First Lesson: Nehemiah 8: 1-3, 5-6, 8-10 Responsive Reading: Psalm 19 Second Lesson: 1 Corinthians 12: 12-31a Gospel Lesson: Luke 4: 14-21 Grace and Peace from Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ,
I was eleven years old and playing my first summer of Little League. Here’s the thing that I must confess I was never a good baseball player. When batting lineups were made even though my dad was the coach, I would always bat last. I would occasionally get on base, as my goal was to do whatever I possibly could not to swing the bat hoping that a pitcher couldn’t throw me strikes so that I may walk instead. I dreaded swinging the bat, as the main reason I wasn’t a good hitter is “I was afraid of the ball.” I would always flinch when it came my direction. When it came to field assignments, I would always be placed in Right Field next to a seemingly fast center fielder; thereby I’d hardly ever see a ball hit in my direction the whole game where my lack of speed would be a factor. Well my first year of Little League, we had a good team. We had a pitcher named Brant Larson who no one could get a hit off. If Brant were allowed to pitch the whole game, we never would have lost. But thanks to Brant, we made it far in the Little League playoffs against the best team in the league. Well as the game was entering the later innings, the game was hanging in the balance, my team had kids in position to score, and the last person I wanted to bat was coming to the plate! Me. I had to stand in and face a pitcher with a game on the line with two outs in the inning. I was going to have the swing the bat as the pitcher was good and unlikely to walk me. So I see a pitch swing the bat, make contact, hit a liner over the infielder's heads. We score! We go onto the win the game. Sitting in my parents’ house in Lindstrom is the only game ball I ever received growing up for helping to win that Little League playoff game. I might have been the weakest player on the team, but my team on this day would not have won without me. The second story, Sir Michael Costa was one of the great orchestra conductors of the 19th Century[1]. Legend has it one day he was rehearsing with not only his orchestra but a great choir. Midway through the session, the piccolo player stopped playing. Now the piccolo is the smallest of woodwind instruments (a half-size flute). Now to the untrained musical ear in the midst of such a great chorus of sounds, no one would ever notice the piccolo’s absence. Sir Michael immediately heard something to be off with the rehearsal. He immediately stopped everyone as he shouted out: “Where’s the piccolo? What happened to the piccolo[2]?’ As Michael Costa recognized it is indeed the piccolo player who is indispensable. According to the Apostle Paul within our lesson for Today from 1st Corinthians 12, it is much the same way within the Kingdom of God[3]. Here’s what you need to know about the Corinthian Church, it was a church of divided loyalties. Some were claiming to be followers of the church’s founder the Apostle Paul, whereas others proclaimed loyalty to the new preacher the charismatic Apollos, whereas the hardcore traditionalists declared their devotion to Christ’s disciple Peter[4]. So the Corinthians disagreed about preaching, worship, ethics, and belief matter in general. But perhaps the most hot-button issue among the Corinthian church, in general, had to do with how they understood spiritual gifts[5]. The highest tension centered around speaking in tongues[6]. Basically, the holiest and most active members of the Corinthian Church believed that God had blessed them with a secret prayer language, which second-class believers did not possess. So how does Paul respond to the Corinthians back and forth: “Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ. 13 For we were all baptized by[c] one Spirit so as to form one body—whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink. 14 Even so the body is not made up of one part but of many.” Why does diversity exist within the Body of Christ? To strengthen the entire Body of Christ, no different than Sir Michael Costa thought that his musical piece would sound wrong without the piccolo. It’s not an issue of which gifts are superior within the Body of Christ; the passage continues with Paul seeking to address how there is no such thing as inferior or superior gifts within the Christian Church[7]. Verse 22: “ On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable.” The whole point of the Body of Christ is this. It shows to the world what the Church can be when gathered. Once upon a highway department truck pulled up alongside a city street[8]. The first worker climbs out of the truck and digs a hole between the street and sidewalk. A few minutes later, a second worker gets out of the truck, filled the hole with dirt. The