THE MAGI AND THEIR GIFTS
On Sunday, I shared about the Magi who arrived after the birth of Jesus (also known as the Wise Men and the Three Kings) and what I have learned about them. Much of our understanding of them comes from traditions developed over the centuries. First of all, they were not called “Wise Men” until much later than their first appearance in writing (in the Gospel of Matthew) and, according to Matthew, they were the opposite of kings. Matthew portrays them as people on the margins: possibly not wealthy, certainly not among the inner circles, not highly revered, and not very welcome. We don’t even know if there were three of them; we just know that they brought three gifts: gold, frankincense and myrrh. And we don’t know how much they gave.
So if Matthew did not intend to portray them as wise men, kings, or even people that were held in high regard, then why (you might ask) did he include them in the Gospel? What Matthew was clearly saying to his readers was: “When God came to reveal God’s self in Jesus, he did so first to the most unlikely people imaginable.” God showed up to the people on the margins of society…and those people on the margins kept showing up for God and offering whatever it was that they had—and sometimes that was not much! This theme is dominant throughout Matthew’s Gospel. It is also dominant in the entire Hebrew-Christian scriptural tradition.
If you have ever felt marginalized, not “in” with the “in crowd,” not important enough for God to care about you, or not having enough to give anything of importance to God, then the story of the Magi should give you some encouragement; for God has always shown up for people just like you; and God has always welcomed the gifts of people just like you. I invite you to keep this in mind as you consider how you will be in the world during this new year. For I am confident that God will welcome you however you show up and will be delighted in whatever you have to offer.
Aloha nui!
Kahu Alan Akana
Due to technical issues, there is no video this week. Videos of Kahu’s sermons are available most weeks. You can find them on our website (after each post from “A Message from Kahu Akana” when available) and on YouTube. Please subscribe to the YouTube account and share these videos with friends and invite them to church!
“A Message from Kahu Alan Akana” is provided most weeks by the Kahu (Pastor) of Koloa Union Church, a congregation of the United Church of Christ (UCC), a member of the Kauai Association and Hawaii Conference.
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