170106-fr-daniel-dries

A sermon preached by the Rev’d Dr Daniel Dries The Epiphany Christ Church St Laurence – 6 January 2017 May the words of my mouth and the meditations of our hearts be acceptable in your sight: O Lord, our strength and our Redeemer. Amen.

From the Second Chapter of the Gospel according to Matthew: When they saw that the star had stopped, they were overwhelmed with joy.

I’m sure that most of you would realise that our much-loved Christmas traditions are a little like a clunky jig-saw puzzle, in which several contrasting episodes have been wedged uncomfortably together. Mark’s Gospel makes no attempt to document the birth of the Christ child, while John speaks of a divine incarnation in mystical and supremely beautiful prose. Christmas cards and nativity scenes rely entirely on the Gospels of Luke and Matthew. Luke presents us with the shepherds; the first visitors to the manger, while Matthew introduces us to the magi—wise men from the east who offered impractical gifts to the unknowing saviour of the nations. There are so many questions we might ask about Matthew’s spectacular, yet mysterious wise men. For example, what do these costly gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh symbolise? Much has been suggested about the meaning of the gifts, while others have reflected at length about when these symbolic gifts were presented.

It is generally accepted that the all-important day of presentation was the 6th of January (or after 12 days had passed, whenever that really was). There is also a theory that the momentous visit occurred 40 days after the birth. Another tradition suggests that a least 2 winters had passed before the so-called wise men managed to find their illusive destination. During this last week, I have been observing the supposed wise men gradually shuffling their way through chancel of this church. I have noted that their sense of direction does not seem to be particularly good, thus giving merit to the theory of a 2-year journey. However, even more concerning in this church; a parish that prides itself on liturgical correctness, is the fact that our wise men seem to have come from the south; something we may have to correct next year. Like so many figures in Scripture, the magi present us with various inconsistencies and unanswered questions. This would be a significant problem if we were committed to a fundamental or literal interpretation.   The Christmas story is full of unanswered questions and inconsistencies. The tradition of the shepherds does not sit well with the tradition of the magi. This is highlighted by the fact that the shepherds have seemingly been knocked out of our crib by the luminaries from the east (or the south in our case). These exclusive visitation rights are also reflected in most renaissance paintings depicting the adoration of the magi.

It seems that shepherds and wise men do not sit well together in this maternity ward. However, it could be argued that the wise men have no right to be there at all. We can focus on their gifts, or the direction and length of their journey, but surely it is more important to ask why supposedly wise and intelligent gentiles or non-Jews would make a dangerous and costly journey to worship a Jewish Messiah? Why on earth would pagan foreigners ‘drop by’ to pay homage to a Jewish King, when his own people have not yet recognised and honoured him. Although they know something of Jewish prophecy, the magi are not qualified to venerate a Jewish messiah. They can’t possibly know who or what they are worshipping.   Page | 1

When they saw that the star had stopped, they were overwhelmed with joy.

In this technological age, we have almost removed all sense of wonder from our world. I confess that I have become one of those tragic people would can’t watch a film without having my mobile phone or iPad close by. As I sit through a film, I know that there will be something about the plot, historical events, or one of the actors that I will simply have to investigate or verify. The magi were men of knowledge, and yet Matthew tells us that they were filled with joy when they were finally able to pay homage to a foreign king—an act that of reverence that, for them, was full of mystery, contradictions and unanswered questions. Surely, this is the meaning of worship—it’s about entering into a great mystery with awe and reverence; humbly accepting that some questions will always remain unanswered. In our world, we may have virtually eradicated our sense of wonder, but we must never attempt to do this in our faith and worship.

A few weeks ago, I entered this church and encountered a conversation between a parishioner and a venerable and well-qualified architect. The architect was correctly suggesting that this church building is now much darker than when it was first built. The suggestion was made that discreet skylights should be put into the ceiling to lighten the nave. The esteemed architect was absolutely correct in the claim that large buildings have robbed this church of its natural light. However, as I pondered this, I quickly came to the conclusion that that’s exactly what I love about this building. It is illuminated for splendid liturgies, but at other times, it is a place of mysterious and reverent darkness. It is also a place that is constantly being visited by those wrestling with unanswered questions about God and the universe. It is a place that its often visited by strangers who dare to wonder.

The magi remind us of the importance of wonder. They were men of knowledge who, just for a moment, entered into a mystery; a mystery that transformed and filled them with joy. This is what we do in the mysterious and reverent liturgies of the church. Although we may be unqualified and unworthy to stand in the presence of true holiness, we dare to enter into a realm of wonder; we dare to accept ambiguity and inconsistency, because something leads us from every direction imaginable, into this divine mystery.  We owe a great deal to Pope Gregory the Great. At the end of the sixth century, Gregory sent another wise man on a dangerous and uncertain journey. Gregory sent Augustine to Britain, with a mission to ‘Christianise’ the pagan people there. Pope Gregory was the leader of a denomination that is not generally known for its love of ambiguity, and yet this visionary pope encouraged wonder and the acceptance of unanswered questions as we dare to approach the divine in our world. Gregory wrote: God never imparts himself as he is to those who contemplate him while still in this mortal life, but he shows forth his brightness scantily to the blinking eyes of our mind.

At the Epiphany, we celebrate an encounter in which the divine presence was revealed with startling clarity to foreigners who dared to wonder. These men of knowledge were transformed by a mystery. How sad it is that our world, and even the church, is increasingly drawn away from wonder and awe. Fortunately, it is not so here. In this dark and mysterious place, we often see rays of sunlight penetrating thick clouds of incense; a dramatic reminder that God continues to break into our world, calling all people to enter into the divine mystery with joy, reverence and wonder.

In the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

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