'And they brought unto him also infants, that he would
touch them: but when his disciples saw it, they rebuked them. But Jesus called
them unto him, and said suffer little children to come unto me, and forbid them
not; for of such is the kingdom
of God. Verily I say unto
you, whosoever shall not receive the kingdom
of God as a little child
shall in no wise enter therein.'
The disciples might have a
reasonable excuse for repulsing the mothers of these children. They knew
perhaps that it was the habit of women in that land to bring infants to an
enchanter, that he might, by his word, or his touch, work a charm on them,
which would drive off some disease, or secure them against disease. Their
Master was no such enchanter; let not these ignorant people fancy that He was.
So far well. A desire to honour the truthfulness of Jesus may have been mixed
with their severity. But there mixed with it another element; one of pride in
them selves, not of reverence to Him.
‘We are men; we ' can
understand His parables; we can listen to His commands; what can these infants
do? ‘Here is that vanity of consciousness to which I referred just now ; the
secret thought — ' He is our King because we are capable of choosing Him as our
King. He ' has come to save us who are so good or so fortunate as to accept
Him.' Bring out the thought clearly, and the conscience of those who confess a
Christ shrinks from it; but it is not brought out clearly; it puts on cunning
disguises.
The simple words, 'Suffer
little children to come unto me, and forbid them not, for of such is the kingdom of God,' have done more to strip off the
disguises than all arguments. They have been owned as royal words. 'These
children are mine. Whatever you may think of them, I claim them. For your faith
does not make me your Lord. You do not elect me to be a Sovereign. If I am not
King over children, I am not King over men. If you do not receive me as
children—because you are 'weak, because you cannot depend on yourselves—your
faith is a contradiction. You do not mean ' what you say when you ask me to be
merciful to you as sinners. That prayer is a petition to be treated as
children; to be guided by the Divine Spirit because you cannot guide
yourselves.’
It is on this ground, my friends, and not on
any school reasoning, that the Church rests her Infant Baptism. Those who
object to us for treating it as a charm should be listened to with all respect.
That is a great offence against Christ. But this Baptism has been a witness for
the Son of Man and the universality of His kingdom, like no other. It has
taught parents that to bring children into the world is not a horrible crime.
It has led them to see Christ and His redemption of humanity through all the
mists of our teachings and our qualifications. It has explained the nature of
His Kingdom to the hearts of the poorest. Christ has preached at the fonts,
when we have been darkening counsel in pulpits.
Christmas has always been my favorite time of year and so
there has always been something disappointing about this time of year for me.
After all the preparation, feasting, and visiting with family and friends, the
Christmas season is finally coming to close. The Christmas tree is dismantled
and taken down, and the lights and decorations packed away.It will now be an entire year before the
festivities begin again. Christmas seems an almost magical season full of Joy
and hope, but it doesn’t last. Soon everything returns to normal as if nothing
has happened. Christmas is over, but the winter has really just begun.
I’m sure I am not the only way who feels this way. Elvis
Presley asks in his popular song,
Oh,
why can't every day be like Christmas?
Why
can't that feeling go on endlessly?
For
if every day could be just like Christmas
What
a wonderful world this would be.
Perhaps that is the problem, though: we are trying
desperately to hold on to a feeling when what we need to do is anchor ourselves
in the fact of Christmas. Feelings are elusive; they come and go, but the fact
is that everything really is different because of Christmas day.
Although the song of Angels and that child born in a manger
that winter night seem only a pleasant dream that we have awaken from, they are
in fact more real than what we ordinarily take for reality. These are the
indications of a reality hoped for but not seen. However, we live by faith and
not by sight.
Christmas is followed by Epiphany, a season too often lost
between the festivities of Christmas and the marathon of Lent, Holy Week, and
Easter. It is, however, an important reminder as we trudge through the
bitterness of winter that seems to last forever. What is it all about? The word
“Epiphany” means “manifestation” or “appearance.” It connotes a flash of light,
a sudden insight or perception into things hidden. In the church, it marks the
celebration of those moments in the earthly life of Jesus in which we are given
a glimpse of his glory and divinity. These are moments of assurance of the fact
of Christmas, that God is with us and has lived among us.
Our celebration of Epiphany begins tonight with the
commemoration of one such moment in particular. The journey of the Magi—also
known as the Three Kings or Wise Men—their visitation of the home of Joseph and
Mary, and their adoration of the Christ Child.
