Rev. Bill Kruse

In the time of King Her'od, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, 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." When King Her'od heard this, he was frightened, and all Jerusalem with him; and calling together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born. They told him, "In Bethlehem of Judea; for so it has been written by the prophet: "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.'" Then Her'od secretly called for the wise men and learned from them the exact time when the star had appeared. 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." 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. When they saw that the star had stopped, they were overwhelmed with joy. 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. And having been warned in a dream not to return to Her'od, they left for their own country by another road. Matt 2:1-12

In his book, The Brightest and the Best, a Chicago Priest, Sam Portaro, points out that the magi may not have been what we have always thought them to be. How many magi were there? The number of the magi has traditionally been accepted as three. That's a logical guess based on the number of gifts Matthew lists. But the gospel gives no number for the magi. Isn't it possible that there were only two magi and one brought two offerings? And the other guy brought one. Or, for that matter, there could have been five or six magi, and all of them pitched in for the three expensive gifts. Were the magi kings? We can't even be sure that the magi were kings. The term magus was often used as a derisive or contemptuous term for itinerant entertainers -- magicians, actors, dancers, etc. Frankly, I kind of like the idea that the magi might have been traveling entertainers -- members of a class commonly accepted as fools in every sense of the word. Of course, that possibility radically alters the cast around the crèche. In a Christmas or Epiphany pageant, or in the morality plays, or even the opera, those exotically robed kings upstage everyone including the shepherds and lambs, the holy family, and even the angels. In that regard, the magi are the most modern of all our religious symbols. The three kings from the east are sympathetic icons of power and wealth. They draw more attention than a child born in poverty and placed in a feeding trough for a cradle. The three kings get more attention than the Lord himself. Can you feel it in your bones, that there is something right about a troupe of wandering entertainers whose whim to follow a star brings them to the cradle of Jesus? That could explain their otherwise astounding stupidity at dropping in on the palace of Herod the Great to inquire about the whereabouts of a newborn King of the Jews. Wouldn't wise and learned men of the world have more street-smarts than that? Herod was infamous for his paranoia. How much wisdom would it take to guess that he might not want to hear of a newborn king in his neighborhood? That these magi may have been itinerant entertainers is also a likely explanation of their later ability to skip out of Herod's territory without anyone noticing. They probably had a lot of experience skipping town on other occasions when the heat was on. The reason I like this theory about the magi above all else is just this: if they were really pretty simple people, it fully accords with Paul's notion in the letter to the Ephesians. The apostle says that God's revelation is most often hidden from the learned and wise, only to be revealed most fully to the simple. To me, these magi seemed to have the kind of simplicity that enabled them to kneel and worship a divine infant. Besides, I cannot think of any reason why Matthew or any other evangelist would not specify that these visitors were kings if they were kings. If you were writing a gospel, would you neglect to mention that some kings traveled from a distant country in order to visit the baby Jesus? Wouldn't you note that detail with some pride? Nevertheless, I suspect that all of us want to keep the story the way the popular tradition has handed it down to us. As it stands, the story suggests that the rich and powerful, the learned and astute are the first to recognize and name the infant Jesus as a king. Maybe this story validates our own bias that superior intellect and education produces insight. Truth is more often suspect, until it is acknowledged by people with credentials and power and wealth. That is the way it is supposed to be. Not only in Bethlehem, but everywhere. What is difficult about this theory and therefore more exotic, mysterious and wonderful, is the possibility that some simple and foolish people, drawn to this poor, but holy, family, might surrender their most precious possessions to an unknown child. We cannot know how these travelers came by their gifts. Yet is it so strange that traveling entertainers and magicians should possess gold, frankincense and myrrh? If we in our culture lavish material wealth on rock stars and ball players, is it inconceivable that their counterparts 2000 years ago came to receive such gifts in the course of their travels as reward for their own talents to amuse? Maybe there is only one thing about this story that we can hold with absolute certainty. Whoever these people were and wherever they came from, they were ever after called "wise". Their wisdom was not necessarily the precondition of their visit to the holy family, but it was certainly the on gift they took from that visit. I think we would all agree that wisdom is not the prerequisite for a relationship with Jesus, but it is a product of knowing the Lord. Those who encounter God come away with more than they could ever bring. And isn't this always the case in every relationship? If we ever encounter wisdom in our friendships, are we not wiser in that relationship than we ever were before we met? Each of us is the product of all our relationships., and especially our relationships with God in whom we live and move and discover our identity. May you have peace, wisdom, love and joy this Epiphany.

Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan, to be baptized by him. John would have prevented him, saying, "I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?" But Jesus answered him, "Let it be so now; for it is proper for us in this way to fulfill all righteousness." Then he consented. And when Jesus had been baptized, just as he came up from the water, suddenly the heavens were opened to him and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. And a voice from heaven said, "This is my Son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased." Matthew 3:13-17

In some sense, John knows Jesus as he came to him at the Jordan. John says to him, "I need to be baptized by you; yet, you come to me?" Jesus told him that they were going to do things in the right way, in order to fulfill all righteousness. And John put Jesus under the water, and he came back up. And unlike ever before, at any other baptism, something new happens. The Holy Spirit comes down from heaven. The voice of God proclaims, "This is my Son, the Beloved." Every mom & dad says this at their child's baptism. Each parent says, this is my son, or this is my daughter, and my beloved. Each parents loves their child enough to give them to God. But Jesus' baptism is unlike any other. In the story, Jesus goes on his way after being baptized, and John reflects on what has happened. John sees Jesus again soon after, and he proclaims the incredible: "This is the Lamb of God." And even more startling, he goes on to say: "He takes away the sin of the world." What does Jesus' baptism mean? What does each of our baptisms mean? To help us answer this question, we can look at the children's story, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, by C.S. Lewis. This is a story about a magical realm called Narnia. Four children discover an entry to Narnia through a secret and magical wardrobe. In Narnia, it is always winter, although it is never Christmas. As the children go in, they begin to see that something is wrong in this realm. A curse has been put on the land by the white witch. There is only one hope of spring ever coming to Narnia -- if the great lion Aslan were to return. Rumor has it that Aslan, the creator of the realm, is on the move. The snow is beginning to melt and there are trees budding. But unfortunately, one of the children betrays Aslan. Sadly, the one who would be able to make a difference -- the one who can free all the animals in the kingdom -- must now become a sacrifice for the others. The story is not one for the faint of heart. The lion Aslan willingly gives himself to the white witch, and all of the horrible creatures -- the goblins, witches, and other evil beings -- strap Aslan down on the altar and kill him. This is a little glimmer of what baptism is about. The one being baptized goes down into the water. But the story doesn't end there! The children go back to the altar after Aslan has died. To quote from the book: "The rising of the sun had made everything look so different -- all colors and shadows were changed -- that for a moment they didn't see the important thing. Then they did. The Stone Table was broken into two pieces by a great crack that ran down it from end to end; and there was no Aslan." What does the story mean? When John says that Jesus is the Lamb of God, what does it mean? Jesus prepares us for his death, at his baptism and throughout his ministry, but he always said "it is not yet my time." The night before he dies, as he is betrayed, he then says, "My hour has come; it is time." The Lamb of God offers himself for the lambs of God. He dies, but it is not the end of the story. At baptism, we have to talk about death. The picture of going under the water is a picture of death. But it is the picture of death, and then life again. In the story, the children ask, "'What does it mean? Is it more magic? 'Yes!' said a great voice behind their backs. 'It is more magic.' They looked round. There, shining in the sunrise, larger than they had seen him before...stood Aslan himself." What does it all mean? And what do the baptisms today mean? Aslan explains, "'Though the witch knew the Deep Magic, there is a magic deeper still which she did not know. Her knowledge goes back only to the dawn of time. But if she could have looked a little further back, into the stillness and darkness before Time dawned, she would have read there a different incantation. She would have known that when a willing victim who had committed no treachery was killed in a traitor's stead, the Table would crack and Death itself would start working backward.'" And that's what it means for us today as well. We know nothing stronger than God's life in us. In the midst of darkness, treachery, death, and destruction, we have the deeper wonder of God's love.

Rev. Dr. Mark Tusken

The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him and declared, "Here is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! This is he of whom I said, 'After me comes a man who ranks ahead of me because he was before me.' I myself did not know him; but I came baptizing with water for this reason, that he might be revealed to Israel." And John testified, "I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it remained on him. I myself did not know him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water said to me, 'He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain is the one who baptized with the Holy Spirit.' And I myself have seen and have testified that this is the Son of God." The next day John again was standing with two of his disciples, and as he watched Jesus walk by, he exclaimed, "Look, here is the Lamb of God!" The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus. When Jesus turned and saw them following, he said to them, "What are you looking for?" They said to him, "Rabbi" (which translated means Teacher), "where are you staying?" He said to them, "Come and see." They came and saw where he was staying, and they remained with him that day. It was about four o'clock in the afternoon. One of the two who heard John speak and followed him was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother. He first found his brother Simon and said to him, "We have found the Messiah" (which is translated Anointed). John 1:29-41

