligently for the child; and when you have found him, bring me word so that I may also go and pay him homage.” ⁹When 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. ¹⁰When they saw that the star had stopped, they were overwhelmed with joy. ¹¹On 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. ¹²And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they left for their own country by another road. (NRSV)

The Magi by Lawrence OP on flickr. CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

“Who are you, and what are you doing here?”

I can’t imagine how many times the Magi were asked that question as they followed the star to the birthplace of the king of the Jews. Their first stop was the Jewish capital, Jerusalem; the location of the royal palace where one would expect to find him.

Surely, the Magi surely would’ve been told to take a hike, had it not been for the treasure chests they had in tow.

Herod was probably happy to see them, seeing those treasure chests. Once the Magi tell Herod about the star they’d been following, Herod consults the religious experts, who inform them that the Messiah was to be born in the little town of Bethlehem. So, Herod sends the Magi on their way, with orders to return so that he himself may go and pay him homage. We know that this is a bold-face lie. God knows, too—which is why Herod will not see the Magi again.

And the Magi ultimately find the king of the Jews—not in the royal palace, but in Bethlehem. Once again, they faced the question: “Who are you, and what are you doing here?” I can’t imagine Mary and Joseph’s shock, once they learned who these folks were; how far they’d traveled; why they’d come; and the lavish gifts they’d come to present.

That’s what’s so amazing about this story: God’s activity is mind-blowing for everyone involved.

First of all, you have some Eastern astrologers showing up to worship Jesus. They’re the wrong race and the wrong religion. Meanwhile, the chief priests and scribes are completely unaware that their Messiah had been born right in their own backyard…

God even catches the Magi off guard: the star didn’t lead them to Jerusalem, but the Magi went there anyway, because that was the capital; where one would expect a king to be born. Kings aren’t born in mangers, to ordinary folk like Mary and Joseph.

Then, Matthew tells us that all Jerusalem was frightened by the news of the messiah’s birth—once again, because they weren’t expecting him.

Yet, no one was more terrified than Herod. (How do you get someone to show their true character? Tell them they’re not the center of the universe.)

God is turning the existing order of things upside-down—and if that wasn’t clear in the manner and means of Jesus’ birth, the Magi now drive that point home. God is doing something we didn’t expect, and that we did not plan on.

Think of it this way: Jesus is OTHER. His reign is OTHER. The Magi are OTHER.

I’ve often heard it said, “God created us in God’s image, and we decided to return the favor.”

We all have ideals about who God should be and what God should do. That’s not always a bad thing. You’re going to want Jesus to show himself in a certain way and do certain things, especially if you or someone you love is suffering. At the same time, however, we want Jesus to walk with us on the pathways we choose for ourselves. We want a God who’s the champion of our causes; the fulfillment of our desires; the means to our ends. We want to be at the center of God’s universe.

Yet even while our desires for God are selfish and misguided, God is resolved to show himself to us and to the world in Jesus Christ. Epiphany happens when God shows up as OTHER: as different; unexpected; altogether new. Think of what this means for all the characters involved: the Magi expected the king of the Jews to be born amid power and opulence; instead they meet Jesus in meekness and humility. When Mary, Joseph, and the baby Jesus are refugees in Egypt, the Magi’s gifts will keep them fed and sheltered. Tyrants like Herod and Caesar are cast from their thrones by a king who brings peace and goodwill to all. We ourselves will see God’s salvation extending beyond ourselves and the world we know. All because God shows up as OTHER.

The God we want, the God we expect, and the God we demand cannot compare to the God who is—full of love, justice, and mercy beyond all comprehension.

Today, we join the Magi in worshipping the God comes as OTHER. The reason why worship is so important in the Christian life is that it is a deliberate act of de-centering yourself from the center of the universe. You are turning your focus and attention away from your own fears and affairs, toward the God who turns toward you in Jesus; transforming who you are through his forgiveness and mercy; transforming your mindset towards God and God’s purposes in the world. This, in turn, opens the door for more epiphanies! You’ll encounter Christ in the neighbor you bless—or who blesses you. You’ll find grace to endure hardship; as a surprise answers to prayers. Your epiphany will be the courage and strength to do something to the glory of God that you never saw yourself doing. That’s what the resurrection life is all about—God’s OTHERNESS transforming your reality; an OTHER life beyond the life you’ve known; an OTHER you than the person you’ve always been.

Come and worship the God who comes as other: a king born in meekness and humility, who’s full of surprises and mighty to save. Come and worship the child born to bring peace and good will to all.