The Lutheran Hour
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"Where’s the King in 2006?"
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Text: Matthew 2: 1-2
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Christ is risen! He is risen, indeed! For us, Christ the King has conquered sin, death, and grave. Come, join me in worshipping Him, the heaven-sent Savior of our souls.
Christmas is complete; the 2005 celebration of the King’s coming is now ancient history. Santa and his sleigh are in safe seclusion, Rudolph is recharging his red nose, and the rest of us are enjoying a respite from the relatives. Christmas 2005 is over; the celebration is ancient history. Indeed last night’s midnight strike of the clock has replaced Christmas with a new holiday, a secular holiday, a festival made for fun and football, a holiday where the past is forgotten and resolutions are made for the future. Then, after tomorrow, which is the official day off from work for most people, the long holiday season will be over and everybody’s life can get back to normal. Sure, most of us will feel like fools when we write 2005 on our checks rather than 2006, but that’s a minor glitch and practice will make us perfect. The main thing is Christmas is complete, and the holidays are concluded.
Now, at this point in the message, I imagine a few, a very few pastors, priests, and extremely well informed lay people are saying something like, “Hold on a minute, Mr. Minister. That’s not quite right. Christmas is a season, not a single day on the calendar. We’ve still got to celebrate Epiphany.” If you happen to be in the presence of one of these folks whose blood pressure just shot up about 35 points, I have to admit: They’re right. This week, on January 6th, we’re going to celebrate Epiphany. Now for those of you who aren’t in the know, Epiphany is when the wise men, representatives of the gentile, or non-Jewish nations of the world, came to pay their respects to the newborn King of the Jews: Jesus. According to the Gospel of Matthew, that’s how they said it. They pulled up in front of King Herod’s palace in Jerusalem, and, as bold as brass asked the unbalanced ruler, “Where is He who has been born king of the Jews?”
Yes, I know that most of you probably think that you took care of Epiphany and the wise men by placing those three richly-dressed fellows, with their camels and their presents into your now-put-away nativity set. But Scripture is very clear; those learned astrologers, also known as magi, didn’t come to the stable where Jesus was born. Nope, following the divinely-leading star, they were led to visit the King of Kings in a house, and their visit may have come considerable time after Jesus entered this world. So, to celebrate the fact that the King of Kings has been born to save everybody, churches and congregations and Christians celebrate Epiphany.
Sort of. Actually, if we’re going to tell the truth, most people and churches don’t celebrate Epiphany at all. Most of the Christians we know don’t send out Epiphany cards. Most of them don’t spend long hours hunting for the perfect Epiphany present. Stores don’t tell you that there are only so many shopping days left until Epiphany. Choirs don’t call on shut-ins and sing Epiphany carols. Santa doesn’t make a second stop at our houses on Epiphany Eve. We don’t have special food drives for the poor folks at Epiphany time. Television shows don’t have special Epiphany specials. Nope, there’s no program called “The Grinch Who Stole Epiphany” and Charles Schulz never animated “A Charlie Brown Epiphany.” Bing doesn’t dream or sing about having a white Epiphany, just like the ones he used to know.
Epiphany, the holiday when we remember the coming of the King of Kings is, at least in the Western hemisphere, a real non-festival. That’s a shame, because Epiphany means that the angel’s message of “good news of great joy” really is for all people. It is a shame that Epiphany has been relegated to the back burners of religious holidays because each of us needs to be led to the King. Each of us should bow down, worship and adore the King of 2006, and every calendar year that has ever been or ever will be. That, I imagine, at least in part, is what the Holy Spirit wanted us to realize when He had Matthew write down the story of the magi.
Of course, what Matthew wrote has been so bent, folded, spindled, and mutilated by man’s remanufacture, that God’s purpose, even when it is remembered, can become clouded and confused. That’s right. When Matthew was stingy with a detail, men made something up to fill in the blanks. For example, one church tradition says, because of the three gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh, that there were three wise men; but there’s another tradition which says there may have been as many as a dozen of these stargazers. It doesn’t help to look in the Bible to find an answer; Matthew doesn’t say. Nor does Matthew give the wise men names. That, too, is a shortcoming that tradition has gladly remedied, calling these fellows: Gaspar, Melchior, and Balthassar. Although Matthew is silent, tradition tells us they were aged 20, 40, and 60 and these three represented the three major races of the world. Tradition says that Thomas, on his missionary journey to India, found, converted, baptized, and ordained the wise men. Tradition says these worshippers were later martyred. And their relics were taken to Constantinople and then to Cologne, Germany, where they remain today.