procedure keeps getting repeated every few feet down the block. A senior woman watches this scene unfold and is confused by it all. She then approaches one of the workers to ask: “What are you doing?” The worker responded: “We’re on an urban renewal project?” The woman shakes her head: “The street is way uglier than before, with all these dirt holes.” To which the worker responds: “Well you see, the man who plants the trees is out sick today[9].” The following story showcases Paul’s point within our lesson about the problem of holes within the Body of Christ: Verse 25: “so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. The ideal image of the Christian Church is when it ceases being a collection of individuals arguing over whose gifts are superior and instead becomes a Body seeking to proclaim the Grace of Christ to the entire world, even as the church might seem splintered into all sort of unique Church bodies. While the issues that divide us retain importance, Paul says they should not be burdens in the end to the real mission of why we gather? I talked this week to my friend Cody in Wisconsin; I was the best man in Cody’s wedding. Cody is an active and faithful member of the Wisconsin Synod. The Wisconsin Synod is as conservative as other Lutheran bodies get when it comes to interacting with other Christians. I’ve gone to church services in Cody’s church where I haven’t taken communion out of respect for their beliefs, and I’ve even visited the Wisconsin Synod seminary in Mequon, Wisconsin. As I was talking to Cody, he was telling me about the Wisconsin Synod’s television program: Time of Grace Ministry with Pastor Mark Jeske. Pastor Jeske is among the most talented Lutheran preachers that I’ve ever heard. Cody though remarked to me: “When you watch his show, they tend to downplay the WELS’ distinctive beliefs.” To which I responded: “The goal is to make the Lutheran faith accessible to a wider audience.” The problem with too many Christians is that we make perfect the enemy of the good. We go looking for a church that isn’t there to the detriment of the church that we’re truly called to be. God has given us some wonderful gifts: “Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it. 28 And God has placed in the church first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, of helping, of guidance, and of different kinds of tongues. 29 Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? 30 Do all have gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues[d]? Do all interpret? 31 Now eagerly desire the greater gifts.” Remember these greater gifts might not seem to be what they appear. The year was 1981; President Ronald Reagan was shot by John Hinckley Jr[10]. The President would be confined to a hospital bed for the next several weeks. The government managed to keep functioning over these weeks, and little impact was felt daily for the average American. In 1986, a seemingly unrelated event took place in Philadelphia the garbage collectors went on strike for three-weeks during the hottest part of summer. Trash would pile up, the city’s smell turned noxious, and a huge public health hazard became a reality. Now at first glance, it would seem obvious who is more important the President of the United States or a random garbage collector. Paul’s point though about the Body of Christ is that everyone’s gifts are needed for the good of the whole body. I’ve got a baseball sitting in my childhood bedroom that can tell you why. Amen [1] Higgins, Scott. “Sir Michael Costa.” Stories for Preaching. Web. Jan.22.2019. [2] Higgins, Scott. “Sir Michael Costa.” Stories for Preaching. [3] 1st Corinthians 12:12-31a. [4] 1 Corinthians 1:12. [5] Mast, Stan. “1 Corinthians 12:12-31a.” Center for Excellence in Preaching. Calvin Seminary. Grand Rapids, MI. 18.Jan.2016. Web. Jan.22.2019. [6] 1st Corinthians 14. [7] Mast, Stan. “1 Corinthians 12:12-31a.” Center for Excellence in Preaching. [8] Mast, Stan. “1 Corinthians 12:12-31a.” Center for Excellence in Preaching. [9] Mast, Stan. “1 Corinthians 12:12-31a.” Center for Excellence in Preaching. [10] Parsons, David. “Body of Christ.” Sermon Illustrations. Web. Jan.22.2019. First Lesson: Isaiah 62: 1-5 Responsive Reading: Psalm 36: 5-10 Second Lesson: 1 Corinthians 12: 1-11 Gospel Lesson: John 2: 1-11 Grace and Peace from Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ,