This scene has captivated the imagination of people for
centuries. It has been much celebrated in art, literature, popular culture, and
Christmas kitsch. Our gospel reading tonight tells us very little about these
foreign dignitaries. It doesn’t even tell us how many they were, let alone
their names. Tradition, however, has solidified their number at three, no doubt
because of the three gifts mentioned, although some eastern Churches—the Syrian
Church in particular—number them as many as twelve! Our tradition in The West has
also given us three names: Caspar, Melchior, and Balthazar. Who were these men
and why is their visit so significant?
It is important for us to understand that these men were not
Jews but were Gentiles from far off nations. The term Matthew uses, Magi,
refers to a priestly caste from the Old Persian Empire particularly renowned
for their knowledge of astrology, which was highly regarded in the ancient
world. Their identification as Kings comes from Psalm 72, which we just read,
which refers to kings bowing down before the Messiah and paying him tribute.
Once again, tradition identifies Caspar as a king of India, Melchoir as a king
of Persia, and Balthazar as a king of Arabia.
The prophet Isaiah also predicted the journey of these
illustrious guests. In our reading today, he writes, “Nations shall come to
your light and kings to the brightness of your dawn.” Reference is even made to
the gifts they will bring in tribute.
He writes, “A multitude of camels shall cover you, the young
camels of Midian and Ephah; all those from Sheba shall come. They shall bring
gold and frankincense, and shall proclaim the praise of the LORD.”
You may be thinking, “Isaiah mentions Gold and Frankincense,
but what about the Myrrh?” The Gold reveals to us that the baby in the manger
is a king, Frankincense--a herb commonly used for divine worship—revels to us
that he is God incarnate, but Matthew includes the third gift Myrrh to reveal
that this child was born to die. Myrrh was an aromatic resin commonly used to
prepare the dead for burial. Matthew here is foreshadowing the fact that Jesus
will suffer death for our redemption, an event which was also foretold by
Isaiah in another place where he speaks of a suffering servant who will redeem
Israel.
The Lordship and divinity of Jesus is revealed in this scene,
but something more as well. The further significance of this moment is
proclaimed by Saint Paul in our Epistle reading tonight. He speaks of a mystery
hidden for generations but revealed in Christ. “In former generations this
mystery was not made known to humankind, as it has now been revealed to his
holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit,” he writes, “that is, that the
Gentiles have become fellow heirs, members of the same body, and sharers in the
promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.”
The advent of Israel’s God as King and redeemer is good news
not only for Israel but the whole world. The inclusion of the Gentiles in the
covenant was not an addition made at some later time, but rather it was God’s
plan from the very beginning. Israel was called by God for the sake of the
world.
God is more than a tribal deity narrowly associated with one
particular people in one specific location, rather he is the one God of heaven
and Earth, the universal Father of all humanity who created us to be his sons
and daughters and has come to claim us as his children in Jesus Christ. Jesus
was born to destroy the dividing wall of hostility that separates nation from
nation and unite us all in one body.
Not only was Jesus the long awaited messiah of Jewish people,
he was the one that every nation had been longing for. As the true light that
enlightens all who comes into the world, Jesus is the truth that every
religious system—however incompletely—is straining towards. Although God
revealed himself to Israel in a unique way and called them to be his covenant
people, the Magi show us that there were sincere seekers after God outside of
Israel as well. Jesus’ birth is good news for them, too.
All of humanity has suffered under the anxiety of how it can
find the mercy and favor of God. We have lived as exiles from our true identity
and calling as his children and heirs of his promise. The message of the Gospel
is that, apart from anything we have done, God has redeemed us in Christ and
made us his own. He has declared peace to us on whom his favor rest.
Far too often we fail to recognize this proclamation of
reconciliation or to receive it as good news for us. The weight of our sins and
the reality of continuing estrangement weighs heavily upon us. God’s love does
not feel real to us. Winter is long, and it feels as if the sun will never
return to warm the earth. In those rare moments, however, the clouds parts and
we realize the sun is always shinning even if it is hidden from our eyes.
We who have seen this light and received this truth have a
job to do. God has called us to be heralds of this good news to all the world. Jesus
is Lord and he has made peace through the blood of his cross. Let us not grow slack, but encourage one
another. We have boldness and confidence through faith in him. Arise, shine;
for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD has risen upon you. Let all
the nations be glad and Kings come to the brightness of his glory!
