Text: Matthew 2:1-12 

S. Epiphany.09 (observed) “Magi” Matt. 2:1-12

I know I say it a lot, that this story or that character in the Bible is one of my favorites, but today I really mean it. The magi are, next to Jesus, my very favorite characters in the whole Story of scripture. So even though it’s not quite Epiphany yet (we’re three days early) I just have to observe it because for me, it’s not really Christmas without these guys.

What do I like so much about the magi? Where do you start!? The name first of all. Magi means wise men or more literally magicians in Greek. How can you not like magicians or wise guys? They knew all sorts of cool tricks I’m sure, not the least of which was knowing the sky like the back of their hand and figuring out this strange star was the star of Christ the King, the Son of God invading our space-time continuum. A combination of science and theology that you have to admire.

And they were men on a quest. They were travelers and sojourners who were looking for a better city than any you can find on earth. They were not content with the run of the mill, the usual, and the ordinary. They were looking for nothing less than the City of God and the King of Kings to worship and serve. And they would travel any distance, go to any length, leave anything and everything else behind to find what they sought.

I think there are two kinds of people in the world—travelers on a quest and settlers who stay put. My heart is and always has been with the travelers. The writer to the Hebrews says in chapter 11 that the faithful of old were strangers and travelers on earth, people who declared by their words and their lives that they seek a better, that is a heavenly country, therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, not ashamed to confess them as His own children, and has prepared a city just for them.

Settlers put up with what is. They slowly lose their imagination of better cities, other worlds, a mystical life. They accept, after a while without question, things as they are. They go along to get along. They are content, placid people, and finally they can’t conceive of any other world, any other life than what is before them. Their capacity for wonder, for mystery, for magic is lost. If they have any interest in God, it is only for how they can use Him to improve their earthly life or business or manipulate others to their desired ends. They are perfectly pragmatic people. They bore me completely.

So my heart has always been with the travelers, the ones who give “no fixed address” as their earthly home. Even when they remain for years in one geographic place, they don’t cease to be travelers at heart, because they are never at home anywhere on earth, but are always people passing through. They will never settle until they arrive at that Place where they can see Christ face to face and dwell in the light of His city forever. So their entire life becomes one long quest for the Christ, and they are prepared at any moment to move, physically, spiritually, to get closer to Him. They have no rest till they rest in Him.

The magi are the picture of the true, spiritual traveler, the template for us all. They portray, in twelve verses, all that the Christian life at its best involves. They will follow their star, the star no one else can see, until it leads them to the place where the Christ Child is. And when they arrive, they open their treasures to Him, for He is the only Treasure for which they truly care. He is their King and Master and they follow Him to the end of the earth and beyond.

Being single-minded like this makes you courageous, resourceful. They think nothing of making a journey of many hundreds of miles, through deserts and dangerous cities. They follow their star. Did you noticed that no one else can see the star apparently? Herod had “magi” of his own. But they’re ignorant of this star of the real magi, the star of the Christ which they saw, literally, in the rising. It’s only because the star disappears as soon as the magi arrive in Jerusalem that they must stop and ask directions. (While asking directions is not something that comes naturally to wise men, still, they will do so without hesitation if it means getting to the Christ more quickly).

They think nothing of striding into the king’s palace in Jerusalem, demanding to see king Herod. The magi are probably not rich men (though they served kings in the ancient world, their wealth was really the king’s and depended on staying in his court. Leaving the court for a couple years, as these magi did, and traveling such a long way probably consumed most of their portfolio—but earthly wealth will just slow you down anyway…). Yet, the magi are aristocrats of a deeper, truer sort: aristocrats of the spirit who bow down to no man, no matter how highly exalted he may be in human reckoning—they look every earthly ruler in the eye as an equal (at best). Because they are servants of the King of Kings.

“Where is He?” the magi ask without introduction or pleasantries. “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the rising and have come to worship Him.” They are a bit put out and annoyed that everyone in the palace is not on their knees observing the Liturgy of the newborn King. What is wrong with these people? Are they not the people of the King of the Jews? The magi can see right away they probably aren’t.

Herod the despot was troubled at this, at the news and the cheek of the magi. He gathered his wisest men and asked where the Christ is to be born. They told him “Bethlehem, if you ever read your bible, it’s right in Micah 5:2; it was the daily lectionary reading a few weeks ago…”

So Herod called these foreign and disturbing magi, and determined from them what time their star appeared, and sent them to Bethlehem to search for the young Child, claiming he wanted to worship Him too. The magi could see this old dude was both a fraud and a settler who had no interest in the King or he would have seen the star and gone with them at once. They say nothing, but depart from Herod at once. They will find no help from him on their quest.

And as soon as they leave Herod’s palace, the star appears again! The star only they can see, apparently. And they rejoiced with exceeding joy because their quest can continue. And the star does what Herod and all the wise men of earth cannot—it leads them right to the place where the Christ Child was.

When they came into the house and saw the Child and His mother, they fell down and worshiped Him—because worship is their end, the fulfillment of their quest; this is what we were made for, where we find our true joy, in the worship of the King, in the courts of His house forever. They left their earthly treasure with Him, because they needed no other treasure but Him. Now, because they rely only on the Word of God, they are nobody’s fools; they deceive Herod, departing to their own country as men who’ve found another way to get home.

These are my guys, these wise guy magi. If you still haven’t found what you’re looking for, you could join us in the quest. Here, in the Divine Service, you’ll see His star in the rising. Here, He puts you on the road with Him, that finding the Christ here, you may journey with Him there—to the Kingdom which has no end to its joys. In the Name of Jesus. Amen.

Pastor Kevin Martin