The Wise and the Foolish - Matthew 2:1-12

 

The Wise and the Foolish: Matthew 2:1-12

Introduction: This week, we return to Matthew’s Gospel, and come to the story of the Magi in chapter 2.  So far, we’ve looked at one side of the genealogy of Jesus, which does not hide the human failures in his legal family tree through Joseph. Especially the mention of Rahab, Tamar, and the wife of Uriah [Bathsheba] remind us that all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. In fact, if the kings of Israel teach us anything, they show us that no merely human king would be able to give the deliverance that we so desperately need. The inclusion of Ruth and Rahab in the genealogy shows grace extends to the gentiles.

       Then we saw the story of the virgin birth, from the perspective of Joseph, who received a revelation from God and believed it, nothing is impossible for God!  In this passage we see two contrasting responses to the message that Messiah had come in the story of the Magi... To some, the message we have been talking about over the last several weeks is foolishness.  Have you ever had anyone complain, “Why do you have to ruin Christmas by making it religious!”? People like the food and the presents and the parties. But don’t bring up Jesus! Most people would rather continue their own way, and not be reminded of the depth of their need. Most people prefer their own ideas about life and about who is in charge. Paul said in 1 Cor 1:18,21,   

“¹⁸ For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God...  ²¹ For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe.” 

Proverbs 1:7 says, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, and fools despise wisdom and instruction…” Rather than hearing God and submitting to his authority, most people prefer to go their own way. They like to presume that they are in control of their own life, and that essentially, they can make their own rules. It is an illusion, a self-deception, but that is what the “natural man” likes to think. It is the way that seems right to a man, but the end thereof is the way of death. To admit that Jesus is who He claimed to be is to admit that we owe Him our allegiance. If we recognize that God is God, then He has a claim over us, we owe him everything.

       The story of the Magi in Matthew 2 is one of the best known and most loved scenes surrounding the incarnation. We’ve all seen the phrase, it makes a nice bulletin cover, it even fits nicely on a bumper sticker, “Wise Men Still Seek Him.” Every nativity scene includes them, though some of the details are more traditional than biblical. Why does Matthew include this story in his account? Why does he highlight the first visitors to come to the newborn king to worship him as a group of magi, likely astrologers and wisemen of Babylon? Why would gentiles come to the worship the one who is born king of the Jews? In this very Jewish Gospel we saw that Matthew mentioned at least two gentile women in Jesus’ genealogy. And now the first visitors that he reports that the first who came to worship the one who is born King of the Jews, are a group of gentile wisemen.  The visit of the Magi is mentioned only in the Gospel of Matthew. We’ve seen already the idea that though Matthew is writing a very Jewish Gospel, starting with the genealogy he makes it clear that God is interested in the nations as well. The Great commission at the end of Matthew states it outright: Go and make disciples of every nation… We are reminded there that the whole world is God’s world, and world evangelization is God’s work!  

       It has been observed that at the beginning of the Gospel of Matthew the message is still, “Come and see!” We saw that with Ruth, and we see it with the Magi. They came to Israel, first to the capital, Jerusalem, seeking Him. At the end of the Gospel there is a change, the Great Commission tells us, “Go and tell!”  Don’t miss the significance of that transition.  He came to be the Savior of all who would believe, from every race and nation.  So, the spiritual truth here is relevant to all of us: What will you do with Jesus?

The BIG Idea: Let knowing and worshipping Jesus be at the heart of your life! I want to look at that from the perspective of three questions:

     1) Do you treasure Jesus above all, is He your Savior and Lord (1-3)? Is His glory and fame really most important?

     2) Do you long to hear His Word so that you can obey it (4-10)? We know Him through His Word, and to know Him is to love Him.

     3) Is it your desire to worship Him with all that you have, to give your best, to give yourself, to the Master?

I. Do you treasure Jesus as your Savior and Lord (1-3)?

Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem,  ² saying, "Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him."  ³ When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him...

       We see very different reactions in these verses to the rule of God and the coming of His Son.  By God’s grace some seek His rule and come to Him in submission. Most however, are troubled at the thought of relinquishing their supposed “autonomy” and resist God’s rule.  Autonomy comes from two Greek words:  auto which means “self”; and nomos which means “Law, or rule.”  Fallen humans suppose that they are a “law unto themselves” and they recoil from the idea of submitting to a higher authority, especially an absolute authority that has the right to demand our obedience.

       “Magi came from the east…”  (Thinking about it, I come from the east every day, but how wise can I be if I live in NJ?). We don’t know much about the magi.  Where precisely did they come from?  How many were there?  It doesn’t tell us. Even if there were only three Magi, they were almost certainly accompanied by a sizable group of servants, basically a caravan. It could be that they had received special revelation from God, or perhaps, Daniel, as he served pagan kings in the Captivity, had influenced wisemen there and taught them about the God of Israel, including the promise of a Messiah, and that hope had been passed down through the generations. 

