What's With Lent Anyway?

 Christianity is responsible for many of the most popular holidays in the West. One TOP TEN list ranks these as:

1. Sunday (The Lord's Day) Most observed.Thank Christians for the end of the weekend!
2. Christmas- Many folks' favorite holiday!
3. Halloween (All Hallows Eve)- Yes, it has Christian roots.
4. Easter Day- chocolate makers "Black Sunday"
5. St Valentines Day- originally remembering a martyr, now romance!
6. St Patrick's Day- The gift of the Irish to beer makers!
7. Mardi Gras (Fat Tuesday)- originally a therapeutic letting off steam before the austerity of Lent.
8. Good Friday
9. St Andrews Day (More in Scotland & Eastern Europe)
10. Epiphany (more in Europe than the US)

- Source: http://listverse.com/2012/11/04/top-10-christian-feasts-you-probably-celebrate/

The Christian Calendar is structured around "Feasts" and "Fasts". Americans will note that we would call some of the "Feasts" listed above "party days."

While Ash Wednesday has seen an increase in interest recently, Lent - a whole Fast Season - has gone the way of most Christian seasons in practice- being reduced to a single day: Ash Wednesday (preceded by a big party- Mardi Gras.) 

Beyond that, the actual observance has arguably been shifted from the original Biblically inspired 40 days, to the six intervening Sundays- which have become a hybrid of the Feast Day Our Lord Jesus Christ, sprinkled through with Lenten practices of perhaps more focused confession and the elimination of "alleluias". We might call this "Lent Lite."

I the interest of full disclosure, Jesus seemed to like a good party- or at least he was accused of that by his detractors. And, it should be also noted that his disciples did not fast, as John the Baptist's did, and were criticized for it. So, in those ways, our current practices are consistent with Jesus'.

The creation of the season of Lent resulted from the realization that experiencing Resurrection requires practice and preparation. You simply don't get to Resurrection without it. And the single most important focus is self-denial. This goes beyond repentance and penitence. Our sense of personal sin can become self-reinforcing if we live with a constant focus on it.

The antidote is focusing on God, and serving others.

Following Jesus' teaching in the sermon on the mount- the Gospel reading appointed for the Ash Wednesday service- the church has identified three main practices that especially leading up to Easter will form us as disciples of Christ, and prepare us to experience Resurrection: prayer, fasting and alms-giving.

Here is Jesus teaching:

Alms-giving:

“Beware of practicing your piety before others in order to be seen by them; for then you have no reward from your Father in heaven.

“So whenever you give alms, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, so that they may be praised by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward. But when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your alms may be done in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.- Matt. 6: 1-4 NRSV

Prayer:

“And whenever you pray, do not be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, so that they may be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward. But whenever you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

“When you are praying, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do; for they think that they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.

“Pray then in this way:

Our Father in heaven,

    hallowed be your name.

    Your kingdom come.

    Your will be done,

        on earth as it is in heaven.

    Give us this day our daily bread.

    And forgive us our debts,

        as we also have forgiven our debtors.

    And do not bring us to the time of trial,

        but rescue us from the evil one.

For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you; but if you do not forgive others, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. - Matt. 6: 5-15 NRSV

Fasting 

“When you practice some appetite-denying discipline to better concentrate on God, don’t make a production out of it. It might turn you into a small-time celebrity but it won’t make you a saint. If you ‘go into training’ inwardly, act normal outwardly. Shampoo and comb your hair, brush your teeth, wash your face. God doesn’t require attention-getting devices. He won’t overlook what you are doing; he’ll reward you well.- Matt. 6: 16-18

And Jesus sums it up this way:

Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal:

But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:

For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. - Matt 6: 19-21 KJV

It seems that the reasons for Lent still exists -that intentionally following the three practices in some form for forty days will better prepare for experiencing the Passion of Christ, and may in fact produce longer habits (40 days- six weeks- is the time it takes to break or create a habit).

So, perhaps Lent presents itself as an opportunity. What will we make of it?

The concluding prayer for Ash Wednesday in Evangelical Lutheran Worship sums it up well:

Merciful God, accompany our journey through these forty days. Renew us in the gift of baptism, that we may provide for those who are poor, pray for those in need, fast from self-indulgence, and above all that we may find our treasure in the life of your Son, Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

Amen.

Who Do You Listen Too?

