Christmas on Your Knees

Matthew 2:1-12

Christmas Eve

December 24, 2019

William G. Carter

In the time of King Herod, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, asking, “Where is the child who has been born king of the Jews? For we observed his star at its rising, and have come to pay him homage.” When King Herod heard this, he was frightened, and all Jerusalem with him; and calling together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born. They told him, “In Bethlehem of Judea; for so it has been written by the prophet: ‘And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for from you shall come a ruler who is to shepherd my people Israel.’” Then Herod secretly called for the wise men and learned from them the exact time when the star had appeared. Then he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, “Go and search diligently for the child; and when you have found him, bring me word so that I may also go and pay him homage.”

When they had heard the king, they set out; and there, ahead of them, went the star that they had seen at its rising, until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw that the star had stopped, they were overwhelmed with joy. On entering the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother; and they knelt down and paid him homage. Then, opening their treasure chests, they offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they left for their own country by another road.

There are two Christmas stories in the Bible: Luke’s story and Matthew’s story. Luke tells his story among the poor. Matthew sets his story among the rich and powerful. According to Luke, Mary and Joseph are displaced in a peasant home, with no available guest room. Matthew begins with a palace. For Luke, the first circle around the child includes shepherds, unnamed and largely insignificant in their society. Matthew gives a name: King Herod, and points to the chief priests of the Jerusalem temple, the scribes who guarded the scriptures of the nation, and the unusual visitors from a far-off land who travel with wealth. The contrast couldn’t be greater.

Each of the Christmas stories reveals the larger theme of the Gospel writer. Luke speaks of Jesus as a prophet for the people. He comes to lift up those under foot. He pays attention to those too frequently overlooked. He speaks up on behalf of the last, the least, and the lost. Every day he rescues the Misfit Toys and gives them a home. Jesus comes for all the people, especially the forgotten people.

Matthew would agree with all of this, but he sees this as an issue of authority. That’s one of his favorite words: authority. Jesus teaches with authority, unlike the Jerusalem scribes. He heals with authority, unlike the healers of his day. At the end, he stands tall on the top of a mountain and declares, “All authority on heaven and earth has been given to me.” It’s no wonder that those in power shake in their boots.

King Herod is nervous. He doesn’t have to be. He could choose to ignore those strange stargazers who knock at the door of the palace. Everybody knows that if you have been chasing after a star, the directions will be vague. Those odd wise men don’t know where they are going. They are not Jews. They aren’t looking for a Messiah. Herod could brush off the whole business, snatch their gold, and send them back to Persia.

But he doesn’t do that. Herod has a crown, but he is not the king. He may live in a palace, but he doesn’t rule over very much. He has subjects beneath him and can enforce his will, but he has no real power over them. The historical record of King Herod is clear: he was a terrible person. Arrogant and vain, unfaithful to multiple wives, demanding loyalty but never showing loyalty, suspicious to a fault – Matthew says he may be the king, but he’s not really the king.

Herod knows all of this in the pit of his stomach. Pushed to extremity, he is forced to ask the Bible scholars, “Where is Messiah supposed to be born?”

Meanwhile, wise men from the East are asking, “Where’s the king? The newborn king? The real king? Where is the One who rightfully deserves our hearts?”

That’s the big question in the Gospel of Matthew: where is the true king?  After Jesus is baptized, he faces three temptations about power. Does he have the power to feed the hungry by using magic tricks? Does he have the power to command the angels to catch him when he jumps? And the big one, for Matthew: does he have the power to claim all the nations without giving himself in self-sacrificial love? Jesus sees each temptation for what it is and refuses it. He refuses to misuse his power to only benefit himself.  

You see, that’s what the kings of the world do not understand. The truly powerful Ruler is the One who gives himself away for the benefit of all. The King from heaven gives and does not grab. He offers and does not plunder. He rules with justice, multiplies the nation, and increases its joy. He is Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace – and the prophet says, “his authority shall grow continually.”

According to Matthew, the Christmas question is “Whose world is this?” Does this world belong to King Herod and all his counterfeit imitators? Or does it belong to King Jesus? This is an either-or question, not a both-and. We can’t have it both ways.

The Christ who is born in Bethlehem is remarkably different from King Herod who sits nervously in his palace. Just remember what he will teach one day from the top of a mountain:

• Be reconciled to one another rather than live in anger and insult (5:21-26).
• Pursue the truth and forego empty promises (5:33-37).
• Give abundantly and refuse to be a victim (5:38-43).
• Love all people, even your enemies, and work for their benefit (5:43-48).
• Don’t worry (6:25-33), don’t judge (7:1-5), don’t stop forgiving (6:14-15).
• Pray to God who rules over all. Live by God’s will rather than your own. (6:9-10)

The True King has been born among us. This is the Good News of Christmas. His birth frees us from the counterfeit dominions of the world. It’s refreshing, even life-giving. As a sign of this, the wise men fall to their knees. They bow down to honor him.

From the treasures entrusted to them, they give gold worthy of the Infant King. They offer incense, for this King is worthy to respond to their prayers. They bring the bitter perfume of myrrh, not only because a King like Jesus unsettles the powers on earth, but because this Christ offers life to all through his sacrificial death.

In the middle of it all, they offer one thing more. Notice what it is? Joy. They are “overwhelmed with joy.” They bend their knees in joy. All the promises that there is holiness in the heavens are revealed in the Infant King. All the hopes that there truly can be love and justice on earth are unveiled by this Vulnerable Child, and He alone has the authority to direct the stars in the sky.

So tonight, let the joy break forth like light in the darkness. We are not forgotten. Nor have we been abandoned to the worst of our human impulses. Christ the King has come. Everything can be different now.

“For a child has been born for us, a son given to us; authority rests upon his shoulders; and he is named Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. His authority shall grow continually, and there shall be endless peace for the throne of David and his kingdom.” Merry Christmas!

(c) William G. Carter.  All rights reserved.