Questions and no answers

Matthew 2: 1-12 : the questing, seeking ones

 

Matthew’s story of the birth of Jesus has him being born at home in Bethlehem, no mention of a stable, or a census, or a journey, or shepherds. In Matthew’s version the magi are the first people to worship the Christ child.

Luke includes the story of the shepherds – who were a lower status group in the society, as the first to visit and worship the baby Jesus. Matthew has non-Jews as the first to come and worship. The gospel of Matthew starts with the genealogy and finishes with the Great Commission :  Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,  and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age [Matthew 28: 19 -20]

Towards the end of chapter 1 Matthew quotes from Isaiah, saying the name of the child will be Immanuel which means God is with us (Matthew 1:23). ‘Look, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son,     and they shall name him Emmanuel’, which means, ‘God is with us.’

While Matthew is the most Jewish of the gospels, and written for a Jewish audience, it also starts and finishes with a core of inclusivity of all people. Also from the beginning to the end there is this awareness of a God who is always present, always with us. it is like a bookend of God being present and the good news being for all people.

While Matthew quotes extensively from Scripture, which in this case is the old testament, God continues to be involved with the least, with those excluded from society. While it was to be expected that a new King for the Jews would be born in Jerusalem the capital, amongst the rich and the powerful; God's reign shows up and it is the non-Jews who recognise it.

 

The ones from the east came seeking, looking for something new. Most of us don't have the resources to commit to following a quest like the magi did. When we look at the sky at night we might feel insignificant, we might feel a sense of amazement, for some it will be a time of feeling connected to a larger universe; but rarely will it lead us on a great journey.

 

Even though we may not go on this physical quest, many of us will have been on a spiritual quest. A time of seeking something beyond ourselves, a time of being intentional in our desire to be closer to God, or to hear God's call on our life. And at times when we go seeking something, it is the reassurance of the known rather than the new, the unfamiliar that we are looking for.

 

The people who were seeking the new child, the one born to be the King of the Jews, were not Jews. We are told only that they come from the East, the East is where the powerful nations that have conquered Israel and Judah have come from. The ones coming from the east come and ask a question. Now we can think about what a silly question that was - why ask the current king where the new king has been born. These non-Jews came seeking and asking.

While Herod knew nothing of the birth of a new King, his advisers knew the answer to where this child was to be born. Having the answer is not part of the search. The search, the seeking, the quest requires us to ask a question.

 

what is it that motivates us to grow, to search for something different?

 

What might that question be for us today?

 

What role does Jesus play in my life each day?

What is God calling me to do?

Who is God calling me to love?

Where do we see God active in the community and the world around us?

Where is God guiding me to be more involved?

 

You may have a different question that you're being called to consider, knowing the answer is not what challenges us to grow in our faith.

We grow in faith when we ask and embrace the questions of life.

Matthew 2: 13-23  the light has come into the world..

For many people this seems like a strange reading to have as part of the Christmas season. During the Christmas season we like to think of hope, peace, joy and love. We like to think of fun times with family and friends, parties, presents, and lazy summer days [in Australia]. During the four weeks of advent we have looked forward to the birth of Jesus, and looking for signs of his kingdom coming to fruition in our world.

Unfortunately, there are still Herods in our world; people who live by fear, people who use their power to oppress, people who do not value the life of every person.

Jesus is the light of the world, something that we remember at the beginning of each worship service when we light the Christ candle. In a few days it will be the feast of Epiphany, the end of the 12 days of Christmas, the day when we celebrate the life of Christ as a light for the world. Yet here in the midst of the hope of Christmas, the hope and potential of new life, we see that evil still persists.

 

The killing of the children is a reminder of the children who are killed in our world today. Physically killed by violence and poverty, spiritually and emotionally killed by degradation, slavery, and cruelty.

We expect to be safe in our homes, but for many people home is not a safe place. For people in parts of Africa home is not safe because poor sanitation leads to illness and death. In parts of  the middle east and parts of Africa home is not safe because of warfare. In parts of Asia home is not safe because of child trafficking. And in Australia home is not safe because of domestic violence.

 What can we do?

What can we do? It is such a huge issue, and there are no easy answers.

 

It's easy to think that cruelty and oppression are caused by bad people, and that we are good.

“If only it were all so simple! If only there were evil people somewhere insidiously committing evil deeds, and it were necessary only to separate them from the rest of us and destroy them. But the line dividing good and evil cuts through the heart of every human being. And who is willing to destroy a piece of his own heart?”
― Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, The Gulag Archipelago 1918-1956

the line dividing good and evil cuts through the heart of every human being

The light has come into the world, and the darkness has not put it out.

We live in the time between Christ's coming in the fulfilment, the completion of the kingdom of God.

Why was Jesus saved as a child, when so many others were killed.

It's the question that mothers and fathers ask when a child is diagnosed with a terminal illness.

Why is life so unfair?

There are no easy at this is to these questions.

What can we do?

What can we do about oppression, cruelty, child trafficking, slavery?

Maybe we start by recognising when our words and actions oppress others.

Maybe we start by recognising the inherent dignity of each person that we meet.

Maybe we start by sitting with those who grieve, with those who are in pain, not to answer their questions, but to share God's presence with them.