The Transfiguration

About eight days after saying this, he climbed the mountain to pray, taking Peter, John, and James along. While he was in prayer, the appearance of his face changed and his clothes became blinding white. At once two men were there talking with him. They turned out to be Moses and Elijah—and what a glorious appearance they made! They talked over his exodus, the one Jesus was about to complete in Jerusalem.

Meanwhile, Peter and those with him were slumped over in sleep. When they came to, rubbing their eyes, they saw Jesus in his glory and the two men standing with him. When Moses and Elijah had left, Peter said to Jesus, “Master, this is a great moment! Let’s build three memorials: one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” He blurted this out without thinking.

While he was babbling on like this, a light-radiant cloud enveloped them. As they found themselves buried in the cloud, they became deeply aware of God. Then there was a voice out of the cloud: “This is my Son, the Chosen! Listen to him.”- Luke 9:28-35 The Message

The picture we see:

Jesus transfigured – every pore of his body emanating the Divine source of his life in the form of pure white light.

it is the picture of full divinity in human flesh.

On either side of him appeared Moses and Elijah – the primary authorities of the Jewish mind.

Moses represents the Law – commandment and judgment – the Ten Commandments

Isaiah, the Prophets, the voice of God calling his people to live just and faithful lives.

What are the Law and Prophets- the sources of authority  -in our lives?

Are there any images we know of that would compare?

I would suggest two:

The First image:

The Mushroom cloud – from Aug. 6, 1945

A later new report described it thus:

"For those who lived to describe it, the first millisecond was pure light, blinding, intense, but of awesome beauty and variety. One witness described a flash that turned from white to pink then blue as it rose and blossomed.

“…the initial blast spawned a succession of calamities. First came heat. It lasted only an instant, but was so intense it melted roof tiles, fused the quartz crystals in granite blocks, charred the exposed sides of telephone poles for almost two miles, and destroyed nearby humans so thoroughly that nothing remained except the outline of their shadows, burned into asphalt pavement and stone walls.”

“Two powerful shock waves rock the Enola Gay as she climbs away from the blast. Co-pilot Robert Lewis exclaims, ‘My God, what have we done?’”

This is our contemporary image of law – commandment and judgment.

The Second image –

From July 20, 1969 an image – like the assignation of JFK -etched on our collective memories.

How many of you can remember that hour when our television sets brought us those images through 238,000 miles of empty space, of Neil Armstrong’s boot coming down to leave the first imprint of life on Lunar soil?

And then for the first time we saw it: Earthrise- the image of our planet rising above a barren lunar landscape, as the lunar astronauts observed: “…like an oasis in the desert of infinite space.”

“… the one oasis in all space, an extraordinary kind of sacred grove…set apart for the rituals of life… a set apart blessed place.”

 – Joseph Campbell

“All humanity is about to be born into an entirely new relationship to the universe.” – Buckminster Fuller

This is our prophet – giving us a picture of who we are collectively, telling us what we may become.

These two images have dominated contemporary imagination.

Sharon Dalz Parks, a senior research fellow in leadership and ethics at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government wrote the book “The Critical years: Young Adults and the Search for Meaning, Faith and Commitment.”

She observed:

The mushroom cloud is a triumph of our scientific and political imagination…This image also serves as a metaphor for an ethic of control, an ethic centered in the illusion of individual national dominance.

The image of Earth as seen from space – also a “triumph” of the scientific and political imagination – compels us to recognize a necessary ethic of interdependence, responsibility, vulnerability and risk.

What are the authorities in your life?

The story tells us disciples’ response.

At first they are overwhelmed by the vision before them. Here they were having literally “a mountain top” experience; literally a ”peak” spiritual experience. They want to hold onto it, but they don’t know how.

Like a child delighted and amazed by the mystery of a soap bubble, who reaches out to catch it, and in doing so bursts it, Peter blurts out. “Let’s make this thing concrete- tangible so we can hang on to it. Let's build a memorial”

And suddenly, there was a bright cloud that overwhelmed them and a voice that said; “Listen”

“The ideal disposition for the divine encounter is the gathering together of one’s whole being into silence and alert attentiveness. The practice of interior silence produces gradually what the voice in the vision produced instantly: the capacity to listen.” – Fr. Thomas Keating

Where do we see ourselves in this picture?

Who are we listing too? What are the authorities that dominate our lives?

Do we see ourselves as the disciples, eager to set up some material structure that we can hold on too?

Can we see ourselves as spiritual beings, living in human flesh? 

Can we imagine ourselves transfigured – transformed into the likeness of Christ?

What would that look like?

