God's Surprises

Isaiah 60:1-6; Ephesians 3:1-12; Matthew 2:1-12

While some congregations are observing the Second Sunday of Christmas, I prefer to observe the festival of Epiphany. The church season of Epiphany is about discovering the light that God sends into the world through Jesus. It is about seeing Jesus in various, often surprising, ways. It is about discovering God is always present, also in various, often surprising ways.

While the time after coming of Jesus is spoken of as a new creation, it doesn’t mean the stuff that preceded it is bad because it is old. The stories of the New Testament mean little without the stories of the Old Testament. Jesus’ coming is a continuation of God’s plan for salvation for all people. That plan, too, was often filled with surprises. Let’s do a review of some of those surprises.

Abraham was promised descendants like stars, land, and fame. While he struggled to settle in one place, the land God promised is still the land of the Jewish and Palestinian people called Israel. We, today, are among his billions of descendants, and his name appears throughout the Scriptures.

Moses was stopped by a bush that was on fire but not consumed by the flames. God spoke from the bush, calling him to lead his people from slavery into freedom, back to the land promised hundreds of years earlier to Abraham.

Prophets like Isaiah were called to speak encouragement or the need for repentance to the people, depending on the circumstances. Many of them were surprised to be  called to such ministry, and reluctant to participate. I’m thinking of Jonah and Amos in particular.

… I’ll note some surprises experienced by Mary. First, a visit by an angel and the news that she would give birth to the Savior of the world. Second, that her old cousin Elizabeth was also present. Third, that her fiancé Joseph would continue the engagement. Fourth, that shepherds would  visit them the night the baby was born – or within a day or two. Fifth, that when they took baby Jesus for his bris, two Jerusalem temple prophets would approach and speak to them.

… And now, we come to today’s surprise.

Since only Matthew tells the story of the Magi and the star they followed, following the st could be poetic license in the storytelling. Scientifically, stars are not known to stop over one place, since everything in the sky is constantly moving. So, we can be surprised at the inclusion of a star in the story, and how it has become a symbol of Christmas.

Assuming they saw the star in the astrological signs when Jesus was born, it would have taken time for them to pack up their caravan and arrive at Jesus’ home. So, Jesus would have been a toddler, a year or a year and a half by the time the magi arrived in Bethlehem?

Can you imagine Mary’s surprise – still another one for her! – when she opened her door and saw these magi outside?

Now, let’s do a quick quiz. What are magi? (astrologers, magicians, philosophers, not kings). How many magi were there? (don’t know, but there were 3 types of gifts) Were they all men? (don’t know, could have included women) Are you surprised to think about that?

After they left the gifts, they went home bypassing Jerusalem. Thanks to Roman road-building projects, this was easy to do. And, the story continues with another couple surprises for Mary. Angels appeared in Joseph’s dream to warn him to escape to Egypt, because Herod’s soldiers came and murdered all the baby boys two and younger. Note that there is no historical record for this, but knowing Herod’s character, we should not be surprised to learn from sources that it did happen!  

… On to some other surprises. Paul, the Pharisee and former persecutor of Christians, is now reaching out to Gentiles with Good News of Jesus’ love and forgiveness. He writes to the Ephesians: We have been surprised to learn that through Jesus “the gentiles have become fellow heirs, members of the same body, and sharers in the promise” of God.

In Galatians, Paul writes that there is now no distinction among people in God’s promise. There is neither Jew or Greek, slave or free, male and female. In today’s words we would say, all are welcome in God’s family.

If foreigners who don't understand Jewish faith are welcome at Jesus' family home, it must be all are welcome today. If shepherds, who are unwashed and smelly and suspected of being less than honest, are welcome at the manger, it must be all are welcome today.

… We say this, but 2,000 years later, it is still far from a reality. There is a real sense in many cultures and communities in the US and around the world that some people are less valuable, less welcome, than others.

I recently watched the Netflix movie Six Triple Eight, about African American Women in the Women’s Army Corp during World War II. The movie told the real story of the harassment and disrespect given by white men, both enlisted and officers, to these 850 soldiers, because they were both women and black. Given six months to solve the problem of a three-year backlog of mail, they devised methods for sorting and identifying mail, and getting it to the right place. They had the job done in a surprising 90 days.

The same kind of harassment and disrespect is still happening, to people of color or from other homelands, to people who are gay or lesbian or trans, to people who are developmentally different or neurodivergent (for example, on the Autism spectrum). It happens even to people of the “other” political party. If you wish, you can pick your own not-welcome person or group and consider why they are not welcome.  Surprise! Jesus welcomes them.

… God will continue to surprise us, but we have to be looking to see the surprises. Keep your eyes open this week. What surprises does God give you? Amen