The Lutheran Hour
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"Worry or Worship?"
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Text: Matthew 2:3, 11
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Christ is risen! He is risen, indeed. We ask that this day, the Babe of Bethlehem, the Christ of the cross, the Savior of the empty tomb, will send His Spirit upon us all. May those who know the love of the Lord rejoice that He has come for them; may those who are lost be joined with the wise men and come to worship their newborn King.
People sometimes wonder what pastors talk about when they get together privately. A good many folks believe that preachers immediately delve into some fine theological point, or dive into a discussion of a difficult to decode Greek or Hebrew Scripture. Now, I’m not saying those things don’t happen; they do. But before those deep discussions, pastors usually swap what they call “war stories.”
When I was speaking in Norfolk, Nebraska, last October, a pastor told me a war story which happened during the children’s Christmas service. At most church services, when the pastor looks at his congregation, he sometimes wonders if there hasn’t been an outbreak of sleeping sickness; but at the children’s Christmas service, there is activity. The person responsible for the service is actively trying to get a replacement for the girl who was to play virgin Mary, who came down with the flu an hour before the service was to begin. Parents are active as they give last minute instructions to their little ones: stand up straight; don’t goof around; don’t make faces; don’t push anybody; don’t trip; don’t get dirty; don’t wave; don’t shout out “Hi, grandma!” and don’t pick your nose. Teachers are actively trying to find some small part for the child who hasn’t shown up at any of the Saturday practices, the child whom they haven’t seen since last year’s children’s Christmas service.
Yes, there are differences between the children’s Christmas service and any other worship activity. Seldom, and rightly so, is a pastor blinded by a broadside of flash bulbs as he preaches; nor does he step out of his pulpit to a round of spontaneous applause. He knows that every service should focus attention upon the Savior; the Savior’s birth, His life, His suffering, His death and resurrection, all undertaken to win our salvation. That is certainly not the case of the children’s Christmas service which, more often than not, seems to shine the spotlight on the kids of the congregation and not the baby of Bethlehem. The children of the congregation are all endearing and engaging, but pastors, when they get together, are afraid that, somewhere, the Savior’s story might have been buried under the pomp, the parade, and the production.
Which takes me back to the Norfolk, Nebraska, pastor’s war story. He told me of a five-year-old boy, who having sung his song, and spoken his speech, stopped paying attention to the rest of the service. When the wise men started marching down the center aisle, bringing their gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh, the lad never even noticed. That’s when his teacher, hoping to refocus the boy, leaned over and whispered, “Craig, look! You’re missing it. Here comes the king.” Craig’s head snapped around, glanced at the first of the wise men processing toward the manger and then, with the whisper of a five-year-old, which means the entire church could hear him, commented, “That’s the king? He doesn’t look like Elvis.”
Craig was probably right. The wise men who came to worship the newborn King Jesus, probably didn’t look like Elvis. In truth, we don’t know what they looked like. Amazingly, the Gospel writer Matthew didn’t share with Scripture’s students a great many details about the wise men. Because of their gifts: gold, frankincense, and myrrh, we assume there were three, but we don’t know. We don’t know their names; we don’t know their ages; or their country of origin. We don’t know when they started out, how long before they arrived, or the road that took them back home. We’re pretty sure they didn’t pick up a little drummer boy who played his best for Him, a rum-a-tum-tum. We can be pretty positive they didn’t enlist the company of a crippled shepherd boy by the name of Amahl, who gave his crutch to the Christ Child. There are a lot of things we don’t know about these wise men from the East.
Even worse, much of what we think we know is probably wrong. Really? Yes, really! For example, most people think the wise men showed up with the shepherds on Christmas night. They didn’t. They came sometime later, after Mary and Joseph had moved into a house. Most folks think that before the wise men got to Bethlehem, they made a beeline to Herod’s palace in Jerusalem where they asked, “Where is He who is born King of the Jews?” I don’t know if that’s really all that accurate. Oh, yes, they did stop at the palace; and they did ask the mad monarch about his young rival. But it appears, from reading the text, that the wise men started asking about the newborn king when they first arrived in Jerusalem. Maybe they thought everybody would know where the king was to be found; maybe they thought they might avoid visiting with Herod who was not the most pleasant personality of antiquity. Whatever the motivation of the wise men, it seems they show up at Herod’s palace only after he had been told about their politically incorrect question.
So, what do we know about the wise men? First, we know that their visit was important enough for God to have Isaiah prophesy: “… They shall bring gold and incense; and they shall show forth the praises of the LORD” (Isaiah 60:6). We know that the wise men started out following a star… and we know that star was God’s global positioning system, taking them directly to the place where the newborn king and His parents were living. We know that these wise men, having found Jesus, worshiped Him and gave Him their gifts. We know that these wise men, when they left, were no longer following a star, but were listening to the voice of the Lord.