After Jesus' Sermon Was Over..

The gospel for this Sunday continues the story of Jesus' first sermon in Nazareth. The people are first amazed and then angry. 

All who were there, watching and listening, were surprised at how well he spoke. But they also said, “Isn’t this Joseph’s son, the one we’ve known since he was a youngster?”

23-27 He answered, “I suppose you’re going to quote the proverb, ‘Doctor, go heal yourself. Do here in your hometown what we heard you did in Capernaum.’ Well, let me tell you something: No prophet is ever welcomed in his hometown. Isn’t it a fact that there were many widows in Israel at the time of Elijah during that three and a half years of drought when famine devastated the land, but the only widow to whom Elijah was sent was in Sarepta in Sidon? And there were many lepers in Israel at the time of the prophet Elisha but the only one cleansed was Naaman the Syrian.”

28-30 That set everyone in the meeting place seething with anger. They threw him out, banishing him from the village, then took him to a mountain cliff at the edge of the village to throw him to his doom, but he gave them the slip and was on his way. -Luke 4: 22-30 The Message

Here's some helpful insights from Lutheran preacher/professor David Lose, well worth sharing. It seems to raise some observations and questions about us as Americans, which I raise at the end. First, the preacher:: 

I’ve got this feeling, deep down, that as well as these folks knew Jesus, he knew them even better.

Let’s not forget that he’s just finished reading Isaiah’s prophecy of a year of favor, of Jubilee, when the blind find sight, the captives release, the oppressed relief, and all the poor of this world consolation. And, lest we be mistaken about the direction Jesus is heading in, it’s just as important to note what he doesn’t read. Because Isaiah goes on, you see, telling of that day when the Lord will trample down all Israel’s enemies, crush them underfoot and restore Israel to its rightful place. But no, Jesus doesn’t read that part. 

He’s not thinking locally, you see, but globally, and this isn’t a nationalistic sermon, but one in which he declares that God loves all the world and has a special concern for the poor.

And so for this to come true, there’s going to need to be some changes. For as Mary sings before her boy was even born, in order to raise the lowly God’s going to have to bring low the powerful; and in order to feed the poor, the rich are going to go away empty.

This is what Jesus is talking about, and the home crowd doesn’t get it. So Jesus gets mad, drives his point home, and this time they do get it, so clearly, in fact, they’re ready to get him.

God favor Syria, not Israel?! God heal in Capernaum, that land so full of gentiles, not Nazareth. I don’t think so. That’s heresy. And you know what we do with heretics.

You see, it really is all Jesus’ fault – he goes and does the one thing you’re never supposed to do, even to strangers, let alone to friends and neighbors: He tells them the truth, the truth about their pettiness and prejudice, their fear and shame, their willingness, even eagerness, to get ahead at any cost, even at the expense of another. And so they want him gone in the most permanent of ways.

And let’s face it; that’s pretty much the way it usually is. Because this text, and Luke’s whole gospel for that matter, isn’t about Jews or Romans, it isn’t about Nazarenes or Jerusalemites. No, it’s about every race and nationality, about all the crowds of every time and place who, when they meet one who tells them the truth about themselves, will go to almost any length to silence the messenger. For from the prophets of Israel to our own prophet, Martin Luther King, Jr., it’s not just the keepers of the dream that get rejected, beaten, and shot, but the tellers of the truth as well.

And so here we are, at the very outset of Jesus’ ministry, and already we see how it’s going to come out. Because while Jesus somehow gets away today, later on they’ll catch up with him. They’ll listen a little longer, get a little madder, and then lay their hands on him and nail him to the cross.

So here’s the another interesting question for the day: do you think things have changed all that much? I mean, do you think Jesus’ sermon about change and equity and release would go over any better today, in a nation tied up in knots over whether millionaires should have their taxes raised and whether it’s fair to make sure everyone who wants to buy a gun has a clean record? I doubt it. Jesus’ message, whenever and wherever it’s spoken, still makes people see red.

So what are we to do? Now that Jesus’ words have revealed the truth that we’ve got just as much fear and shame and prejudice as did the folks in Nazareth, what are we to do?

There’s only one thing I can think of. And that’s to keep our eyes fastened on the one who told the truth in the first place, the one we nailed to a cross because of it. Because of all the prophets, you see, of all the folks who came and told the truth only to be rejected, or beaten, or killed, this is the only one God raised from the dead...