We are currently doing a two-part sermon series, last week looking at baptism. We talked about the link between Jesus' baptism and our own, Jesus' death and our own, and Jesus' resurrection and our own. We also talked about John's statement that Jesus is the Lamb of God, and how our children are our lambs, and Jesus is God's Lamb. Today we read about Jesus' first words reported in the gospels. He says, "What are you looking for?" This might be paraphrased as, "Where are you headed in life?" We all have our own private goals and dreams. Sometimes we have a tendency to have certain expectations in life, and we map all of our life plans out in front of us. It is part of our culture to do this; we are a very destination-obsessed society. We have expectations, and we as a society are looking for something. This is reflected in the current box office sales of the movie "Lord of the Rings." This movie is so popular right now because Tolkein captures a sense of the struggle between good and evil. We know that we are on the side of "good," and we are looking for good to win out over evil. All throughout the gospels we see people looking for something. The ill and the lame come to Jesus because they are looking for healing. Or, because of Jesus' popularity, many people followed because they were looking for fame. In light of Jesus' many miracles, others followed him for the entertainment aspect. When Jesus goes off to pray, the disciples say to him, "Everyone is looking for you." Ultimately, everyone is looking for Jesus. In the passage today, the disciples respond to Jesus with another question: "Where are you staying?" It is implied that since they called him "Teacher," they were looking for a way to grow and to learn. The parallel for us today is that our church ought to be a place of growth, where people are free to ask questions and where the answers come clear. These answers come clear for people in different ways. Jesus said, "Come and see." If you just come with him, you will grow. The Lord touches each of us differently. The disciples were probably not instantly converted here; it was simply a beginning of their growth and understanding. People discover God in different ways. Some, like Paul, experience a blinding light and an instant conversion. Others have a gradual conversion, where the light dawns for them over many years. Peter, for example, had years of gradual spiritual preparation before he could say, "You are the Christ." Even other people come to know God through a series of crises. Again in the example of Peter, he goes through many crises: he denies the Lord three times, he sees Jesus die on the cross, he sees Jesus appear and disappear. But at the very end of the gospel, while fishing, he proclaims "It's the Lord!" This is his moment of conversion. This type of conversion is especially common in our society today. The question remains: Why are you here? You may be here to be converted, to grow in the knowledge of the Lord, to claim the ministry that he has prepared for you, or to know the hope that only he can give. Come and see, and you will know why you are here.

Rev. Dr. Mark Tusken

Now when Jesus heard that John had been arrested, he withdrew to Galilee. He left Nazareth and made his home in Capernaum by the sea, in the territory of Zebulun and Naphtali, so that what had been spoken through the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled: ‘Land of Zebulun, land of Naphtali, on the road by the sea, across the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles— the people who sat in darkness have seen a great light, and for those who sat in the region and shadow of death light has dawned.’ From that time Jesus began to proclaim, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.’ As he walked by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea—for they were fishermen. And he said to them, ‘Follow me, and I will make you fish for people.’ Immediately they left their nets and followed him. As he went from there, he saw two other brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John, in the boat with their father Zebedee, mending their nets, and he called them. Immediately they left the boat and their father, and followed him. Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and curing every disease and every sickness among the people. Matthew 4:12-23

The essence of the season of Epiphany is that God is here for you. The great challenge of Epiphany is: How do we share this with others? We have been thinking through carefully what God's presence means for us. First of all, we considered that wherever God is, he forgives. Secondly, we considered: What are you looking for? Today, we have a sense of fulfillment about what we have been wrestling with. Now Jesus begins his work, to manifest God's presence. He challenges us today, just as he did with the disciples, with the words, "Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men." We sense God is here, so we follow him. But, if we're not fishing, we're not following. God manifests himself in the world through you and me. It's not our job to be anything more than fishers. There are four simple rules about fishing that relate to catching people. First of all, we must know what we are fishing for. You will never catch something you are not aiming for. Know which kind of people you are seeking to reach out to -- newcomers, lapsed believers who are seeking a reason to come back, seekers who are looking for the meaning of life, singles, families, classmates, or coworkers. Secondly, go where the fish are biting. Fisherman always know where the fish are biting, and the same can be said for fishers of men. For us, we need to determine where people are who are hungry for the good news. Who around you is looking for and needing answers? Where are people responding to the good news? We might approach people like this individually and personally. Another way we can reach out to people is through small groups, where people can wrestle with questions and get answers. Our culture today is filled with differing ideas and opinions. But we have something unique to offer, because our God also suffered greatly in an unjust way, died, and overcame death. That is something unique. Thirdly, we must think like a fish. Give the fish a lure that they are attracted to. If we want to be effective fishers of men, we must think like an unbeliever. We can't only approach people from our own perspective. What motivates people? What breaks their hearts? What makes them laugh? You must be "real," because people can spot fakes easily. Years ago, people loved to watch charlatans, who tried to fool the senses. But our culture today has moved way beyond this. We can't go to people with plastic smiles and catchy sayings. Finally, we must use more than one hook. If the hook is too big, it won't fit in the fish's mouth. If it is too small, the big ones get away. Some "hooks" for people today might be music, youth group activities, financial seminars, book discussion groups, and healing ministries.  In summary, ask yourself this question: What will be your line?  Scripture can give you the answer to this question. God will lead you to a place where you can be a fisher of men.

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