The unaltered and unadulterated story of the wise men is wonderful, beautiful, captivating to the mind, the imagination, and the heart. Centuries of artists have, in blues, blacks, and bright yellows, shown the astrologers from the east trekking after the leading star; have illustrated these great men bowing down and offering their precious presents to the newborn baby. Nor have hymn writers allowed the picture of the wise men to pass them by. You know the hymn, “We Three Kings of Orient are.” Historically, it’s not a very accurate hymn. They weren’t kings, they weren’t from the Orient, and we don’t know if there were three. Still, it’s one of those hymns which are fun to sing: “Oh-ho, star of… ” (sung). Excuse me, I forgot myself.
Yes, the story of the wise men is wonderful. In their story the Lord says: See My Son? He is not a Savior for the select few. He does not discriminate; He does not differentiate; He does not separate or segregate. My Son has come for underpaid shepherds who are stuck on the night shift, as well as wise men who go first class driving their dromedaries to see the Savior. My Son is the Savior for them and everybody in between. Everybody in between. Jesus is a Savior for sinful souls, a Savior whose sacrifice spans the centuries. Read the histories of His life. You will never find anyone who falls outside the circle of His care and compassion; who is beyond the reach of His cross and crucifixion. He loves those who rejected Him; reaches out to those who would not be gathered; forgives those who have called for His crucifixion; who scoffed and scorned His suffering. Read the Gospels and you, like hundreds of millions of others, will be filled with gratitude for His glorious resurrection from the open and empty tomb. Indeed, the Savior’s vacant sepulcher says that all who believe on Him will have their sins forgiven; will find hope when trouble makes them tremble; will find peace when problems press down; comfort when death sneaks in to steal our friends, to snatch away those closest to our hearts.
Little wonder, the wise men, having found their king; having seen the Savior; having stood in the presence of God’s great gift of grace; made their offerings. How could anyone not say “thank you”? How could anyone not worship Him who saves them from themselves and the worst the world can produce? No one I know. Such ingratitude should be impossible. If I had a doctor who cured my children’s cancer, I would thank him; if I had a friend who gave his life so my wife could live, I would be forever grateful. Well, I have, no, we have a Savior who has defeated death and devil; who has given His life so we could have eternal life. Should we not be grateful to Him? Of course we should.
My friends, two years ago, on The Lutheran Hour I preached about the wise men and how they had followed the star to discover their Savior and forgiveness for their sinful souls. That message was taken and translated into Braille and large print by a wonderful organization called Lutheran Braille Workers. One of those large print editions, by the Holy Spirit’s direction, made it to Uganda where it fell into the hands of a pastor by the name of Patrick Wataika. Five months after that sermon was first preached it was read to Christians in Uganda This is what Pastor Patrick wrote to me: “My church enjoyed reading this so much and it has helped so much. In fact, many have been disturbed, but now, reading this, it has settled their minds and instead they have decided to follow the star. …They are much encouraged.” I was glad Pastor Patrick’s church was encouraged. They needed to be. Pastor Patrick’s church has 231 people; 173 children and 48 mature people. Out of 173 children, 150 are orphans, their parents having died of AIDS, and others in wars.”
When I first read those words, “we are encouraged,” I was stopped cold by the picture Pastor Patrick had painted. I would like you, just for a few moments, to see that same picture. Remove yourself from your situation for a few moments. Stop preparing breakfast for the kids; put down your tools if you’re working on a project; step aside from the football game. Just for a moment take a look at that little church in Uganda. You are at the edge of the clearing… and there, in front of you, less than a block away, is a group of believers. There are 150 children there who have lost their mothers and fathers. Maybe murderers came in the middle of the night and hacked the parents to death; maybe the parents were taken away into the darkness never to be seen again; maybe they just languished away from an illness they could not understand, nor had medicines to cure. Lost, alone, these children are encouraged. Look at the adults. They have survived when family and friends did not. Committed to the cause of Christ they are committed to caring for the Savior’s children: 50 adults responsible for their own children and for 150 more. Disturbing, distressing, demoralizing? Not for them. The reading of a sermon, preached months before, written for a culture far removed from their own, they are encouraged. They see the newborn Savior; they stand before His cross; they look into His grave. This entire church of mourners have, by the Spirit’s power, been encouraged. Those without a home are encouraged; those without a family are encouraged; those who don’t know where their next meal is coming from are encouraged. Even more than being encouraged, they are saved. That is what happens when you join with the wise men, come to the Savior, and worship Him who has been born your King, your Savior, your Lord.