       It is striking that in this gospel that so emphasizes the fulfillment of the hope of Israel, Matthew tells us of these Gentile wise men as the first visitors to come and see the child king. Just as he surprised his readers with the mention Tamar, Rahab, Bathsheba “the wife of Uriah,” and Ruth in the genealogy of Jesus, he will also affirm the Great Commission to make disciples of all the nations, Matthew wants to emphasize that a Savior has been born to the whole world.

       There is another contrast in the book of Matthew.  In the OT dispensation the nations were invited to come to the God of Israel – that is nothing new.  At the end of the Gospel however we see the church being sent to the nations. The concern is the same: Jesus came for all, He would save a remnant from every race and nation! “He is not willing that any should perish…” We see that beautiful picture of a mixed multitude from every race surrounding His throne in Revelation, praising the Lamb (Rev 7:9).

       Might we take to heart the mission God has given us! Our neigborhood right here, our city, the neighborhoods where we all live.  AWANA and youth group continues to be a great opportunity!  Ministry at PPH is limited now, but it will open. The Christian school, our neighbors... How can we most effectively hold forth the Gospel?  I believe that each one of us praying for those in our around us, family, friends, neighbors, co-workers, is the key to growing our church. God has arranged the circumstances of our lives and placed us exactly where we are.  You are God’s undercover missionary in your oikos [extended household]! Every now and then someone might walk through our door “seeking,” but in most of those cases a lot of groundwork has been laid by a Christian sometime in their life.

       NB. v. 3, “When Herod had heard these things he was troubled…” The term means “to shake up, throw into turmoil.” It is used in Scripture to describe those unsettling, disturbing moments, when it seems as though something is out of control, something is going desperately wrong.

       Though Herod certainly did not believe the prophecies, he was both power hungry and paranoid. He had his favorite wife and some of this own sons executed when he imagined they might be conspiring to usurp his throne. He was unsettled by this news that a king had been born.  It seems he had an uneasy, dreadful feeling that it just might be true.  It was like the reaction of Saul against David when he was filled with jealousy at his popularity—he tried to kill him!

       I suspect that most unbelievers, who try so hard to suppress the revelation of God and ignore it, experience the same feeling from time to time. Like the old country song, “I know there ain’t no heaven, and I pray there ain’t no hell!” Denial won’t change the truth. God is God, He is Lord of the Universe. The only way to Him is through faith in Christ. People need to know the One who is the reason for the season. Is He your Savior and Lord? Let knowing and worshipping Jesus be at the heart of your life!

II. Do you long to hear His word so that you can obey it (4-10)? We see here very different attitudes toward the Word of God.  Some people know the Word and don’t act on it. Others put on an outward mask of piety for their own reasons.  Relatively few hear it, and unconditionally obey it.

⁴ ...and assembling all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born.  ⁵ They told him, "In Bethlehem of Judea, for so it is written by the prophet:  ⁶ "' And you, O Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for from you shall come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel.'"  ⁷ Then Herod summoned the wise men secretly and ascertained from them what time the star had appeared.  ⁸ And he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, "Go and search diligently for the child, and when you have found him, bring me word, that I too may come and worship him."  ⁹ After listening to the king, they went on their way. And behold, the star that they had seen when it rose went before them until it came to rest over the place where the child was.  ¹⁰ When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy.

       First notice the Priests and Scribes in verses 4-6: they knew what the Bible said, they could tell Herod the Scripture, but they themselves failed to act on the Word. These religious leaders, when Herod inquired of them as to where the Messiah should be born, had the right answer: they knew the Scripture. They correctly told him the prophecy of Micah 5:2 as to where the Messiah would be born, yet they themselves did not respond to it! They knew intellectually, but were indifferent or unwilling to act on their knowledge!  Liberal scholars tend to study the Scripture from a literary or a historical basis, but they don’t read the Bible from the perspective of faith. We wouldn’t do that... but we might just read it like a book of stories. No! This is God’s Word! James warned us: “Don’t be hearers only, but doers of the Word”! Our response to God's Word should be to “trust” and “obey.”

       Since the pandemic, we have gotten used to wearing masks… But masks are nothing new, at least metaphorically speaking! People wear masks all the time. We see it in vv.7-8, in Herod’s response:  Hypocritical affirmation. One of the standard complaints that people in the world have of churches it that they are full of hypocrites. It doesn’t take much for one person living inconsistently in their Christian life to give an excuse to someone not to believe, or even not to consider the claims that Christ rightly has on our lives. Listen, we won’t be perfect, but we want to strive to be consistent. We also want to let people know we are a work in progress. The pretended piety and false religion of Herod is also paradigmatic of that kind of “false religion,” an attitude toward God’s word that feigns faith, but all the while intends to go it’s own way.  Some people affirm the scriptures, even their intent to obey it, when all along they are in fact intending only to do their own thing.  Tragically, some of these are so used to the mask they are wearing, they even deceive themselves.  [By the way, the depth of human depravity is exposed in the next scene, where Herod orders the execution of all the male children under two in Bethlehem. The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked, who can know it? (Jer 17:9; cf. Ps 2:1-3)].

