Epiphany, Morning Worship, Sunday January 5, 2025
Sermon: And All Were Frightened
Accompanying Scripture: Matthew 2:1-12
And All Were Frightened
When Herod isn’t happy, no one’s happy. The arrival of the visitors from afar brought tremors to the streets of Jerusalem. Think about it. Gold, frankincense, and myrrh. This isn’t just three men on three camels. This is an entourage with an armed guard protecting them because they came from a faraway place.
They arrive through the gates of Jerusalem and walk through the street. No one is expecting them. The citizens of Jerusalem think, “Herod’s not going to be happy. And if Herod isn’t happy, neither are we.”
It’s a huge contingent that finally stops at Herod’s Palace. The streets of Jerusalem start to empty. Not long after that, the chief priests and the scribes and anybody who knows anything about scripture are scurrying to the Palace.
And Jerusalem wonders, what will Herod do? His response is that of a greedy non- Jewish King of the Jews who does everything he can to keep power. The Magi don’t understand quite yet what they have unleashed. What follows in this scripture reading is the next part of the story. It is estimated that between 10 and 30 children were killed as a result of the Magi’s news. Herod sent word out to find all the boys two years and younger and kill them in Bethlehem and in the area surrounding Bethlehem.
The Holy Family became political refugees in Egypt because the King had become unhinged. Herod and Jerusalem are frightened. Jerusalem is frightened because they don’t know what Herod is about to do.
What else has happened is that God has broken into the world, and when God comes into the world, there’s a lot of chaos. There’s a scared ruler grasping for power. There’s a city witnessing an upset in the status quo, and people are going to suffer the consequences.
The good news in all of this is the appearance of the Magi because it takes foreigners to recognize the king—not the Jews, not Herod, but foreigners from Assyria or Babylon. They arrive and say, “We’ve come to show you. You have a new king, a king of the Jews.”
These foreigners are going to provide gifts for the king. If you are running for your life to a strange country, that gold is going to come in real handy. The Holy Family was
able to live in Egypt until Herod died.
The good news for us is that Jesus is born, yet again, today. He is born in our hearts, our minds, and our souls. Jesus comes again into our chaotic, tired life. Jesus has been born, the light that cannot be extinguished has been born. This Man brings us hope and peace and joy and love and life. The invitation is clear. Stop. Pause for just a bit, look around, and see Christ at work in the world. Open up your hearts and minds to see Jesus holding our fears, our anxieties, and yes, even our fatigue in his hands. We can let go. We can allow God to be God.
Today as we say every day, today as we have said for 2,000 years, say yes to the arrival. Say yes to the arrival in every facet of your life because Christ is born today and again and again.
All glory and honor be to God.
Amen.