Once upon a time, there was a couple who was out for their Sunday afternoon walk when the sky suddenly turned[1]. The couple decided to seek shelter in a nearby church. As soon as they got inside, they overheard the sound of children. Sunday School was taking place! The couple then accidentally hears the lesson. The Pastor proceeds to ask the children: “What is a miracle?” One little girl raised her hand and proceeded to put every pastor and Seminary professor to shame as she declared a miracle to be: “Something we can’t do, but Jesus can.” Author Karen Blixen tells the story of two elderly sisters who live in a small remote fishing village in 19th Century Denmark. The sister's whole life has been defined by devotion to their faith, being the daughters of a Pastor, even being named Martine and Phillipa after the Lutheran Church’s greatest reformers Martin Luther and Phillip Melanchthon[2]. The sisters never married as their father denounced all their suitors as not worthy of marriage. Now fifty years had passed and the sister's life consists of spending their time in a dwindling congregation all of white-haired believers[3]. Their congregation despite their extensive prayers and Bible study was like any other congregation with bickering spouses and friends angry with each other. The sisters’ remaining years seemed sealed with an inevitable fate. One day though a mysterious visitor shows up at their door. Her name is Babette; she is an acquaintance of one of the sisters’ long lost French suitors. Babette wanted to flee France in the wake of their violent revolution, so she ended up in remote Denmark with a recommendation to work as the sister’s housekeeper. The sisters had no means to afford such extravagance. Babette though offers to work for free in exchange for shelter[4]. Here’s what you need about the sisters, they ate the same thing nearly every meal: dry boiled fish and ale bread[5]. Babette though being an experienced cook gradually improved the sister’s dining options over time. Babette becomes a great blessing to the sisters. One day the arrangement seems destined to come to an end. Babette wins the lottery. She wins 10,000 francs a life-changing amount of money in 19th Century Denmark; the sisters are convinced Babette is off to bigger and better things[6]. Babette though wishes to do something with her winnings for the sisters and members of their congregation. Babette wanted to prepare for everyone an authentic French meal, sending a nephew to Paris to pick up the ingredients[7]. The meal was like nothing ever served before in Jutland, Denmark a table was decorated with linen, china, crystal, and silver to serve wines, soup, quail, pig, cheeses, fruits, and the most tantalizing desserts that you can imagine[8]. Something strange happens throughout the greatest meal everyone gathered have ever eaten: relationships begin to mend and a great hope comes over the room that seemed not to be present before. The sisters upon the conclusion of the meal believe their outcome was predetermined. Babette was now going to leave their presence, never to be seen again. The sisters are shocked when they find out Babette will be staying. In her former life in Paris, she was the chef at one of its finest restaurants and had just spent all 10,000 Francs preparing a similar meal to the people of this small fishing village in Jutland[9]. A miracle had taken place within this small fishing village in Jutland whether it was apparent or not. Grace in the midst of a great feast had been given to those who badly needed it. A group of aging believers through Babette’s presence had been transformed into a channel to proclaim God’s great grace to their community and ultimately the whole wide, world. Indeed a miracle is “Something we can’t do, but Jesus can.” Today’s Gospel lesson further illustrates this theme[10]. It’s the story of the first miracle of Jesus’ ministry taking place at the Wedding in Cana. Here’s what we do know about the wedding: Jesus attended with his mother, the wedding ran out of wine, the reason that wine was so prominent in Jesus’ day is that drinking water was often unsafe[11], the problem with wine is that it takes months to actually make. So the wedding runs out of wine and with no places to purchase wine[12], the wedding seemed destined to end as a disaster. Jesus’ mother then begs him to intervene, only for Jesus to say he wasn’t quite ready: “My hour has not yet come[13].” Mary’s role in the story of Jesus’ first miracle can’t be underestimated[14]. Mary believed now was the time for action regardless of any circumstances that declared turning water into wine is impossible. Mary’s faith causes Jesus to perform the first miracle of his public ministry. So Jesus orders six nearby twenty to thirty gallon stone jars to be filled with water. Jesus then commands a cup be drawn and brought to the master of the banquet. A miracle is; “Something we can’t do, but Jesus can.” The bride and the groom instead of tasting water then begin to drink the best wine anyone at the Wedding in Cana had ever tasted. The good wine had been saved indeed! People were overjoyed! Now here’s the thing Cana was an odd sight for Jesus’ First Miracle to take to place. Cana was in the hearts of backwoods Galilee. Galilee was known for being the home to