Reading 3
“Where is Jesus?”—Matthew 2
The congregation of which I am a member, Lutheran Church of the Epiphany, has a closet full of elegant, regal wise men costumes with matching crowns and faux gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Some of the costumes are for wise women, and some represent countries and cultures from around the world.
For years we have had beautiful Epiphany Day services honoring the showing forth of the birth of Christ to all nations. In addition to the kings, we also adorn the sanctuary with flags from many nations. You might say that on Epiphany Day, January 6, we pay homage to our namesake.
This early chapter of Matthew, where we first encounter the wise men, is full of drama: foreign kings looking for the King of the Jews and deceiving Herod by not returning to him, the wrath of Herod brought down on the Hebrew children, Joseph and Mary escaping to Egypt, and finally, their trip home to Nazareth.
Sometimes, however, we get so caught up in the drama—How many kings? How do we know? What kind of gifts? How expensive and for what purpose? How long did their journey take? They found Jesus in a house?—and overlook the message.
The purpose of chapter two of Matthew seems to be to authenticate the birth of Christ through references to Old Testament prophecies. The words prophet or prophecy are used four times in this chapter and once in chapter one. For people longing for a Messiah, here is scriptural proof that Jesus is the Promised One.
These travelers, however, although they were fulfilling one of the prophecies, seem to have another reason for their journey: They were seeking Jesus in order to pay homage and give him their gifts.
What does this teach us? That our first question every day should be, “Where Is Jesus in my life today?” Like the wise men of old, we, too, should be seeking Jesus throughout our life’s journey in order to worship and serve him with the very best gifts we have to offer.
To Consider:
- When, in your daily or weekly life, do you take time to worship and pay homage to Jesus? What helps you?
- In this chapter, three times God speaks to Joseph and the wise men in dreams. How do you hear the word of God speaking to you?
Dear God, bring us to our knees in thanksgiving and worship every day. May the gifts we offer to you in service to others be acceptable in your sight. Amen.
Kay Conrad is a member of Epiphany, Winston-Salem, and has recently finished the requirements to become a Lay Preacher of the North Carolina Synod. “The boundaries of her life have fallen in pleasant places,” but she is disappointed that she has never gotten to be a wise person in an Epiphany service.
