The Grown Ups Christmas Story

January 8, 2017

Helen Jacobi

The Epiphany     Isaiah 60:1-6     Psalm 72     Ephesians 3:1-12     Matthew 2:1-12

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Matthew’s Christmas story is the one you read when the children have gone to bed. Adult viewing only – some content may offend, should be the caption.

Our Christmas card cut out version of 3 kings on camels is nowhere to be found in scripture. The camels belong to Isaiah and the tradition that there are 3 kings or “wise men” is assumed from the 3 gifts they bring. And while they do visit Jesus in Bethlehem there is no stable or manger. Sorry to be the Christmas killjoy!

Matthew’s Christmas story is really very dark and very political. King Herod was a tyrant. He was Rome’s puppet king from about 37BC to 4 or 3 BC. He ruled through fear, imprisonment, torture and massacres. He was fiercely loyal to Caesar and built many great buildings across Judea in homage to Rome and its emperor. [1] Herod also rebuilt the Temple in Jerusalem, very important to the people of Israel, but at the gate he had placed a golden statue of an eagle – symbol of Rome and in direct contravention of the commandment to have no idols (Ex 20:4).

So when Matthew writes – “in the time of King Herod” – this is not just a way of giving the readers a date to go by; it is a way of setting the scene “in the time of King Herod.”

In our visual world we would imagine a movie of soldiers dragging away the innocent;

or maybe a news report from Syria of children being bombed.

Then straight away we are told “wise men” came from the east. The Greek word is “magos” (hard g) from where we get the word “magi”. Magi were many things – some were astrologers, some magicians, some interpreters of dreams, and some were political advisers in the courts of Persia. Think wizards from The Lord of the Rings – Gandalf and Saruman, both key players, advisers of the political leaders and able to wield their own magic for good or ill. These mysterious, powerful figures arrive in Jerusalem (not Bethlehem) and ask to find the one born as “king of the Jews”.

Now everyone knows Herod is King of the Jews, and a king who guards his power very closely. Herod we are told was “frightened”, or probably more accurately “troubled” or “disturbed”. What was this potential challenge to his power?

And all of Jerusalem was troubled too – the ruling elites worried about this news – what might it mean for their power base? And as for the ordinary people, they knew if Herod was threatened it would only end in suffering for them. Who might he choose to lash out at this time?

So Herod consults the scholars who tell him Bethlehem is said to be the birthplace of the longed for Messiah and he calls the magi to him – in secret – and sends them to Bethlehem. The magi distrust Herod and so do not return to Jerusalem. Herod, furious at their deception, orders the murder of children under two in Bethlehem. Matthew thus invokes the memory of Pharaoh’s slaughter of the children in Egypt and Moses’ miraculous survival. Jesus and his parents escape to Egypt.

From the beginning Matthew writes a political story – Jesus is one who threatens the rulers of Judea and the rulers of Rome. The magi who come from the east are Gentiles, from other political realms.

They managed to get to the heart of Jerusalem, to Herod himself, with the threat of a new king. And this baby who is offered gifts fit for a king – gold – and myrrh for burial – will always disrupt the status quo. Matthew’s message to the powerful is beware of this one who comes and who will proclaim a new kind of kingdom.

How do we hear Matthew’s story today, as the attention of the world turns to the inauguration of a new president? A president who could not be more different from his predecessor Barack Obama. Will President Trump be a Herod? People are certainly fearful that he might.

The Episcopal Church in the US is finding itself caught in a difficult position. There is traditionally a service at Washington’s National Cathedral on the day after the inauguration to pray for the new president and the administration. Many wondered if they would decline to hold the service as the Cathedral has a strong legacy on issues of justice, race and equality. The service is going ahead as usual. Prayer is not endorsement and Mr Trump is, after all, America’s duly elected president. They know though that many tyrants started out life as elected leaders.

Other churches are making statements of commitment to support immigrants and work against hate speech.

St Mark’s Cathedral in Seattle [2] has issued a statement which includes:

1. We will go deeper in faith.

2. We will listen.

3. We will lift up truth.

4. We will reject White Nationalism.

5. We will love our neighbors by protecting them from hate speech and attacks.

6. We will welcome the stranger, as our Scriptures instruct.

7. We will expose and oppose racial profiling in policing.


8. We will defend religious liberty.


9. We will work to end misogyny that enables sexism and a culture of sexual violence.


10. We will fight for climate justice and protection of our environment.


11. We will protest with our best values.

They are starting with themselves – go deeper, listen; and then committing themselves to follow gospel values and to enact them. We also can do nothing about President Trump but we can start with ourselves and call our government to be vigilant, to speak on the side of justice, as I believe they did in the UN Resolution on the Israeli settlements in Palestine.

The Herods of our world gain power and keep power when the people are silent.

Herod was terrified of a baby that was born, a baby that elicited the homage of strangers from the east. They brought gifts that spoke of his future – people would claim him as king (gold); they would worship him (frankincense); they would bury him (myrrh).

Yet he would bring a lasting gift – the gift of hope promised by the prophets:

“Arise shine; for your light has come …. darkness may cover the earth, a thick darkness …. but lift up your eyes and look around …. the light has come.” (Is 60: 1-6).

Bring hope with you as the new year begins.

Hope grounded in the deep knowledge of our God who was born in the midst of political turmoil and fear, and was never overcome.

[1] Richard Horsley The Liberation of Christmas 1989 p 43

[2] http://www.saintmarks.org/serve/volunteer/governance/renewing-our-covenant/