ordinary fishermen. Cana was as far from Jerusalem as remote Danish Jutland was from Paris. It was here in remote Cana that the purpose of all miracles in producing faith was first given. Roy Harrisville III describes the faith produced by this miracle as such: “Faith is not a matter of coercion but of wonder at the miracle of Christ. It is an overwhelming gift in which the Giver Himself resides[15].” Today is a big day in the life of Sychar. We gather for our annual meeting. We discuss ways that we can reach our community more effectively in the years ahead. We face many of the same challenges faced by the tiny Lutheran church in Denmark with graying hairs. We face many of the challenges of the people of Cana in seemingly being too remote a place for God to act. Like Mary the Mother of Jesus within Our Gospel lesson, this doesn’t mean that we don’t have a role to play in our faith community when it comes to God shaping and giving faith through the greatest of miracles. Babette never imagined her talents as a chef would bring peace to a small, aging congregation of Danish believers. We never know what ways God can ultimately change the ministry of this congregation in the years ahead[16]. What our water into wine might be? Let me close with one final story. William Jennings Bryan was the only three-time failed Presidential Candidate to be nominated by a major party. Bryan was most known for two things: his deep faith and being an extremely gifted public speaker. Jennings Bryan understood the meaning of a miracle being: “Something we can’t do, but Jesus can.” Jennings Bryan one day was eating watermelon[17]. He noticed that the watermelon is a beautiful fruit and began to ponder its origins. Jennings Bryan calculated that it would take 5,000 watermelon seeds to weigh a pound. He then started to multiply assuming a forty-pound watermelon. How it only took one of these 5,000 seeds put into the ground, warmed by the sun, and moistened by the rain to produce a miracle. One tiny seed ends up creating a melon that is tens of thousands of times its own weight. This one tiny seed scatters other seeds throughout the watermelon each capable of producing new life. We cannot explain the watermelon, but we can enjoy eating it. I can verify that if a watermelon is put before me, it lasts about ten seconds! The message of our Gospel lesson Today is rest assured even if we don’t see water being turned into wine; this doesn’t mean miracles aren’t taking place within the world around us, even this congregation. Both the Wedding and the Watermelon tell stories of God’s infinite power giving this world an abundant harvest of God’s grace many times over. We are indeed an imperfect church made for imperfect people, for all that we can’t do, Jesus ultimately can. Amen [1] This illustration originally appeared in Christian Herald. The illustration was found on moreillustrations.com/miracles on January 7th, 2019. [2] Axel, Gabriel. “Babette’s Feast (1987) – 1: Creation, Delight, Wonder.” Center for Excellence in Preaching. Web. Jan.7.2019. [3] “Babette’s Feast.” Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation. 11.Dec.2018. Web. Jan.7.2019. [4] Babette’s Feast.” Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation. [5] Tharp, Right Reverend Robert. “Sermon for the 2nd Sunday in Ordinary Time: John 2:1-11.” Day 1. 14.Jan.2001. Web. Jan.7.2019. [6] Tharp, Right Reverend Robert. “Sermon for the 2nd Sunday in Ordinary Time: John 2:1-11.” Day 1. [7] “Babette’s Feast.” Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation. [8] Tharp, Right Reverend Robert. “Sermon for the 2nd Sunday in Ordinary Time: John 2:1-11.” Day 1. [9] “Babette’s Feast.” Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation. [10] John 2:1-12. [11] Zingale, Tim. “Signing Us.” Sermon Central. 9.Jan.2001. Web. Jan.7.2019. [12] Markquardt, Edward. “180 Gallons of Grace.” Sermons from Seattle. Web. Jan.7.2019. [13] John 2:4. [14] Markquardt, Edward. “180 Gallons of Grace.” Sermons from Seattle. [15] Harrisville, Roy III. “Commentary on John 2:1-11.” Working Preacher. Luther Seminary. Saint Paul. 17.Jan.2010. Web. Jan.7.2019. [16] Emerson, Keith. “The Bread of Life at Babette's Feast.” Check Out the Sermons. 12.Aug.12. Web. Jan.7.2019. [17] This illustration was given by William Jennings Bryan. The illustration was found on moreillustrations.com/miracles on January 7th, 2019. First Lesson: Isaiah 43: 1-7 Responsive Reading: Psalm 29 Second Lesson: Acts 8: 14-17 Gospel Lesson: Luke 3: 15-17, 21-22 Grace and Peace from Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ,
