NUCC
Epiphany Sunday
January 7, 2007
Matthew 2:1-12
On this Epiphany Sunday when Christians have traditionally remembered the journey of the Wise Men to the child Jesus, I invite you to open your hymnals to one of the best known Christmas carols associated with the wise men. You will find “We Three Kings of Orient Are” on page 206 of your hymnal. Let’s sing the first verse.
We three kings of Orient are,
Bearing gifts we traverse afar.
Field and fountain, moor and mountain,
Following yonder star.
O star of wonder, star of night,
Star with royal beauty bright,
Westward leading, still proceeding,
Guide us to Thy perfect light.
An Episcopal priest named John H. Hopkins, Jr. wrote the words and tune for this carol in 1863. Some have criticized his carol because of its vivid legendary imagery. If we read our Bibles closely we will discover that these men were neither kings nor three in number. Most likely they were members of a priestly class of Persian or Babylonian experts in the occult, such as astrology and the interpretation of dreams. Some translations of the Bible call them “wise men” and others “magi” or “astrologers.” The reason we have called them “three” is likely because of the three gifts. Three strange gifts ---- gold, frankincense and myrrh. Strange gifts for a little baby or a toddler. One lady claimed these men weren’t really so wise. A wise woman would have brought diapers, a change of clothes, or a decent crib.
What about these three strange gifts? Let’s take a look at each one ---- and sing its verse.
Gold – Let’s sing verse two:
Born a King on
Gold I bring to crown Him again,
King forever, ceasing never
Over us all to reign.
Why would these men bring gold? What could be more valuable? What could be more appropriate for royalty? Crowns are made of gold. Our ancient travelers from the East were looking for a young king. Therefore, they brought gold. They brought something which was just as valuable in Jesus’ day as in our day. What is the allure of gold?
- It is scarce. This fall PBS carried a show on the California Gold Rush. What surprised me was how quickly the gold ran out. It has to be dug out of the earth.
- It is beautiful. Think of the gold jewelry you have seen – or the picture of King Tut on the screen.
- It is enduring. Gold can withstand natural acids and fire. People invest in gold.
- It is adaptable. You can form gold into many forms.
The wise men brought gold to Jesus. We might also bring our own kind of gold to Jesus:
- Something that is scarce – our humble, genuine, earthy selves.
- Something that is beautiful – our love for God and God’s people.
- Something that is enduring – our loyalty to God no matter what the circumstance.
- Something that is adaptable – our willingness to change & grow in God’s grace.
Frankincense – Let’s sing verse three.
Frankincense to offer have I,
Incense owns a Deity nigh;
Prayer and praising all men raising,
Worship Him, God on high.
Frankincense is an aromatic resin tapped from a Boswellia tree. It is sweet and fragrant. In the countries of
The wise ones of old wished to pay homage to this child king ---- perhaps even worship him. We have come into the presence of Jesus Christ to pay him homage and certainly to worship him. We remember on this Epiphany Sunday that Jesus Christ is the one who shows us the way and offers us the greatest gift ---- salvation.
In the ancient temple of
Myrrh – Let’s sing verse four.
Myrrh is mine, its bitter perfume
Breathes a life of gathering gloom:
Sorrowing, sighing, bleeding, dying,
Sealed in the stone-cold tomb.
Myrrh is also a resin which comes like sap from a tree ---- the Commiphora tree. The sap oozes out of the tree and after a while hardens. Then it is collected, and later ground into a powder. As our carol indicates myrrh is associated with burial. We read this post-crucifiction account in
“Nicodemus, who had at first come to Jesus by night, also came, bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, weighing about a hundred pounds. They took the body of Jesus and wrapped it with the spices in linen cloths, according to the burial custom of the Jews.”
The myrrh and aloes (the latter is an aromatic wood) would have been in powdered form and were meant to reduce the odor of decay. Did these wise ones have a sense of Jesus’ destiny? Did they realize how much his life would be in danger?
Because we live on the other side of the cross and the grave, we know the sacrifice Jesus made. What sort of sacrifice are we willing to make? If frankincense can be associated with sweetness, myrrh is associated with bitterness. Can we follow Christ in bitter times as well as sweet times? In death as well as in life? This is the challenge for each of us.
Strange gifts.
The story is told of an old professor who visited a past student of his whose first child had been born recently. He presented the parents with a gift for the baby, a book, all wrapped in fine paper, tied with a bow. Imagine their surprise and bewilderment when, upon unwrapping the gift, they discovered that it was a book, a very old, leather-bound copy of Shakespeare's plays.
They thought, what a strange gift for a baby! How odd. An old book, written in archaic language, given to a baby who will not be able to read it for many years to come.
And then they realized: the gift was not the book; the gift was the giver. The old professor had given himself. He had given the child that thing most precious to himself - his own love of language, his admiration for Shakespeare. His gift was an expression of his deepest joy at the birth of the child, his hope for the future of this new human being.
In remembrance of the gold, frankincense, and myrrh brought by the Wiseman and the gift of this professor, I now invite you to bring your own strange gift whatever it may be and to join me in singing the final verse of “We Three Kings”
Glorious now behold Him arise,
King and God and Sacrifice;
Alleluia, Alleluia!
Sounds through the earth and skies.
O star of wonder, star of night,
Star with royal beauty bright,
Westward leading, still proceeding,
Guide us to Thy perfect light.
