What Gift Can We Give?
January 4, 2009
Matthew 2:1-12
2 In the time of King Herod, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, 2 asking, "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." 3 When King Herod heard this, he was frightened, and all Jerusalem with him; 4 and calling together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born. 5 They 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.'" 7 Then Herod secretly called for the wise men and learned from them the exact time when the star had appeared. 8 Then 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."
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. 10 When they saw that the star had stopped, they were overwhelmed with joy. 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. 12 And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they left for their own country by another road.
Matthew 2:1-12
Some of you are probably old enough to remember the old V-8 commercials. In those commercials, someone would sit down to a big fat hamburger or a highly sugared and carbonated drink when they would stop, slap themselves on the forehead, and shout, "I could've had a V8!" That's what the author, James Joyce, called an epiphany. One of those moments in life when the light comes on in your brain, everything snaps into place and you understand things in a new way.
The word, epiphany, actually comes from a Greek word meaning "to show," "to make known," or "to reveal." But Joyce didn't have to delve into a Greek textbook to find the term, he learned it in church. Since the very earliest years of the church, Epiphany is the time when the church celebrated how salvation was made known to the Gentiles.
So today, we gather to hear the story of the Magi and their trip to Bethlehem. You know the story-how the Magi traveled God only knows how many miles with three gifts to give the new King. Which begs the question: what gift can we give to Jesus?
Then as I read this scripture again and again this week, something struck me. (James Joyce would probably call it an epiphany!) What if the greatest gift the Magi brought to Jesus was not the gold, the frankincense or the myrrh? Because at the heart of this story is not three packages tied up in bows, but one action - worship!
What motivated the Magi to travel so far was not the desire to give gifts but the desire to worship! "Where is the child that has been born King of the Jews? We have come to pay him homage?" The New International Version is more to the point saying, "We have come to worship him." The whole purpose of their trip was to worship. And the greatest gift they gave the Christ child was not gold or frankincense or myrrh but the gift of worship!
So what can we learn this Epiphany Sunday from the Magi about what it means to worship? I think there are many things we can learn but I am going to focus on four: They came, they focused, and they gave, and they were changed.
First, they came. Never underestimate the value of showing up! They so valued the new born King that they went to extreme lengths to be present to worship him! After all, they could have seen the star and said, "Wow! A new king isn't that great?! Thank you God! I'd go see him, but I'm sure you don't mind if I worship him here in my backyard!" Or "I'd go check it out but this is the only day I have to sleep in!" Or even "I think I'll just turn on the TV and see what the other Magi have to say about him today." The prospect of worshipping the King was so exciting that they saddled up their camels and rode a long, long way. And when faced with frustration and opposition, they didn't give up but they continued to find their way to worship.
Second, they focused on Jesus. They not only showed up physically, they were prepared to worship. They were focused on one thing and one thing only-an encounter with the king.
Christian worship is focused on Christ. Now that should be obvious, but, unfortunately, it isn't. Take a small poll tomorrow among your friends and see what I mean. Ask those who are at church today, why they go to worship. Some will say it is to learn how to apply the Bible to their lives. Some will say it is to be inspired-to fill their cup for another week. Then ask those who call themselves Christians but who don't go to church why they don't make time. You'll generally hear things like, "the preaching wasn't feeding me." "Too many hypocrites there." "I don't feel the Spirit there."
But what if worship is not about us? What if worship is not about our wants and our needs? What if worship is simply about being present to honor God and to focus on God as revealed in Christ?!
I remember a time in my own life when I was struggling with my faith. At the time, I kept thinking that something was wrong. The congregation wasn't spirit-filled enough. The pastor's sermons weren't speaking to me. The choir was singing all the wrong music. Maybe if I tried another church, things would be better?
Then one day, I had an epiphany! The problem was not the pastor, the choir, the congregation or God-the problem was me. I was coming for all the wrong reasons. For whatever reason, I thought that hour on Sunday was all about me-and it wasn't-it was about God and it was about others. And when I moved the focus on what happened on Sunday from me to God and from me to others, then suddenly the sermons got better, the choir was more inspiring, and I began to notice the Spirit at work in places I'd never noticed before.
I learned what the magi already knew. Worship is not about us. Worship is about God!