Picture a Sunday morning at a church such as this one[1]. A gentleman shows up late to the service. The gentleman was unkempt, he looked like he could barely afford two matching shoes, the guy mumbled in his greetings and the gentleman smelled of cologne not that appealing but way too strong. The ushers seat this gentleman in the back of the church, and when the service ended the other congregants tended to downplay the man’s presence. He would never revisit the church! That same Sunday, a different first-time visitor showed up[2]. This gentleman’s grooming was immaculate; he wore a fancy dark suit, he beamed a mega-watt smile and was instantly charming to everyone who made his acquaintance. His presence was the talk of the congregation: who was that man a doctor, a lawyer, a bank president? Immediately after the service, the congregation president began visiting with the man[3]. He invited him to Sunday dinner at his house. He had been the most exciting visitor to come to Saint Martin’s Lutheran Church in years. The man, his family, and the visitor gather around the table. The food begins to be passed around. The first thing handed to the visitor was the potatoes; he opens up his coat and starts loading mashed potatoes into his suit pocket. The family is dumbfounded that such a well-dressed, a well-spoken individual could have such goofy manners. They then watched as he stuffed carrots and finally the meat inside his coat while his plate remained empty. Finally, the congregation president spoke up: “What exactly are you doing?” The visitor remained well-spoken as he declared: “Judging from how you treated the other visitor this morning, I see you invited my fancy suit to lunch, so I’m going to feed it, instead[4]” Keep this story in mind and let me tell you about an event within Jesus’ ministry. Today’s Gospel lesson tells the tale of John the Baptist baptizing Jesus to begin his earthly ministry[5]. Now Jesus baptism is one of the more commonly misunderstood events within the scriptures. Why was Jesus baptized? Now John the Baptist was even confused why Jesus gets baptized. Jesus answers this question: “It is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness[6].” So what exactly does this mean? Here’s an important thing about Jesus baptism, he got baptized at the age of 30. Now many churches claim that we shouldn’t baptize babies, because Jesus wasn’t baptized as a baby. Now the one story that we have from Jesus’ childhood takes place at the age of twelve when Jesus visits the Jerusalem Temple and proceeds to amaze the greatest religious scholars of his day with his knowledge of the depths and the ways of God[7]. Luke’s Gospel which tells both stories tells us nothing about Jesus’ life from this day until his Baptism by John the Baptist eighteen years later. So it seems unlikely that Jesus being baptized was merely meant to be a public confession of his faith, when he had already amazed the greatest religious scholars of his day years before being baptized with both his faith and knowledge. So Jesus gets baptized at thirty for a different reason? The Book of Numbers has God instructing Moses and Aaron to take a census of all the Priests of the land[8]. What were the qualities to be a Priest? Numbers 4:3 “Be between thirty and fifty years old when you begin your work (ministry) in the Tent of the Meeting,” hence why Luke’s Gospel is so specific- Luke 3:23: Now Jesus himself was about thirty years old when he began his ministry. So why was Jesus baptized? The ritual ceremony to be ordained as a priest in multiple places (Exodus 29 and Leviticus 8[9]) describes washing with water and anointing with oil as a symbol of the Holy Spirit’s blessing. So this background begins to explain why Jesus was baptized “to fulfill all righteousness” at thirty years of age to serve as a formal entrance to the priesthood so that he may begin his earthly ministry. So why was this so important that Jesus becomes a properly, licensed priest this is where Jesus baptism begins to connect with our own. Consider the role of the Priest within the Old Testament. The Priest’s job was to make a sacrifice on account of an individual’s sins on their behalf. The Book of Hebrews declares: “For this reason, he had to be made like them,[a] fully human in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people.[10]” What does this all mean, let me tell you a story. Earlier this summer, I was coaching Basketball down in Superior. We were playing Northwestern High School from over in Maple, WI. One of the rules of the UW- Superior Summer League is each school needed to provide someone to keep a score book. We had no fans at their game, so I was going to have to ask one of the players to do it, which I didn’t want to do because that meant he couldn’t play in the game. Even if I didn’t need a kid to play, I didn’t want to give a Silver Bay player a permanent seat on the bench when he invested the time to come down to Superior. Finally, a solution emerges, a couple of kids from Northwestern offer to keep the book in our place. I enthusiastically agree with this