Well, actually, that is what should happen. It should happen, but it doesn’t always. If you read the second chapter of the Gospel of Matthew, that’s the place where the story of the wise men is found, you will find another reaction. Scripture says, “Wise men from the east came to Jerusalem, saying, ‘Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we saw His star when it rose and have come to worship Him.’ When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.” Now I can understand why Herod was troubled. Herod was an old man, sick in mind, body, and soul. To protect his throne, he had killed his favorite wife, a high priest, some of his sons, and an assortment of lesser personalities. Herod was an earthly king, with an earthly focus on earthly power. He would not, could not, understand any ruler like Jesus, whose kingdom was not of this world. Because Herod was that kind of man; monster, if you prefer; you can understand why, when the wise men showed up in the palace asking about his successor, or even worse, his legitimate replacement, Herod was troubled. You can understand why he kicked his devious nature into high gear and laid plans to put away the person he felt was a pretender to his throne. I don’t agree with Herod, but I understand him.
It is far harder for me to understand the reactions of the others. Remember what it said, Herod was troubled “and all Jerusalem with him.” Why would all of Jerusalem be troubled? Why should the priests and Bible scholars be troubled? They knew the prophecies about the Messiah. Did they worry about job security? Why was the average Joe and Jane on the street troubled? It wasn’t that they had an all-consuming love for Herod or the Romans. On the contrary, most of the time they were ready to follow anybody who would lead a revolt against their oppressing leaders. Were they afraid that Herod might act with brutal and bloodthirsty retribution upon the newborn King? If they were troubled about Herod’s actions, history shows they were justified. Still, without a newborn in your home, you were safe. Why was all of Jerusalem troubled?
I’ve thought about that a long time. I’ve read the commentaries. I’ve got an answer, and my answer is this: I don’t know. If I knew, I might be able to understand why, like King Herod, some contemporary governments do all they can to legislate against the Christ and His kingdom that is not of this world. If I knew I might be able to figure out why so many present-day rulers prohibit worship of the Savior and persecute those faithful who do. If I knew why the people of Jerusalem were troubled, I might be able to understand why so many colleges allow studies on every religion under the sun, but refuse classes on the Son of God. If I knew I might be able to understand why atheists and agnostics who are sure there is no Redeemer spend so much time attacking someone they are positive doesn’t exist. I might be able to understand why comedians who disavow sin and the Savior find such delight in demeaning the Divinity and the grace that He gives so freely. Why was Jerusalem troubled? I don’t know. If I did, I might be able to understand why the Bible is prohibited in schools but can be found in jail cells; why morality is discussed so publicly and at such great length on Capitol Hill, but is practiced so poorly in smoke-filled back rooms and in private living.
I don’t know why the people of Jerusalem were troubled. More importantly, I’m not sure why you are troubled about the Christ. … That was a long pause, wasn’t it? Too long, I think. To those of you who don’t have Jesus as your Savior, may I make a guess at what you were thinking just now? You were saying to yourself, “I’m not troubled about Christ; I don’t hate Him. In fact, I don’t give Him a moment’s thought.” Am I right? Am I close to what you were thinking? Years ago, a man, a survivor of the Nazi death camps, said, “The opposite of love is not hate; it is indifference” (Elie Wiesenthal, (U.S. News and World Report, 17 October 1986). May I suggest the opposite of loving the Savior is not hating Him… it is being indifferent to Him. In fact, God would prefer you be cold to His Son rather than being lukewarm (see Revelation 3:16). Whichever your feeling, hatred or indifference, I ask, “Why? What is the base of your knowledge?”
What argument do you bring forward which is so incontrovertible that you are convinced there is no Divinity, no God concerned about your life and your immortal soul? Where do you get the self-assurance to say, “There is no place like hell; and if there is, my life is such that I will not go there”? Who is the authority in your life so incontrovertible that it can cancel out the commandments; challenge the cross; contradict the Christ; and without any proof or evidence whatsoever, try to put Jesus back into His empty tomb? How can you be indifferent? Today the Holy Spirit invites you to join with the wise men and worship the King; your King who gave His life for your life; who grants forgiveness for all who need forgiving; who promises heaven to all whom He would pull back from hell. Today the Spirit invites you to see your Savior. If that happens, I will finally know what the wise men looked like. They’ll look like you. Don’t say no to the Holy Spirit. Be wise, follow the Savior, call us at The Lutheran Hour. Amen.