More recent traditions have these wise men appearing at the stable on Christmas Day where the richness of their garments offers a considerable contrast to the poor homespun of the shepherds. In Poland, the tradition is for the wise men, not Santa, to bring presents for the children. In Czechoslovakia, tradition says you put the initials of the magi, G, M, and B, on your door to show that Christ would be welcomed at your house. Spanish tradition says children, on Epiphany, need to place straw in their windows so that the camels of the wise men may grab a quick bite to eat if they’re hungry.
But all of these human traditions, even though they may be well-intentioned and pseudo-inspirational, still remain befuddlement and guesswork. These legends only cloud the real Epiphany good news: The King has come and God has given those who have faith in His Son, the victory over sin, death, and damnation. Epiphany’s good news is that those who are given faith in Jesus Christ as their Savior, have their lives changed. They are no longer shackled by sin, enslaved by Satan, nor condemned by an overactive conscience. Because of Christ’s life, suffering, death, and resurrection, there is forgiveness and freedom to all who are led to acknowledge Him as crucified Savior and living Lord. That is the story of the wise men. It should be the story of each of us as we follow God’s leading. That’s what Matthew says the magi did: they followed God’s leading to worship their King. Look at these nameless, road-weary astrologers as they made the journey to Jerusalem. After many miles they finally found themselves approaching Herod’s house. They must have been convinced that their journey was coming to an end, and that here they would find the newborn King. “Where else,” they would have reasoned, “would a King be born, other than in a palace?”
Nobody could dispute their logic. There were no loopholes in their thinking. Princes and kings ought to be born in royal mansions. Obvious! So sure would they have been at the rightness of their deductions that the wise men didn’t notice that there were no town criers announcing the good news of an heir that had been born. They don’t seem to think it unusual that they didn’t have to fight their way through spontaneous street parties filled with festive merrymakers. Nor did they have to shout at each other as the crowds roared, “The prince has been born, long live the king.” Not that Herod, with his unpopular opinion poles, would have had such enthusiastic well-wishers.
No, all Matthew tells us is that the wise men from the East show up at the palace and politely query, “Excuse us, where is He who has been born King of the Jews?” It was hardly a complex question. It could have been answered by someone pointing down a hallway and saying, “Third door on the left. You can’t miss the place.” But nobody pointed; nobody said, “that-a-way.” What did happen is King Herod called an emergency cabinet meeting composed of his closest advisers and the highest religious authorities. After consultation with his counselors, the king quoted a cryptic bit of Scripture and the wise men were sent on their way with a Bethlehem address. God provided great assistance, for the star which had been their guide throughout their journey appeared to lead them to the place, the house, where Jesus and His parents were living. It is there in Bethlehem that they found the King whom God has said, “will be the Shepherd of His people.”
Matthew tells us what happened next: “And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary His mother, and fell down, and worshipped Him: and when they had opened their presents, they presented unto Him gifts; gold, frankincense, and myrrh.” Picture that verse in your mind, won’t you please? These men, rich men, educated, intelligent men, do not hesitate. They fall down and worship Jesus. The wise men didn’t fall down on a polished wood floor, or no-wax tile, or wall-to-wall carpeting. These wise men got down and dirty in the dirt. They did not excuse themselves to discuss whether such presents as they had brought might not be wasted on a baby; nor did they negotiate what percentage of their present they would give to Him. No, they fell down, worshipped, and gave. Why? Because they had found their King. That amazes me. I mean, after all, they didn’t know that day all the things about this baby that you and I know. They didn’t about His miracles or His teachings. They didn’t know about His sermons, stories, and how He cared for the lowest citizen in His kingdom. They didn’t know how this King would sacrifice Himself to save them from their sins. They didn’t know that He would rise on the third day. Those things were years away. But these were wise men. When the Spirit said to them, “Worship your King;” they did. As should we all.
Which takes me to the questions I wanted to ask you on this New Year’s Day: Who is your King in 2006? Where is your King in this brand-new year? For most of my listeners, those questions about “Who is your King?” have little or no meaning. How could they? We live in an age where most kings have been gently escorted from their thrones, taken to the airport and told to live their lives in leisure any place they like, as long as it’s not in their native land. Those royals who still remain have been stripped of much of their authority and serve as respected counselors to the people who hold the real power in their countries. Their days are filled doing wonderful things. They support royal charities; they call attention to civic inequities; they can be inspiring to their people in time of tragedy, and serve as a focus during periods of national achievement and accomplishment. Most often their lives, their loves, their indiscretions serve as fodder for photojournalists to be flashed across the front pages of the tabloids where they will be examined and evaluated by their subjects. Gone is the divine right of kings where a ruler could fairly or unjustly do what he wanted, when he wanted, to whomever he wanted.
