Seeking Jesus

It’s a Journey

Romans 12:1 NRSV

1 I appeal to you therefore, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.

Today is Epiphany. Did anyone wake up this morning and have an epiphany? What is an epiphany?

The word ‘epiphany’ is used to describe the moment when you have a sudden realization, and you become conscious of something very important for you. Epiphany is a sudden conscious realization of reality due to some event that is simple and striking.

The wisemen had one of these experiences that inspired them to go on a long journey to seek the one who is born King of the Jews, so they can pay him homage.

To pay him homage, or worship him is best defined by Romans 12:1 it is why we have all gathered here this morning, and it is why the wisemen are in Jerusalem seeking Jesus.

We can learn a few things from the wisemen. One, those we least expect still seek Jesus. Two, Jesus is found in the least expected places. Three, they seek to pay him homage.

As we journey with the wisemen may God raise up epiphany moments in each of us today.

Pay Him Homage

Hebrews 11:6 NRSV

6 And without faith it is impossible to please God, for whoever would approach him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.

Matthew’s gospel captures the story of the wisemen. There has been much speculation in where exactly they’ve come from, and just how many there are. Tradition tells us three but the text from Matthew doesn’t specify.

What matters in the story of the wisemen isn’t exactly where they came from or how many there were. What matters is that non Jews, those people wouldn’t expect, have come on a long journey seeking the one who is born King of the Jews, so that they may pay him homage.

Pay him homage or worship him shows up 3 times in the text. Twice with the wisemen, once Herod states he too would like to pay him homage.

Feasting on the Word: Preaching the Revised Common Lectionary: Year A, Volume 1 Homiletical Perspective

Paying homage to Christ gives the story its purpose, its direction, and its culmination.

Feasting on the Word: Preaching the Revised Common Lectionary: Year A, Volume 1 Homiletical Perspective

The word, proskyneō in Greek, is translated by the NRSV as “pay him homage.”

Feasting on the Word: Preaching the Revised Common Lectionary: Year A, Volume 1 Homiletical Perspective

proskyneō was commonly used to describe the custom of prostrating oneself at the feet of a king. The physical posture dramatically expresses the idea of giving not just gifts, but our entire selves to Christ.

Those seeking to pay Christ homage were people we’d least expect. The wisemen were astrologers from the east. Some have speculated that perhaps they came from the area of Babylon, Isaiah’s prophecy seems to suggest they came from Sheba. Where they came from isn’t important here. What is important is people we’d least expect, came seeking Jesus.

They show up in Jerusalem in Herod’s palace. Where you would expect to find a king asking for directions.

Herod’s desire to pay him homage.

Feasting on the Word: Preaching the Revised Common Lectionary: Year A, Volume 1 Homiletical Perspective

However, Herod’s claim that he wants to pay homage to the child is more than a ruse. It is a piece of irony that communicates the earthshaking character of Matthew’s story. The irony is that Herod unknowingly states what in truth he needs to do. The despot who rules by violence and fear needs to prostrate himself before the power of compassion and justice, needs to give himself entirely to the grace that is incarnate in the child whom the magi are seeking.

The wisemen are given directions to where the Messiah was to be born.

They continue their journey, and the star they had been following stopped over the place where Jesus was. When they saw the star they were filled with joy. They entered the house and saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down to pay him homage. They first presented their lives, then they gave their gifts of gold frankincense and myrrh.

Feasting on the Word: Preaching the Revised Common Lectionary: Year A, Volume 1 Homiletical Perspective

The order of actions, homage first and gifts second, is significant. Gift giving can be a way of controlling others. If the first thing the magi do is present their gifts, then it might seem that they are in command of the situation. There they would stand with precious goods in their outstretched hands. They would appear like rulers presenting treasures to each other on a state occasion while meeting in the middle of a ceremonial room, each of them on their feet and facing the other, in order to indicate their parity with one another. That is not the case with the magi. They express their relationship to Christ by kneeling and homage to him. First, homage. First, worship. First, giving themselves utterly and completely to Christ. Then, offering their regal gifts. It turns out that the magi’s fourth gift, paying homage to Christ, is in fact their first gift. What is ours?

Still Seeking Jesus

Seeking Jesus is a journey. We all gathered here today to pay him homage. There’s a bumper sticker I sometimes see that says wisemen still seek him. Even today there are still unexpected people beginning a journey, seeking Jesus to pay him homage.

We have gathered this morning to present our lives as a gift, our spiritual act of worship, to our Lord Jesus Christ. As the church we need to be the modern day manger scene. Where others who are seeking Jesus can come to pay him homage.

As we continue our journey together seeking Jesus, may Leicester church of the Nazarene be a place where those seeking Jesus, find him and pay him homage.