LUTHERAN HOUR MAILBOX (Questions & Answers) for January 7, 2007
TOPIC: How to Get Rid of a Minister (revised 11-8)ANNOUNCER: Now, Pastor Ken Klaus answers questions from listeners. I’m Mark Eischer.
KLAUS: The New Year is already a week old, Mark. What uplifting and bright topic do you have to start us out with a smile?
ANNOUNCER: With a smile… well, we have this note, from anonymous. It reads, “Nobody at our church likes the minister. How can we get rid of him?”
KLAUS: We’re going to have to talk about the meaning of “bright and uplifting.” Does the listener give any reason why they dislike the pastor so much?
ANNOUNCER: Would that make any difference?
KLAUS: It just might. You know, just about every ministry goes through cycles. There is the time that you can’t seem to do anything wrong. That’s usually at the beginning, when they don’t know you. Then there is the time when you can’t do anything right.
ANNOUNCER: When they think they know you.
KLAUS: Exactly. Then comes the time when things sort of fall into place and a minister starts to do some very special ministry. Of course, it can be that things fall out of place and the preacher does some special ministry by leaving town.
ANNOUNCER: So, seriously, what should a congregation do?
KLAUS: Mark, I remember reading years ago about representatives of a congregation who went and complained to a denominational official. They, too, wanted to get rid of their pastor.
ANNOUNCER: What happened?
KLAUS: The official asked for some time to think about it. Eventually he wrote back to the people with this advice. He said: “Look the pastor straight in the eye while he’s preaching and, every once in a while nod your head in agreement. You’ll get rid of him because he’ll preach himself to death.”
ANNOUNCER: That’s not bad advice.
KLAUS: Yes, but the denominational official wasn’t done. He continued: “Pat your pastor on the back and brag about what he’s doing right and he’ll work himself to death.” The advice continued: “Ask the pastor for some job to do, some delinquent person you’d like to bring back to church; your pastor will die of shock.” Then there was the last suggestion. He said: “Get the church to pray for the pastor every time he preaches and the Lord will use him so effectively that a larger church will eventually take him off your hands.”
ANNOUNCER: All in all, that’s a very clever answer.
KLAUS: I can’t take credit for coming up with that, but you’re right. Mark, clergy people have good days and bad; strengths and weaknesses. And shame on you folks who were saying, ours is all bad and big weaknesses all the time. They are human. They have shortcomings. Contrary to the way the clergy is often depicted in the media, the vast majority of pastors and priests are honest and honorable. They do their best to serve the Lord and the people the Lord has given them to serve. Sadly, a lot of folks aren’t willing to overlook those human weaknesses and bad days. They expect their clergy to walk on water, even when the pond isn’t frozen. It would be a blessed thing if people would cut them some slack.
ANNOUNCER: You seem pretty intense about that.
KLAUS: Well, I am. But the intensity comes from personal experience. A good many years ago, I was working about 18-20 hour days. And even so, things weren’t working. The sermons were flat. Well, some of the lay leaders came in and said, “Pastor, things aren’t working. Your sermons are flat.” “I know. I know.” That was what was running through my mind. I thought they might try to get rid of me. They tried something different. Rather than telling me to move on, they said, “We want you to know, pastor, every time you are in the pulpit, at least two or three of us will be in the back room praying for you and God’s message.”
ANNOUNCER: And how did it go?
KLAUS: You know, Mark, the knowledge that those folks were behind me and not against me, that they believed in the Lord’s work to go that extra mile, that they were willing to pray for me was a very powerful force. The Lord, and their prayers, changed things. From that moment on, things did a 180-degree reversal. I didn’t necessarily work any harder, indeed I probably worked less. But there was a change. There was a fellowship, a caring, a love, a trust that hadn’t been there before. We became pastor and parish working together in sharing the Savior’s story of salvation. We weren’t any longer competitors in conflict. We saw a wonderful, God-given change.
So, my answer is this: Before you try to get rid of your pastor, try, for six months… try to do for him what my leaders once did for me. Organize some people, see your pastor and let him know you’re going to pray for the success of the Lord, His Word, the congregation, and him. It could make a great difference.
ANNOUNCER: Thank you, Pastor Klaus. This has been a presentation of Lutheran Hour Ministries.
“A Mighty Fortress” arranged by John Leavitt. Concordia Publishing House/SESAC
“As With Gladness Men of Old” arranged by Walter Pelz. From Hymns for All Saints: Advent, Christmas, Epiphany (© 2005 Concordia Publishing House/SESAC)
“O Morning Star, How Fair and Bright” by J.S. Bach. From The Wind of Heaven by K. Lee Scott (© 1991 K. Lee Scott – VQR Digital, Needham MA)