Still, that is the kind of absolute kingship that Matthew knew; the kind of royalty to which Matthew was referring. Kings like Herod who could have his favorite wife murdered for suspected infidelity; his sons killed for conducting an imaginary revolt; the baby boys of a small town sacrificed lest one of them grow into being some kind of kingly competition. Matthew was acquainted with kings who had the power to be good, gentle, and generous or unfair, unkind, and unscrupulous; kings whose wish could elevate or exterminate. That’s the kind of king Matthew was talking about on this first day of the New Year. And again I ask, “Who is your king in 2006?”
Please don’t say, “There is no such king in my life.” Do not reply, “I don’t owe allegiance to anything or anybody.” You do, although quite honestly you may never have thought about it in those terms. Each of us has someone, or something that runs and rules our days. I’ve known people whose king was a job at which they wanted to succeed, or a boss whom they wished to please. Family plans were set aside; personal needs were, without question, sacrificed to satisfy these kings. Or is it possible that your king has become the accumulation of stuff. No, I don’t know what kind of stuff. Just stuff. If a friend has this thing, you need a similar thing. If an acquaintance drives this kind of car, you need to drive one better. Maybe your king is the pursuit of personal pleasure. A great many people, perhaps you, find their lives ruled by pornography, alcohol, drugs, sexual indiscretion, gambling – that list goes on. They know what they’re doing, the life they are living, will lead only to terrible tragedy, prostitution of body, and mind, and soul. They want to change; they want a different life, but they have an iron-fisted ruler who stops every escape and denies every plea for freedom. Maybe your ruler is found in an endless search for approval, applause, or admiration. Maybe your sovereign is the pile of unpaid bills on the kitchen table. I don’t know your king. Your king might be an overwhelming fear of the future and all of tomorrow’s potential and possible tragedies. Are you among the millions whose lives are ruled by sin committed in the past, or an ongoing indiscretion of the present? Who is your king on this New Year’s Day? I don’t know.
I do know, if the moving, controlling force in your life is any of those that I have listed, it is not worthy of your loyalty, your veneration, your admiration, or your soul. All of these I have listed will lead you around, let you down, and drive you into the ground. They cannot give you lasting hope or happiness; they cannot grant you forgiveness or an eternal future; they cannot provide you with peace, comfort you in a crisis, or deliver you from depression, despair, discouragement, and sadness. There is only one King who can do these things; there is only one King who is worthy of your love and deserves to be ruler of your life.
Jesus should be your King in 2006; the Ruler of your days until time is no more. This New Year’s Day come, pay homage to your king. Kneel at His feet in humble repentance for what you have done wrong, and know that He, with nail-pierced hands will raise you up, forgiven. Come before your King. Place before Him the best gifts you can give, and know that they are poor when they are compared with the sacrifices He made for you throughout His life and in His death upon Calvary’s cruel cross. Come before your King. With confidence place before Him all your worries and woes, your fears and frustrations, your losses and loneliness. Give to Him all that lies heavy on your heart; all that saddens your soul; all which robs you of rest. Turn these things over to Him and know that He who could heal the leper, forgive an adulteress, cast demons out of the possessed, restore sight to the blind, and a son to a grieving widow, will help you carry, control, or crucify that need. Come unto your King all who are weary and heavy laden and receive the rest He alone can give. Come unto your King and enjoy His presence, power, and protection in this life; look forward to the kingdom He has prepared for you in the next.
That, my friends, could be the end of this message. It isn’t. There is one more thing that must be said. Please, just for a moment, think back to the beginning of 2005. Think of all the things that have happened to you since that last January 1st. Some of you have lost all you had; some have said good-by to family members or friends; some have been beset by illness or horrible hurts. Life does those kind of things and none of us have any reason to think that this year, 2006 will be different. Indeed, statistics say that some of you listening to me today will never again hear such an invitation. As that is the case, please, consider the call of your King. Come, join the wise men and fall before Him who is God’s great gift of joy to you, your crucified and risen Lord. Receive His blood-bought gifts of forgiveness and life; and then, as one of His people, present to your King the gifts that He wishes: your loyalty, your love, your life. If you would like to know more about Christ, your King of the cross and the open tomb, please call us at The Lutheran Hour. Amen.
LUTHERAN HOUR MAILBOX (Questions & Answers) for January 1, 2006
ANNOUNCER: When is a marriage really a marriage? Pastor Ken Klaus answers questions from listeners. I’m Mark Eischer. Today we have several questions about marriage and wedding ceremonies.
KLAUS: If It’s OK with you, I’d just as soon start with one of the easy ones.
ANNOUNCER: OK, here’s one: Where in the Bible is it commanded for ministers to perform weddings?