Good news, for sure. But one interesting question is left for us to ask: now what? ... Well, here’s an idea: 

What would you think about us bringing good news to the poor, proclaiming release to the captives, helping the blind regain their sight, and setting the oppressed free. 

Why don’t we, that is, proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor? 

(excerpted from http://www.workingpreacher.org/dear_wp.aspx?article_id=663)

Good questions, Rev. Dr. Lose.

Here is the inescapable truth about we Americans: by any measure, historically or contemporary, we are among the wealthiest, most privileged people who have ever lived and are living now. 

This, it seems, gives us a position like that of the biblical role of the nation of Israel as a Chosen People- one of both privilege AND responsibility.

We now have the resources and capacity to end hunger world wide.

We can make sure the safety net holds in our country, so that no one goes hungry, and children have the crucial nutrition they need at the beginning of life.

We have the ability to re-establish income equality in the US, significantly improving related social and health problems.

We can end the oppression of minorities who are disproportionately imprisoned in this country.

Do we- followers of Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth -hold Jubilee as the same priority it was for our Master?

If not, what's keeping us from doing so?

God,

Give me the courage to be revolutionary, as your Son Jesus Christ was.

Give me the courage to loosen myself from this world.

Teach me to stand up free and to shun no criticism.

God, it is for your kingdom.

Make me free, make me poor in this world.

Then I will be rich in the real world, which is what life is all about.

God, thank you for the vision of the future, but make it fact and not just 

theory.

~ Henri J.M. Nouwen

What Is Jesus' Agenda for Our Country?

Good morning America! We've just inaugurated a President, and heard his agenda for the next four years spelled out. Some of us are inspired by what we heard, some of us not so much- as we can't seem to agree on a common course of action.

As Christians, we might ask: 

Of course, we also tend to disagree on things we see Jesus as being "for" or "against." But Jesus seems pretty clear on one subject- poverty.

For instance, consider Jesus' own inaugural address. 

"Wait!", you say. "Jesus didn't hold public office."

No, that's right! He was anointed, not elected. THE Anointed One- to be exact.

And he didn't give a speech, but maybe a sermon. Actually not even a homily.

It was short, lacking any pomp and circumstance- and actually was a total rip-off of Isaiah (you'd think the Messiah would have original material, wouldn't you? Perhaps there's something to note in that), but here it is:

“The Spirit of the Lord is on me,

    because he has anointed me

    to preach good news to the poor.

He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners

    and recovery of sight for the blind,

to release the oppressed,

  to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”

The reference is to the Year of Jubilee (Leviticus 25) an occurrence EVERY 50 YEARS when all property was to be returned to the original owner, all debts where forgiven, all slaves and indentured servants freed. It was essentially this:

It was God's plan to see that the wealth of the nation was available to everyone- that none would remain disproportionately wealthy while others remained their whole lives in poverty, slavery and servitude.

The issue of income inequality was something that plagued the nation of Israel, and brought Yahweh's displeasure, judgment and punishment. It was the re-occurring theme of the prophets like Isaiah- the very lineage Jesus announced himself to be the fulfillment of. So there you go: not new ideas, but "...the time to act!" - as Petersen transaltes in the Message.

And this is what Jesus proclaimed his mission was- to demonstrate that the year of the Lord's favor had arrived in an even greater sense- the Kingdom of God on earth.

So here's a question: Just what does the distribution of wealth look like in America- a Christian nation - over the past 50 years?

Richest 5% = +$186,000; Richest 20% = +$101, 583; 2nd 20% = +$62,435; 3rd 20% = +$38, 521; 4th 20% = +20, 263; Poorest 20 % =  - $20, 262

Makes you wonder why this has occurred, doesn't it? HOW did this happen?

Why might Jesus be concerned about this? Why has income inequality ALWAYS been not just a neutral phenomenon of wealth distribution based solely on how hard people may or may not work -but a complex social interaction with great benefit to some and serious consequences for others. Maybe this chart helps explain:

The research suggests not just correlation but causation. The many social and healthcare issues we face and debate vigorously are connected to the fact of markedly disparate income- though we often want to blame other factors or people.

So if we are going to follow Jesus and BE good news to the poor, proclaim freedom to prisoners,  recovery of sight to blind, free the oppressed and proclaim Jubilee- the year of the Lord's favor- it looks like there's an underlying problem to address if we really want be of help. Wouldn't we want to cure the cause, not just charitably treat symptoms?

