Sermons

Visitors Blessed by God

The Rev. Eric K. Hinds
Rector, St. Matthew's Episcopal Church

Sermon preached by The Reverend Eric Kimball Hinds at The Episcopal Church of Saint Matthew on the Feast of the Epiphany on 6 January 2007. Year A Lessons: Isaiah 60:1-6; Psalm 72:1-7, 10-14; Ephesians 3:1-12; Matthew 2:1-12..

In comparing practices between parishes for the preparation of Christmas, I discovered that one church set out their crèche at the beginning of Advent. In the weeks that followed the Altar Guild added animals to the scene. Mary and Joseph arrived on the fourth Sunday of Advent with baby Jesus, the Shepherds and angels finally placed in the crèche on Christmas Eve. Week by week eyes would search for changes to the crèche yet from the very beginning of Advent trained eyes would also track the movement of the Wise Men. On the first Sunday of Advent this little entourage was placed in the very back of the church, and then week by week the kings moved toward the crèche finally arriving at their destination on this day, the feast of the Epiphany. And when the story of the birth of Jesus is told in this way, the Magi, or wise men, complete the story. Traveling from afar, they finally arrive, the picture of the Nativity window is completed, and we bask in the glory of the large gathered assemblage--animals and assorted ranks of angels and people, giving praise all to the new born king. It is an incredible scene—the only problem for us this morning is that it is not at all how the gospel writer Matthew tells the story.

While Matthew provides an impressive introduction of the family lineage that leads up to the birth of Jesus, he describes the actual birth with a sparcity of details. Matthew directs our focus to the Magi traveling from the East heading towards a star that has appeared over Jerusalem. In Matthew’s telling, there is no stable or menagerie of animals. No manger, no swaddling clothes. No shepherds, or sheep. No angel, no heavenly host singing praises--just the birth of Jesus with Magi set in motion—actually not invited by anyone. Mary and Joseph are completely unaware of their approach. When following Matthew’s telling the story has a very different feel. And be honest, would you be comfortable parents if you knew that strangers, exotic strangers to be sure, but strangers from a far off land, outsiders to your religious tradition, were on their way---would that be comforting news? Would you reach out and include a group of foreigners—invite them to be the first to celebrate the birth of your child?

The truth is that we sit uneasily with other traditions, and we do not easily overcome the many barriers that exclude outsiders from sharing in those events foundational to our identity, or events that touch upon some of our deepest held beliefs. We live in a time where for all our talk of inclusiveness, it can be a difficult thing, when it comes right down to it, to find ways to embrace those whose traditions are very different from our own.

At my last parish in New Jersey, in the aftermath of the 911 attacks, there was an new awareness of the lack of contact between different religious traditions, with the Islamic community standing out as being particularly isolated. To take a step towards changing that situation, my parish extended an invitation to the head of a mosque, located not far from the World Trade Center site in downtown Manhattan, to come to our church and speak. Imam Feisal had just completed a book titled What’s Right with Islam, and he had dedicated himself to the work of building bridges between Islamic, Jewish and Christian communities. Engaging an outside speaker was a first step, but I realized that our parish did not have a relationship with anyone of Islamic background and so I ventured to make contact with the closest Islamic Center in the neighboring town. Contact was tentative at first, but some of the members of the Islamic Center actually knew Imam Feisal, and they were receptive to the invitation to come to St. Peter’s to hear him speak. On a weeknight about 100 people showed up to listen to Imam Feisal and to participate in the panel discussion afterwards.

I must admit that I was not prepared for an encounter that I had with a Christian leader from a neighboring church some months later at our town ecumenical Thanksgiving service. The crux of our exchange was his disbelief that anyone would invite a leader of “those people” who in his words “were responsible for killing our own.” For this man it was treasonous for my parish to host and to talk to anyone of the Islamic faith, and he could only shake his head in exasperation that anyone would even entertain the thought of dialogue.

We do not know, either the country of origin or the exact background of the Magi. Matthew only tells us that they traveled from the East making a long journey. In ancient times the designation of Magi actually covered a broad range of people. They were certainly Gentiles. Some were known simply to be charlatans and magicians, but Matthew tips the scales towards the other category of scientific astrologers, who perhaps represented the best of pagan wisdom and lore.

God is first revealed to the Magi through an act of nature, by the appearance of a star, and then traveling to Jerusalem, the God of Israel is further revealed to the Magi in the reading of Hebrew Scripture. In their travel to Jerusalem, the Magi are shown to be religiously curious, and perceptive, and they continue on their journey toward Bethlehem. At the mountain top village of Bethlehem the Magi, who have traveled across the ancient world, encounter the infant Jesus. And there the representative wisdom of the pagan world offers gifts and praise to the future king of the Jews--the one who we know as the prince of peace.

On that night at my previous parish, after the talk and discussion led by Imam Feisal, we hosted a reception in the parish hall. Neither congregation of worshipers knew one another before hand, but it is difficult to describe how appreciative were the members of the Islamic Center for having been invited to a Christian Church, and to have been welcomed with a reception. Again and again our Muslim guests expressed their deep thanks, their appreciation, and gratitude. And while the purpose of the lecture was not to convert or to change anyone’s mind with regard to their own religious identity—on that night I believe that members from both communities: Islamic and Christian took a great step together, and moved nearer to a more complete understanding of God’s incredible love for the entire human family.

The feast of Epiphany gives us Magi from afar--figures of learning and wisdom, humbled by their glimpse at the flesh and blood manifestation of God’s love in Jesus. It is a reminder that God’s love is always made known in this way, in our personal, human, encounters. Born as the fulfillment of long hoped for expectations, the powerful manifestation of God’s love is made known to the entire world in Christ Jesus who defies and exceeds all expectations. This is the epiphany that opens hearts, engages minds, and fills souls. An event that engages us and asks us, to entertain the notion that God’s work can be seen in all of humanity, but perhaps it is especially made known to those who have made it a part of their journey to seek out an encounter with God first, and to then go and share what they have seen and experienced with the rest of the world.

Sermons

Visitors Blessed by God

The Rev. Eric K. Hinds Rector, St. Matthew's Episcopal Church

Sermon preached by The Reverend Eric Kimball Hinds at The Episcopal Church of Saint Matthew on the Feast of the Epiphany on 6 January 2007. Year A Lessons: Isaiah 60:1-6; Psalm 72:1-7, 10-14; Ephesians 3:1-12; Matthew 2:1-12..

The Rev. Eric K. Hinds
Rector, St. Matthew's Episcopal Church