“What’s in a name? That which we
call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet.”These are well known words spoken by the
heroine of Shakespeare’s famous play “Romeo and Juliet.” Despite Juliet’s
eloquent objection, the fact is that names mean quite a lot. They have the
power to shape and determine our destiny. She is a Capulet, he a Montague. They
are star-crossed lovers from the very beginning. Their love can end only in
tragedy.
For ancient people, and the Hebrews
in particular, names carried a significance even beyond family and reputation.
A name was meant to capture the very nature and essence of the person or thing
named. Often times, a person will receive a new name at significant milestones
or periods of transformation in their life.When God appeared to Moses in the burning bush and Moses asked him what
his name was, he was not merely asking, “What shall I call you,” he was asking,
“Who are you? What are you like?” God answers that he is the god of his
ancestors, Yahweh, which means “I am who I am.”
For the ancient Hebrew authors of the Old Testament, the divine name was endued
with great power and had a greatness in itself, being almost an entity to
itself, existing alongside the divine person, so that the prophet Isaiah could
write, “Behold, the name of the Lord cometh from far, burning with His anger,
and the burden thereof is heavy; His lips are full of indignation and His
tongue as a devouring fire.” It was even said that the Name resided in the
Temple of the Lord (1 Kings 8:29).
All of which brings us to the Holy
Name of Jesus which we celebrate today. Mary and Joseph didn’t pick Jesus’ name
from a book because they thought it sounded pretty. This was the name chosen
for him by God. It was communicated to the Mary by the Angel Gabriel who told
her, “You are to give him the name Jesus.”
The name Jesus, an English
translation of the Greek transcription of the Hebrew Yeshua, itself contains the divine name, it means “the salvation of
Yahweh” or “Yahweh is salvation.”
It is actually a version of the
Hebrew name Joshua, who was the Patriarch who lead the people of Israel in
victory into the promise land. When the Angel appeared to Joseph, he told him
also that the child was to be named Jesus, “for he shall save his people from
their sins.” The name Jesus tells us from the very beginning who this child is
and for what purpose he was born.
Luke’s Gospel tells us that Jesus
was officially given his name on the occasion of his circumcision eight days
after his birth. The Church fathers see much significance in this fact. Jesus’
circumcision is the first blood that he shed for our redemption. Christ fulfills
the righteousness of the law in being circumcised on behalf. Bede writes, “After
Jesus’ circumcision, the rite is abolishedby the introduction of baptism of which circumcision was a type. For
this reason we are no longer circumcised.” Indeed Saint Paul writes,
“In Christ you were also
circumcised with a circumcision not performed by human hands. Your whole self
ruled by the flesh was put off when you were circumcised by Christ, having been buried with him in baptism, in
which you were also raised with him through your faith in the working of God,
who raised him from the dead.”
Jesus’ circumcision on the eighth day symbolizes, new creation and new life in
him. Even as an infant he is our
redeemer and he is fittingly named for that fact.
The name of Jesus is filled with
wonder working power because it is the promise and seal of our redemption. As
Saint Peter said, “there is no other name under heaven given among men by which
we must be saved.” Paul also confirms this in our reading today. He says, “God
also highly exalted him and gave him the name that is above every name, so that
at the name of Jesus every knee should bend, in heaven and on earth and under
the earth.”
Jesus promised us that whatever we
ask in his name will be given us. There is power in this name. It has been
known to heal the sick and drive out demons. The name of Jesus is a comfort and
a light to those lost in darkness. From the earliest days of the church, the
mere invocation of this name has been seen as a prayer in itself. Saint Bernard writes,
"The
sweet Name of Jesus produces in us holy thoughts, fills the soul with noble
sentiments, strengthens virtue, begets good works, and nourishes pure affections.
All spiritual food leaves the soul dry, if it contain not that penetrating oil,
the Name Jesus…Jesus is honey in our mouth, light in our eyes, a flame in our
heart. This name is the cure for all diseases of the soul. Are you troubled?
think but of Jesus, speak but the Name of Jesus, the clouds disperse, and peace
descends anew from heaven. Have you fallen into sin? so that you fear death?
invoke the Name of Jesus, and you will soon feel life returning. No obduracy of
the soul, no weakness, no coldness of heart can resist this holy Name; there is
no heart which will not soften and open in tears at this holy name. Are you
surrounded by sorrow and danger? invoke the Name of Jesus, and your fears will
vanish."
I pray that you would call upon his
name often, meditate on it, and delight in it. This name is God’s gift to us.
Come, let us bless his holy name!