solution. These kids were fourteen/fifteen years old. Like a lot of fourteen/fifteen-year-olds, they tried to see how much “cussing” they could do while keeping score as a way to try to look and sound cool. Like a lot of fourteen/fifteen-year-old boys, their attention span would come and go throughout the game. I would need to correct Silver Bay’s score on more than one occasion. Fifty seconds were left in the game; the score was wrong once again. We were down like five points, pretty good considering we were playing a much bigger school. Finally one of the officials had it! He comes over starts yelling at the Northwestern bookkeepers and myself for allowing it. Like a lot of kids, the young men who had been cussing up a storm the whole game turned “quiet” when confronted by an angry adult. I knew that I had to stand up for these foul-mouthed young men against the quick-tempered referee. My greatest claim to fame as a Basketball coaches will forever be my only argument ever with a referee involving standing up for kids for the other team! The scorekeeper’s jaws were dropped as they witnessed this! I told the referee to blame me not these kids for any problems he had with the score book. Get mad at me instead! I was thanked by every member of the other team as soon the game concluded. So why was Jesus baptized? Baptism in John the Baptist’s day was to admit wrong for any sin in one’s life. Jesus lived a life without sin. Jesus was baptized to claim our trouble as his own. He was baptized for every foul-mouthed young man, and every poorly kempt gentleman smelling of obnoxious cologne. Christ’s Baptism points out the words that would be spoken by the Apostle Paul a generation later: “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus[11]. “ Christ makes us a part of his church through his baptism. Christ’s baptism shows us that the Grace of God ultimately shall know no limits as Christ became the High Priest to assume the sin of the world unto the Cross. What did Christ do for you at his Baptism? Let me close with one final story[12]. The date was June 5, 1944. General Dwight David Eisenhower was about to make the call to land on the beaches of Normandy with over one million troops to try to crush Hitler’s power over Europe[13]. The night before the attack, Eisenhower spent with the men of the “Screaming Eagles” of the 101st Airborne[14]. Eisenhower walked around from soldier to soldier speaking words of hope as tears streamed down his face knowing what the next day would bring. Eisenhower eventually leaves the soldiers to pen a letter to President Roosevelt in the case of a defeat. His letter read as follows: “Our landings...have failed...the troops, the Air, and the Navy did all that bravery and devotion to duty could do. If any blame or fault attaches itself to the attempt, it was mine alone[15]!” Christ made a similar vow undergoing his Baptism to begin his earthly ministry. Eisenhower was about to confront Hitler. Jesus was about to confront sin, death, and the power of the Devil. Jesus claimed responsibility for our folly and failure as his own. Christ was setting the stage for his eventual triumph over all the evil forces threatening to devour the world forever, reminding us that Jesus sees us as much more than a fancy suit. Remember all this the next time you “Pass the Potatoes.” Amen [1] Based on Tim Zingale’s sermon “God Alive And Well.” Sermon Central. 2.Jan. 2007. Web. Jan.4.2019. [2] Zingale, Tim. “God Alive And Well.” Sermon Central. [3] Zinglale, Tim. “God Alive And Well.” Sermon Central. [4] Zinglale, Tim. “God Alive And Well.” Sermon Central. [5] Luke 3:15-17,21-22. [6] Matthew 3:15. [7] Luke 2:41-52. [8] Slick, Matthew. “Why was Jesus baptized?” CARM Ministries (Christian Apologetics and Research Ministry). 6. Mar.2012. Web. Jan.4.2019. [9] Exodus 29:1,4,7. Leviticus 8:6.12. [10] Hebrews 2:17. [11] Galatians 3:28. [12] Seitz, Gregory Rev. Dr.. “"Jesus' Baptism: Solidarity with Sinners to Save Them!". Lutheran Hour. 8.Jan.2012. Web. Jan.4.2019. [13] “Normandy landings.” Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation. 30.Dec.2018. Web. Jan.4.2019. [14] Seitz, Gregory Rev. Dr.. “"Jesus' Baptism: Solidarity with Sinners to Save Them!". Lutheran Hour. [15] Seitz, Gregory Rev. Dr.. “"Jesus' Baptism: Solidarity with Sinners to Save Them!" Lutheran Hour. First Lesson: Isaiah 60: 1-6 Responsive Reading: Psalm 72: 1-7, 10-14 Second Lesson: Ephesians 3: 1-12 Gospel Lesson: Matthew 2: 1-12 Grace and Peace from Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ,