Here's a link to an interesting take that spells out some of the dynamics we are facing:

http://www.ted.com/talks/jonathan_haidt_how_common_threats_can_make_common_political_ground.html

It sure looks like it might be high time to hit the button, doesn't it?

And since most of us have benefited from this inequality,  probably being in at least the top 40%  if not higher, what does being a follower of Jesus mean to us?

What is our responsibility given what we can now see, and the degree to which we have prospered?

Clearly, our sense of concern for others and justice is strong. 

What would it take for us to live into the "better angels of our natures"?

What would it look like if were inspired enough by Jesus' inaugural message to seek to live it out?

What if we sought liberty and Jubilee for all?

Jesus: To Baptism, and Beyond...

Jesus' baptism was a beginning in one sense, but a continuation in another. 

Our human growth is like a trees- layered season on season. Think for a moment about your growth and significant faith events in your life. What led up to them? what was going on in your environment? If you could see a cross-section of your life like below, what would you see?

Jesus was raised a Jewish boy and the one story we have of his youth tells us he was growing this way, too. 
"And Jesus matured, growing up in both body and spirit, blessed by both God and people." Luke 4:52 The Message

By the time he was 30, somehow he had come to a profound sense that his Jewish religion had become distorted, self-serving & self-preserving- rather than a path to an Abba- father-God. And perhaps, most nagging of all to a Jewish boy-why had God's promises to his people not been fulfilled?

We don't know how this happened to Jesus. We haven't been left that story. But we can see what Jesus did about it.

He must have began asking himself how should he live in response to this realization? What should he do? 

His baptism may have been his ritual demonstration that he was purifying himself from his own participation in this. It also was clearly, a preparation for the exercise he would undertake to answer this question- a vision quest.

So the Spirit leads him into the wilderness for a struggle. 

There were several ideas people had about how the promises to Israel would be fulfilled. Jesus was tempted with three of them:

"Since you're God's son, turn these stones into bread..." 

Would he respond by being a new Moses, who would lead people from bondage to an enslaving political and religious system to some new temporal reality - like Moses led the Hebrews from Egypt, feeding them in the desert by miracles when they were hungry?

Or would he be a new David, and seek to conquer all the kingdoms of the world, establishing a new Israel? Many would-be Messiahs had, and would, continue to pursue this path.

Or would he be a sensational miracle worker- in the footsteps of Elijah, who called down fire and over-threw the false prophets? In Jesus' case Satan suggests he pull some dramatic temple stunt to demonstrate his supernatural abilities.

Jesus refused all of these roles, is filled with the Spirit's power, and gains a different vision. 

He returns to Galilee with a clear sense of identity,  purpose and direction. And so he stands up in the synagogue in Nazareth and declares:

God's spirit is on me;
He's chosen me to preach the Message of good news to the poor,
   Sent me to announce pardon to prisoners and recovery of sight to the blind,
    to set the burdened and battered free, to announce  "This is God's year to act!" -Luke 4 The Message

This is different kind of Messiah- one not seen before-yet one clearly following the vision of the prophets- the vision of a Kingdom on earth:

•  where there is enough for all; 
• where realizing we are all God's child makes us whole, and transcends divisions; 
• where justice rolls down like waters, righteousness like an ever flowing stream.

So some questions for us:

What did your baptism mean/do for you? 

Do we know ourselves to be God's beloved child- no matter how others see us or treat us?

What vision directs your life? Is Jesus' vision reflected in that?

What if we understood Jesus' Nazareth sermon literally (and we would do that based on seeing how Jesus then lived):

What are we doing to be good news to the poor? 
How are we seeking the pardoning of those imprisoned? 
How are we helping the those who are incomplete to be made whole? Then, metaphorically, who are the blind that need to see?


Baptismal Covenant from the Book of Common Prayer (with editorial comments)

Celebrant     Will you proclaim by word and example the Good
                 News of God in Christ? (and remember, Jesus said this was specifically for the poor.)
People          I will, with God’s help.

Celebrant      Will you seek and serve Christ in all persons, loving
                 your neighbor as yourself? (and we know from Sunday School that our neighbors are not just those folks living next door).
People          I will, with God’s help.

Celebrant      Will you strive for justice and peace among all
                 people, and respect the dignity of every human
                 being? (justice and peace comes from the prophets; not sure of the citation of the dignity clause, but can't argue with it).

People          I will, with God’s help.

Jesus' Baptism- My Baptism

You know if you think about it at all, baptism is a bit bewildering. We've had all kinds of fun with the arguments over infant baptism and "Believers Baptism" and which one is the "real" one. Most of the arguments made about all this are very rational and rule based. The different traditions have their preferences at this point- although some still want to be right.