          The magi are different. They heard the Word and they acted on it.  By the way, as far as we know, they had one verse of Scripture, and they believed it, they acted on it, and it brought them to Jesus.  Their submission and obedience to just one verse of Scripture brought them to Christ (Micah 5:2)! Most of us have Bibles, probably several different translations to compare and study.  Are we committed to reading it and obeying it? “Trust and Obey, there is no other way…” It is through the Word we know the Christ of Christmas. And it is through the Word that we learn how we should therefore live. The issue then and now is the same: Is knowing and worshipping Jesus at the heart of your life? Let is be so!

III. Is it your desire to worship Him with all that you have (11-12)? Some worship the King and follow Him.  Others reject Him, and will be rejected by Him.

¹¹ And going into the house they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh.  ¹² And being warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed to their own country by another way.

       The Wise men: Worship Him and are directed by Him. They found Jesus and offered gifts in worship.  Alistair Begg said, “The real question of Christmas should not be “what did you get”? but rather “what did you give?” Since there were three gifts mentioned, we have traditionally assumed that there were three wise men. Maybe, but not necessarily. It was probably more of a caravan. There may be some symbolism in the gifts as well.

       First Gold is mentioned, a precious metal worthy of a King: perhaps symbolizing his royalty. Matthew certainly presents Jesus as the promised and coming King.  Then Frankincense: a costly incense, used in certain offerings at the Temple: emphasizing Jesus’ deity. Clearly the Magi understood that this was a human child, but also much more… And they worshipped him! Finally Myrrh: A valuable perfume, sometimes used in wine as an anesthetic, but also mixed with spices and used to prepare a body for burial (see John 19:39).  Thus, Gold emphasized his royalty, Frankincense his deity, and Myrrh his humanity, which would include suffering and death. Their giving was an aspect of their worship. We have generous givers in our church. Don't let the fact that we don't pass an offering plate during the service diminish your understanding that your giving to the ministries and missionaries of the church is an act of worship!

       It is not clear how much the magi knew about what this Child would accomplish, but it is pretty clear by their “worship” that they understood something about who He was. We see moments in Scripture when confused pagans try to worship mere men, like Cornelius, when Peter came to his house, or the people in Lystra when they thought Paul and Barnabas were Zeus and Hermes. But in those instances, the believers immediately corrected those who tried to worship them. Only God is worthy of worship.

       If this is what the gifts symbolized, what were they used for?  We have no clear statement, some speculate that they may have financed the family’s exile to Egypt, and perhaps later helped get them reestablished in Nazareth when they returned there. That makes sense to me. Consider the sovereignty of God once again. Leading these men from afar so that their arrival would coincide with the time of the family being in Bethlehem, bringing safely all that way the gifts that perhaps could be used to take care of Jesus and his family when Herod sought to destroy Him. He is the Lord of History!

       The point is, they sought God, and when they found Jesus they worshipped him.  NB. They were led by God. Paul said “...those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God...” (Rom 8:14).  We see these magi being led by God, first directly, by a star, now through his word, and later by a vision. They trusted, they believed, and they obeyed.

       Contrast Herod: rejecting God’s revelation, rejecting Jesus. Before he ever saw him, he had decided, “I will not have this man to be my king!” The hypocrisy of Herod did not fool God. He spoke to the Wise men in a dream, and so, they returned another way.  He preserved the family in Egypt. They returned to the land after Herod’s death, fulfilling another prophecy as they did. God had a plan!

What is God saying to me in this passage? Just as at the time of the incarnation, some men sought the child King while others resisted Him, the same continues to be true today. As for us, may we let knowing and worshipping Jesus be at the center of our life!

What would God have me to do in response to this passage? The wise men obeyed God’s Word, and so came to Christ. Will you present to him the only gift he asks… YOU! Paul said, “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God...”

       That is your reasonable service of worship! We can’t look at Matthew without thinking about our mission, the Gospel will end with the “marching orders” for the church: take the message of Christ to the World and make disciples (Mt 28:18-20). Will you be a witness for Him in the sphere of influence in which He has placed you? The Great Commission is not just for foreign missionaries. It is for the church. He showed us his love, He gave Himself for you, that is news that is too good to keep to yourself, it is the best news ever! Think about that.  AMEN.