Let me begin by asking everyone here a hypothetical question. “Would you rather have the right directions to the wrong destination or the wrong directions to the right destination?” Would you rather have the perfect map or the perfect GPS take you to the middle of a traffic jam to a place you discover you don’t need to be or would you rather end up in the right place by what seems to be good luck? Now let me continue with a story, on Christmas Eve when my family gathered we sat down to play a game of Trivial Pursuit. Now I was in for a challenge. My Mom’s traveled and volunteered throughout the world, read more books than everybody else I know, she worked for many years as a librarian and possess a Master’s in Education. My sister is a lawyer; she’ll occasionally recommend books for me. The reading is so tedious that stuff she has described to me as “easy reads”, I seemingly need to take breaks every ten minutes from mental exhaustion. My Dad is thirty years older; when we go to museums, they need to kick him out upon closing because he reads absolutely everything upon the wall. I was giving away vast amounts of knowledge and life experience in most of the categories: geography, history, arts, and literature. Despite being an underdog heading into the game, I did manage to pull the upset! Now I don’t say this to brag, because in the majority of the categories in which I was asked, I had no idea of the answer. But how I won was through the process of elimination in true/false, multiple choices, and what would be considered slightly “educated” albeit “lucky” guesses. But as the Carlson Family Trivial Pursuit game reminds us; the thing is it sometimes nothing more than pure “luck” that can be the source of one’s greatest blessings in life. Today’s Gospel lesson tells us another similar story[1]. Today we hear a story about individuals who end up in the presence of Our Lord by nothing more than pure chance. Men, who every one first hearing the story in Jesus’ day would ask: “What exactly are they doing there[2]?” Today’s Gospel lesson concerns the visit of the “wise men,” “kings” or “Magi” to visit young Jesus. Now despite singing “We Three Kings” earlier, there is no evidence that these men were kings within our scripture lesson. The speculation about these men being “kings” only arose within later Church tradition. As for being wise men, this is also debatable. The visitors’ most prominent act involves going to the current King in Herod asking him where they could find his replacement. They could not have made a less wise move. You see Herod had already killed multiple sons and a wife just at the mere suspicion that they were thinking of replacing Herod as King[3]. Now the visitors were confirming Herod’s paranoia. Herod gets so jealous after the wise men’s visit about this “birth” of the “new king,” he proceeds to have all baby boys born in Bethlehem less than two years old killed. So considering all this “wise men” is the worst name for Jesus’ unexpected visitors. The third name for these gentlemen is “Magi.” Now, who exactly are “Magi?” Magi appear in two old stories within the New Testament. In Acts 8, Simon the Magi also known as the Simon the Sorcerer is stated as one who is opposing Jesus’ earliest followers[4]. In Acts 13, Elymas the Magi who is opposing Paul and Barnabas preaching about Jesus on Cyprus[5]. Now the word “Magi” comes from the same root word as “Magician’. Within Jesus’ day “Magi” tended to work with things like witchcraft, fortune telling, and especially “astrology[6].” Magi were often referred to as “wise-men” because they would study these things as a way to understand spiritual truth. These were the types of things that no good “religious” person of Jesus’ day that gathered every Sabbath within the Temple would involve themselves. Now from where did the Magi come? All we can say for sure is they came from someplace east of Jerusalem such as Arabia or Persia. In all probability, they were not “Jewish” like everyone else attending the Birth of Jesus as they proclaimed their wishes to see “The King of the Jews.” But the Magi did know enough about both the scriptures and astronomy to realize the Star of Bethlehem as giving witness to the Messiah’s birth. So how do the Magi come upon this scene? Let me throw out a theory, six hundred years before the Birth of Jesus. The Babylonians conquered the Jewish homeland. The Jewish people were then thrown out of their homes and forced to live as servants within Babylon. During this time though, one man with great faith rose to prominence in Babylon. The man was Daniel. Daniel’s faith was so great that he survived one night within the Lion’s Den[7]. Why do I mention this- Let me read Daniel 2:48: “Then the king gave Daniel high honors and many great gifts, and made him ruler over the whole province of Babylon and chief prefect over all the wise men (or Magi) of Babylon.” Daniel’s presence within Babylon would perhaps explain why these Magi would possibly care so much about the birth of a baby in a foreign land, hundreds of miles away, hundreds of years later. So the Magi follow a star end up in Jerusalem, in