Infant Baptism

Believers Baptism

Hybrid Baptism I

Hybrid Baptism II

There is clearly more than one meaning -even in scripture.

For instance, John's baptism was a Jewish practice of ritual and moral cleansing prescribed by the Torah. For the Essenes - a Jewish sect who left us the Dead Sea Scrolls and lived near John - it was a ritual, accompanied by a "change of heart", necessary to enter their community.

Essene Baptismal Pool at Qumran

Jesus underwent John's baptism, but then never baptized himself. However, his parting words in the Great Commission were instructions to baptize in the name of the Trinity.

After he died, his followers began baptizing, presumably following his instructions  and apparently using the same method as John. (see Acts)

In Acts we find whole households being baptized- so presumably everyone of any age.

The Apostle Paul relates the meaning as representing participating in Christ's death and resurrection.

The church over time would express all of this these meanings  and practices.

If we look at the gospel accounts, we have a good idea about it's core essence. Look here at Luke's account:

 The interest of the people by now was building. They were all beginning to wonder, “Could this John be the Messiah?”

 But John intervened: “I’m baptizing you here in the river. The main character in this drama, to whom I’m a mere stagehand, will ignite the kingdom life, a fire, the Holy Spirit within you, changing you from the inside out. He’s going to clean house—make a clean sweep of your lives. He’ll place everything true in its proper place before God; everything false he’ll put out with the trash to be burned.”

After all the people were baptized, Jesus was baptized. As he was praying, the sky opened up and the Holy Spirit, like a dove descending, came down on him. And along with the Spirit, a voice: “You are my Son, chosen and marked by my love, pride of my life.”

It's clear John expected that the Messiah would take this to another level.

We see this in the affirmation Jesus received of who he was- God's beloved child.

When we baptize infants, this is a powerful sense that we affirm of all of us - this too is who we are. And we have a Spirit life within us that needs to be cultivated. It's a fire to empower, a light to share, a destiny to live into.

Jesus is about to find out what this means for him. He's headed here next...

If we go with him, maybe we can find out what it means for us, too!

The Gifts of the Magi

Here they are! The exotic, flashy show-stealers of every Christmas pageant and tableau- 

The Three Wisemen!

They travel from a far, foreigners coming to pay tribute to the newborn King of the Jews. 

We know very little about them from Matthews account: don't know why they cared about a Jewish king, what motivated them to go looking for him, nor why they brought expensive gifts. The gift giving of the Magi was the early inspiration for giving gifts at Christmas- long before Santa Claus was invented.

Holy imagination has painted us a full picture of these regal visitors- and inspired other stories.

There's O'Henry's short story "The Gift of the Magi"- the tale of a young couple living on the edge, who each sells the thing of most value they have to buy a gift for the other.














There's "Amal and the Night Visitors"- the first opera written for American television, which tells the story of a poor crippled boy and his mother, who encounter the Wisemen and find both healing and a king to follow.

There's The Little Drummer Boy- a well-loved song written in America and recorded by The Trapp Family Singers in 1955. "I'll play my drum for him. Pa-rum-pa-pa-pum!"

And perhaps most poignant is Henry Van Dykes "The Story of the Other Wisemen"- the guy who missed the camel train, because he was helping those in need. Who spends thirty years seeking Jesus, giving away the gifts he had brought in the process to help people along the way. 

After thirty three years he arrives in Jerusalem in time for the crucifixion. He spends his last treasure, the pearl, to ransom a young woman from slavery. He is struck by a falling roof tile in the temple and is about to die, fearing he has failed, when he hears a voice saying, 'Verily I say unto thee, inasmuch as thou hast done it unto the least of these, thou has done it unto me." 
And he dies in a calm radiance of wonder and joy- he has found his King.


This last story seems to most compellingly answer the question: What gift would Jesus want?

So here's an idea: Since our Christmas gift-giving is inspired most by the Santa Claus model- perhaps during Epiphany we can again be inspired by the gift-giving of the Magi -those whose arrival begins the season - and these stories they have inspired.

We can let the Wisemen ride off after the Feast of Epiphany, and return home. Or perhaps we can join the search of The Other Wiseman- looking for Jesus, and helping others along the way.

What if we spent the season of Epiphany giving gifts to Jesus- "for inasmuch as ye have done it unto the least of these... ye have done it unto me."?