This sermon kicked off our next preaching series - this one on giving gifts. We also had the live illustration of Ruling Elders and Deacons being ordained and installed in worship. I tried to tie together the story of the wise men bringing gifts with the story of Jesus being baptized. It seemed to work ok.
perhaps it was two sermons that I made into one!
“Giving Gifts” SAPC, Denton; January 2, 2022 Maatthew 2: 1-12; 3:13-17
In the time of King Herod, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, wise men[a] from the East came to Jerusalem, 2 asking, “Where is the child who has been born king of the Jews? For we observed his star at its rising,[b] and have come to pay him homage.” 3 When King Herod heard this, he was frightened, and all Jerusalem with him; 4 and calling together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah[c] was to be born. 5 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[d] my people Israel.’”
7 Then Herod secretly called for the wise men[e] and learned from them the exact time when the star had appeared. 8 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.” 9 When they had heard the king, they set out; and there, ahead of them, went the star that they had seen at its rising,[f] until it stopped over the place where the child was. 10 When they saw that the star had stopped,[g] they were overwhelmed with joy. 11 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. 12 And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they left for their own country by another road.
Matthew 3
Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan, to be baptized by him. 14 John would have prevented him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?” 15 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. 16 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. 17 And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, the Beloved,[d] with whom I am well pleased.”
Introduction: In the liturgical calendar, today could be Epiphany Sunday, since Thursday was January 6, the day of Epiphany when we read the story of the three wise men and the gifts they bring to baby Jesus.
Or, today could be Baptism of our Lord Sunday when we read the story of Jesus being baptized in the river Jordan and reflect on the beginning of his ministry.
We decided to combine the two Sundays, so today is Epiphany/baptism of the Lord Sunday, a day we kick off a seven week series on giving gifts.
Our trunk the kids brought in during the processional will stand before us each week, reminding us of the gifts we bring to Christ.
This morning, I invite you to reflect on giving gifts in broad terms. as we set the stage for reflecting in coming weeks on specific gifts we can give to Christ.
Move 1: We begin my noting that the wise men set the example of giving extravagant gifts.
a. Imagine you were the wise men preparing to go find the newly born Christ-child..
1. What would you bring to baby Jesus, who is reputed to be king of the Jews?
2. you could make a pretty good argument that he has everything or at least access to everything he needs.
2. Probably a little more discussion than might take place for any other baby gift to take to a newborn, but the same type of question.
3. Do we take something practical?
An alternative tradition holds that Mary and Joseph used the gold to pay for the stable, the frankincense to perfume it and the myrrh as an ointment for the new-born baby. (https://www.theguardian.com/notesandqueries/query/0,5753,-1623,00.html, David Cottis)
4. or, do we do something that has special meaning?
b. The wise men opt for the extravagant.
1. they do not ask what baby Jesus needs. they just bring him
gold, a precious metal;
frankincense, a costly perfume
and myrrh, a prized perfume.
2. These gifts were usually given to a king or a person with high status. For example, the Queen of Sheba visited King Solomon and gave him precious gifts: “Arriving at Jerusalem with a very great caravan — with camels carrying spices, large quantities of gold, and precious stones” (1 Kings 10:2). The spices that she brought with her might be frankincense and myrrh. (Niveen Sarras, 1/6/2019; https://www.workingpreacher.org/commentaries/revised-common-lectionary/epiphany-of-our-lord/commentary-on-matthew-21-12-8)
3. There are other stories outside the biblical texts of these types of gifts being brought to the gods like Apollo or to other kings as a gift.
4. We look to the wise men and see them kneeling for the Christ-child with gifts of indulgence.
c. Extravagant, of course, does not necessarily mean monetary value.
1. The Gift of the Magi, short story by O. Henry, published in the New York Sunday World in 1905 and then collected in The Four Million (1906).
The story concerns James and Della Dillingham Young, a young couple who, despite their poverty, individually resolve to give each other an elegant gift on Christmas Eve.
Della only has $1.87 to spend, so she sells her beautiful long hair for $20 in order to buy a platinum fob chain for Jim’s antique gold watch.
Meanwhile, Jim pawns his treasured watch to purchase jeweled tortoiseshell combs for Della’s hair.
O Henry finishes story with: “the magi, as you know, were wise men -- wonderfully wise men -- who brought gifts to the Babe in the manger. They invented the art of giving Christmas presents. Being wise, their gifts were no doubt wise ones, possibly bearing the privilege of exchange in case of duplication. And here I have lamely related to you the uneventful chronicle of two foolish children in a flat who most unwisely sacrificed for each other the greatest treasure of their house. But in a last word to the wise of these days let it be said that of all who give gifts these two were the wisest. Of all who give and receive gifts, such as they are wisest. Everywhere they are the wisest. They are the magi. (for more details, go to https://www.britannica.com/topic/The-Gift-of-the-Magi)
2. As you reflect in the coming weeks on gifts you can give to Christ, think in extravagant terms.
3. after all, that’s what God has done in giving you the gift of Christ Jesus.
Move 2: The wise men also remind us that gift-giving requires commitment.
a. Nothing easy about the trip the magi make to bring their gifts to Jesus.
1. they have to travel a long way.
2. they may not have to deal with rush hour traffic or construction on I-35, but they have no Google maps or Waze, just a star in the sky.
3. they have to deal with King Herod - they may not understand Herod’s interest, but they apparently sense the pooer dynamic and Herod’s threat to them if they connect themselves with the baby born in Bethlehem.
4. But, they persevere, bring their gifts, and have a life-changing moment.
b. As you ponder the gifts you can give to Christ Jesus, remember it is more than a fleeting moment.
1. Consider the commitment you make in the giving of your gifts.
2. A commitment that opens you up to a life-changing moment.
Move 3: A final thought - God wants us to give the gift.
a. To begin his ministry, Jesus heads down to the River Jordan.
1. John has been baptizing people there, and Jesus gets in line for his baptism, so to speak.
2. As we might imagine, John questions why Jesus needs John to baptize him.
3. But Jesus insists.
4. In part, Jesus says, “to fulfill all righteousness.”
5. But, from a non-theological perspective, when John baptizes Jesus, he becomes part of what Jesus is doing.
6. That is the pattern Jesus will follow throughout his ministry - inviting people to give of themselves and calling people to follow him.
7. Jesus, the gift God gives to us asks us to give the gift of joining with him.
b. Today, we ordain and install ruling elders and deacons.
1. One example of how people give themselves as a gift to serving Christ,
2. Some of you have made this same commitment in years past; others will make it in years to come.
3. Like John in the river Jordan, those being ordained often ask, “Why do you need me?”
4. And ever before them, before us, is Jesus Christ, beckoning us to follow, to give our gifts, to join with him in serving as God’s gift to the world.
conclusion:
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