the presence of King Herod. They figured the big city in the presence of Government and religious big shots was the place where the “King of the Jews” would be born. No one not even the religious authorities in the Chief Priests and the Scribes knew of Jesus’ birth until the Magi’s visit. The Chief Priests were able to remind the Magi of the prophet Micah’s promise that the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem. Only for as soon as the Magi left Jerusalem, the star leading to their destination reappeared bringing them to the very house where Christ was staying. Now here’s the remarkable thing about the Magi when they appear at Christ’s door-step, they see a humble home, seemingly not one belonging to the type of King they traveled hundreds of miles to worship in a foreign land[8]. None of this ultimately mattered in the end to the Magi. They were instead overjoyed! They instinctively understood the promise of the long-awaited messiah! They bowed down to worship him! They presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh[9]. The visit of the Magi ultimately pointed the way to the purpose of the Messiah who had been born. He was born to save those from far outside the nation of Israel and far from outside the religious structure of his day. The Magi might have seemed unlikely to end up as central figures in the story of Jesus birth, but they remind us that even being wrong about directions to the right destination can work out in the end. The Christ child can bless the most winding and broken of roads. To further illustrate the story of the Magi, let me close with one final story as told by Tim Zingale. Elroy.T. Higgenboom was a seeming nobody from Indianapolis, Indiana[10]. Elroy was in many ways like Sid Hartman describing every one of fame and influence as “his, close, personal friend.” Elroy though seemed to be nothing more than the guy in the coffee shop continually shooting his mouth off and telling all his stories. No one has ever seen Elroy with any of his supposed famous friends. Well one day, Elroy’s friend who I’ll call Leonard got tired of hearing all of Elroy’s stories. He said, “Hey Elroy, if you know so many famous people why don’t you call the mayor of Indianapolis and invite him to lunch.” Leonard even handed Elroy the Mayor’s phone-number[11]. Everyone who heard this conversation thought Elroy was about to look like a fool. Only for Elroy to tell Leonard to “go ahead.” Leonard dials the number, the Mayor’s secretary answers, and she relays Elroy’s lunch offer to the Mayor, only for Leonard’s jaw to drop as he hears that “The Mayor would love to catch up and have lunch with Elroy.” Leonard gets mad at this point, figuring it all to be a fluke. He invites Elroy to Washington D.C. where a parade was taking place. The star of the parade was President John F. Kennedy. President Kennedy sees Elroy and shouts out “Hey Elroy how’s everything in Indianapolis[12].” Leonard was so mad that he could barely speak at this point! Leonard though was determined to expose Elroy once and for all. So he decides to take Elroy to the Vatican to see his supposed close, personal friend the Pope. Leonard accidentally loses Elroy in the crowd. Only to look a short time later at the balcony where the Pope was standing to shaking hands with good friend Elroy T Higgenboom of Indianapolis, Indiana[13]. How did Elroy? T. Higgenboom know any of these people? The answer doesn’t matter in the end. How did I manage to win at Trivial Pursuit without knowing any of the answers? Having the right guesses as to the answers can be more valuable than how you got them. How do the Magi figure into the story of Christ’s birth? No one expected them to be there. No one expected the King of the Jews to be “born” for non-Jews such as them, yet here we are continually in the presence of the Christ child. That’s what matters as we begin this Epiphany season. I would indeed rather have the wrong directions if it ultimately led me to the right destination of our Savior. Amen [1] Matthew 2:1-12 [2] Stier, Leon. “The Wise (?) Men (part one of two).” Email Meditations. 27.Dec.2014. Web. Dec.29.2018. [3] Stier, Leon. “The Wise (?) Men (part one of two).” Email Meditations. [4] Acts 8:9-25 [5] Acts 13:8-12. [6] Stier, Leon. “The Wise (?) Men (part one of two).” Email Meditations. [7] Habben, Daniel. “Follow In The Wisemen's Footsteps.” Sermon Central. 9.Jan.2007. Web. Dec.30.2018. [8] Habben, Daniel. “Follow In The Wisemen's Footsteps.” Sermon Central. [9] Matthew 2:11. [10] Zingale, Tim. “Who Did Jesus Come For.” Sermon Central. 11.Jan.2002. Web. Dec.29.2018. [11] Zingale, Tim. “Who Did Jesus Come For.” Sermon Central. [12] Zingale, Tim. “Who Did Jesus Come For.” Sermon Central. [13] Zingale, Tim. “Who Did Jesus Come For.” Sermon Central. |
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