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Getting our monkeys on the right backSunday, January 4, 2015
Matthew 2:8 Jesus will speak for himself in thirty or so years. "I do not come to bring peace but a sword." And yet, he is constantly healing the wounds of men, physical, mental and spiritual. When Peter cuts off an opponent's ear, Jesus touches him gently and the soldier's ear is restored. Jesus does bring peace, but this is God's peace. There is no co-dependent simpering in the words of Jesus. He is not afraid, and he is not hateful, and he is not angry. Jesus' peace is eyes-wide-open-face-reality peace. When we live as we have been taught and are created to live, we will experience this peace. How often do you wonder whether or not you are exercising appropriate responsibility dealing with the problems in your life? So often those problems stem from the actions and words of others. How much can you do about them? Often ... not much. The magi knew their place. When they had found Jesus and given him the gifts they carried so far, they avoided a second meeting with Herod. They knew that his problem was not their problem, and they could not help him with it. They "departed for their country by another way." Today's psalm asks God to endow the king with this kind of wisdom, so that he will "govern your people with justice and your afflicted ones with judgment" (Psalm 72). In our own lives we need the same wisdom. We can do what we can do. And God will do the rest. In this we have peace. And so, Lord, we open our eyes to your light. Your light has come, the glory of the Lord shines upon Jerusalem, upon all of your children. Nations shall walk by your light and kings by your shining radiance. We raise our eyes and look about, our hearts throb and overflow, and we proclaim the praises of the Lord. All life calls out, "Abba, Father!" |
King Herod simpered at the feet of the wise men of the east. They surely noticed his hypocrisy. But his words, on the face of them, are neither ugly nor fearful. The king wants to honor the Messiah as he is born, acknowledged to be holy from before his birth, during his birth and now after his birth. All he needs is information about his whereabouts.