The Magi also came to give. The Magi did not come into the King's presence empty handed. They came bearing gifts. And they weren't shabby gifts either. They were gifts fit for a king.
Throughout the Bible there is an emphasis on the importance of giving back to God the first fruits of what God has given us. Not our warmed up leftovers, not the change we grabbed as we ran out the door, not what is left over when all else is spent, but our first fruits-the best we have to offer. The Magi came bearing the best they had to offer-the first fruits of their labors.
Part of worship is recognizing that all we have is a gift from God-our money, our time, our talents, our salvation-and therefore we give the best of ourselves back to God.
In our traditional service, we are trying something that is new to this congregation. From now until Easter, we are going to use an order of worship that places prayers, offering, creeds and communion after the sermon. And we'll see how it goes. But the point of this order or worship is this-all we do in worship should be a response to God. The sermon is the proclaiming of what God has done for us and what God has to say to us, and then we give back to God through our gifts of money, prayers, lives, and confessions of faith. We do this as a sign that worship requires that we give back to God in thanksgiving for all God has given us.
Yet all too often what we actually do is spend our time, our money, and our talents on things other than God and God gets whatever happens to be left over. We may say that we don't worship false gods but we sure give many other things the honor and priority that is due God.
Let me share an example that I see often. I'll never forget a great young man in my 5th grade VBS class years ago. He had a loving and devoted mom who wanted the best for him. He was smart and athletic. And she shared with me how she wanted to bring him to church, but he had ball practice on Sunday mornings and so they just couldn't make it to church. That boy is now a man. I suspect he is no longer playing baseball and I also suspect he is still not in church! And I can't help but think how sad that he missed out on something eternal for something so temporary.
Perhaps this is an extreme example, but it is not in the least bit unusual. Ball practice, dance classes, competitions, tests, work, family, hobbies and sports are given the first fruits and God is given whatever happens to be left over. And, of course, that spills over into our monetary giving. I don't know about you, but if I gave God what was left over after I got through spending, God wouldn't get much!
But the Magi knew the importance of honoring the king by giving him their best.
Finally, the Magi were changed by their encounter with Jesus. They returned home by another way because once they met the King they couldn't do things the way they did before. True worship is life changing. I think that is why many people avoid it. You can't come in the presence of the Lord of creation and not be changed by the experience. Worship-true worship-is dangerous business. Worship caused the Magi to leave the comfort of their homes and go they knew not where in search of the King. Worship caused James and John to throw down their nets and follow Jesus. Worship caused Moses to return to Egypt and take on the king. Worship caused John Wesley to leave the pulpit and preach in the fields, St. Frances to give up his wealth and live among the poor, and Wilberforce to fight for the end of slavery. Worship is a dangerous thing. Worship will change you!
The author, Annie Dillard, hit it right on the mark when she made this observation about worship in America today. She said,
"Why do we people in churches seem like cheerful, brainless tourists on a packaged tour of the Absolute? … On the whole, I do not find Christians, outside of the catacombs, sufficiently sensible of conditions. Does anybody have the foggiest idea what sort of power we so blithely invoke? Or, as I suspect, does no one believe a word of it? The churches are children playing on the floor with their chemistry sets, mixing up a batch of TNT to kill a Sunday morning. It is madness to wear ladies' straw hats and velvet hats to church; we should all be wearing crash helmets. Ushers should issue life preservers and signal flares; they should lash us to our pews. For the sleeping god may wake someday and take offense, or the waking god may draw us out to where we can never return."
On that first Epiphany, so long ago, the Magi left behind all they knew to worship Jesus. They came prepared to focus on him-fully expecting to experience his presence. They came prepared to give the best they had to offer in response for simply seeing his face. And they left by another way blown away by their experience.
In a few minutes I will pray over the bread and wine, the lines which ask, "Pour out your Holy Spirit on us gathered here and on these gifts of bread and wine. Make them be for us the body and blood of Christ, that we may be for the world the body of Christ, redeemed by his blood. By your Spirit make us one with Christ, one with each other, and one in ministry to all the world, until Christ comes in final victory, and we feast at his heavenly banquet."
May we not blithely invoke these words! May we come to the table, prepared to experience the body of Christ and may we come prepared to give the best we have to give so that we can be changed into the likeness of Christ and like the Magi let us return home by another way!
|