KLAUS: That is easy. The Bible doesn’t command ministers to do that. The Bible commands us to baptize, teach, preach, instruct, administer communion, serve as undershepherds, but we’re not commanded to perform weddings. We’re also not commanded to do funerals, either. Still, both have made their way into the job description of pastors and priests.
ANNOUNCER: How did that come about?
KLAUS: God has an interest in marriage, home, family. It was He who first established that relationship in the Garden of Eden. He put His stamp of approval upon the marriage of Adam and Eve. The Bible doesn’t command us to conduct weddings, but it is a time-honored, and God-blessed tradition.
ANNOUNCER: Now, the second question today: What about a “quickie” Las Vegas wedding in a wedding chapel? Is that legitimate in the eyes of God?
KLAUS: Pay-your-money-and-get-hitched…
ANNOUNCER: … and then go hit the midnight buffet. Sure. Is that legitimate?
KLAUS: Absolutely. The state determines who is authorized to perform a wedding. In the case of a pastor in a church, he is actually serving there in two different roles: he represents the Lord, but he’s also representing the state. Anyone who’s legitimately empowered by the government to perform a wedding can do so. It may be a justice of the peace, a judge, an Elvis impersonator in Las Vegas; it doesn’t matter. The weddings they perform are all legitimate, and recognized as such by the government, the church, and the Lord.
ANNOUNCER: But what about people who get married in a non-church type of ceremony and then later come back to the church and ask for its blessing? If that marriage is already legitimate, why bother to do that?
KLAUS: Well, you know, Mark, there is a spiritual element to a marriage, an aspect that the state really isn’t allowed to acknowledge. Although a church service that consecrates a civil ceremony doesn’t make the marriage any more legal than it already is, it can provide a Godly blessing that might have been lacking in a state-run service.
ANNOUNCER: Which brings us to our last question: what if the state recognized so-called “marriages” other than those between a man and a woman? Would those be legitimate?
KLAUS: That’s the question that makes it into the news. To find an answer to that question, Mark, I am able to go to the Bible and quote chapter and verse. Right at the beginning of time, the Lord defined what marriage would be. Genesis 2:24 says, “For this reason, a man will leave his father and his mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh.” God intended marriage to be the lifelong union of a man and a woman.
ANNOUNCER: So, then, any other type of marriage would be illegitimate?
KLAUS: Well, those kinds of relationships might be recognized and legitimized by a government. Those in authority might say, “Well this didn’t used to be marriage, but now it is.”
ANNOUNCER: But would the church have to recognize such “marriages?”
KLAUS: Not if that church is obeying God rather than man. God’s the author and definer of marriage. Our first loyalty is to Him. The government can’t overrule or redefine the Lord’s concept of marriage as being the lifelong relationship of one man and one woman. At least such a redefinition wouldn’t be legitimate for the Christian community. If you want, I can tell you a story that might help explain.
ANNOUNCER: Sure, everyone loves a story.
KLAUS: During the Civil War, Abraham Lincoln was talking with some folks – not about marriage – but what he said applies. He said, “If you call the tail of a dog a leg, how many legs would a dog have?” The people said, “If we call a dog’s tail a leg, then the dog would have five legs.”
ANNOUNCER: … Which is a logical answer.
KLAUS: Yeah, but it was not the answer Lincoln was looking for. He said, “No, the dog would still have four legs, because calling a tail a leg doesn’t make it so.” Well, the state can try to rename a lot of different relationships as “marriages” but calling them that won’t make it so. A marriage – in God’s eyes – will always consist of one man and one woman. Calling anything else a marriage won’t make it so.
ANNOUNCER: Thank you, Pastor Klaus. And with that we come to the end of our broadcast for another week. We thank you, the listener, for making this program part of your day. If you have questions or comments, please call us at our toll-free number 1-800-876-9880. This has been a presentation of Lutheran Hour Ministries.
Music selections for this program:
“A Mighty Fortress” arranged by John Leavitt. Concordia Publishing House/SESAC
“Let Us All with Gladsome Voice” From And My Mouth Will Declare Your Praise (© 1997 St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, Ft. Wayne, Indiana)
“Now Greet the Swiftly Changing Year” by Jaroslav Vajda and Alfred Fedak. From The Marvel of This Night by the American Kantorei (© 1996 Concordia Publishing House) Concordia Publishing House/SESAC
“Praise to the Lord” by Timothy Albrecht. From Grace Notes by Timothy Albrecht (© 1997 ACA Digital Recording, Inc.) Augsburg-Fortress/SESAC
“In dir ist Freude” by J.S. Bach. From Orgelbüchlein & More Works by J.S. Bach by Robert Clark and John David Peterson (© 1997 Calcante Recordings, Ltd.)