Motivation is our theme for the day.
It’s not exactly a Biblical Word. The Scriptural Words are a lot more specific – a heart stirred up to joy, being compelled to come to Jesus with thanksgiving or worship, seeking or being drawn to Jesus in humility to ask help from Him shows motivation on the one hand shows and on the other hand fear, being troubled, being angry, being jealous also shows motivation.
The news of Jesus brings motivation. Jesus’ birth is a motivator. Hearing that one has been born King of the Jews moves things, excite’s things, incites people toward action.
But our Lord in His Word reveals today in this Epiphany text that what others are moved to do do in hearing that a new King has come are incredibly different.
Do you remember last week when Simeon took baby Jesus in His arms, said, “Lord, now let your servant depart in peace….” After he sung that song, Simeon told Mary that this child, this Jesus, was appointed for the rise, and fall, of many.
He will be loved. He will be hated.
People will seek to receive gifts from Him and to give gifts to Him out of deep humbly and thanksgiving and people will seek to destroy Him.
Your Jesus is your Rock, your refuge, your strong toward tower and your defender in times of trouble as He is also for me and so many other Christians and He is also a stone of stumbling, a rock of offense to those who reject Him, the stone that builders rejected that has become the cornerstone.
Wise men from the East come seeking Him, “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews?” They bear gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. They traveled weeks, maybe months, maybe years, they traveled hundreds, maybe thousands of miles.
These important, rich, smart, well honored by world men, likely a lot more than 3 of them, likely traveling with a huge caravan, when they saw the child Jesus, likely in a very poor home, born to a humble mother knelt down and worshipped.
Their status before the world, their riches, their honor before men, their time, their life, their energy are all sacrificed to the joy this King brings them.
This child is a motivation, a joyful motivation for them. Arise, shine, your light has come motivation.
“Where is He?” they ask and when the answer is “He’s right here,” They fall down and worship.
But there is another one who is strongly motivated in this story, and that is Herod, the King.
When Herod’s status before the world, his riches, his honor before men, his time, his life, his energy are threatened, he is motivated to keep them in any way he can.
The text says: When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled (other translations say that he was agitated, that he was stirred up, he was disturbed) and all Jerusalem with him.
All Jerusalem knows that if Herod ain’t happy, ain’t nobody happy. And they have reason to be troubled at Herod’s being troubled, because Herod will be motivated even to kill all the little children in Bethlehem who were about Jesus’ age in hopes that he can save himself.
What are you motivated to save?
As you look around in the world, in your family’s and workplaces, in politics, as you search your own heart, how many times are you are others moved by fear, anger, or worry? Moved to save themselves in any way they can?
Jesus says, the one who seeks to save his life will lose it.
Jesus says, What does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses his soul.
We join the wise men again today.
Our Lord is only in that Bethlehem house because He was willing to give up His life to save us.
Our King, who lost His life so that we might be found in His Kingdom, changes our motivation away from fear’s of this life and anger and jealousy to thanksgiving and love for Him and deep humility that He came to be our King, our protector, our rock, our strong tower.
What could I possibly give to my Savior, my God, but yes, here, take my gold and frankincense and myrrh? Use them as you see fit.
These men see in Christ what the Holy Spirit has worked you and I to see as well, and that is their God who was motivated out of love to die for them.
All so that you might know His love for you is so strong, so true, so humbling, so undeserving and so powerful, that nothing can separate you from Him.
He answers our anger, our jealousy, our greed, our fear of losing our life or status or self or pride, with His own sacrifice, His complete giving of Himself, even unto death, even death on a cross.
While King Herod was worried about himself, we have in our midst today a King who was worried about you.
Consider this today, from St. Matthew:
Pontius Pilate said:
“So, are you the King of the Jews. Jesus said, “You have said so.”
But when Jesus was accused by the chief priests and elder, He gave no answer. Pilate said to Jesus, “Do you hear how many things they testify against you?” But Jesus gave no answer, not even to a single chart, so that the governor was greatly amazed.
How motivated are you to love this One who answered for every single one of your sins. All debt has been paid. Every accusation has been answered because of the day He gave no answer to false accusations charged to Him.
Have you heard of God’s grace to you? Hear it again.
Has it ever been preached to you the unsearchable riches of Christ, this mysterious plan of God hidden before the ages and revealed in Christ and in His body the Church? It’s preached again.
Do you know the mystery of Christ, that you have boldness and access with confidence to God through Him? Know it again.
Is Jesus our King? We have said so and we say it and believe it and draw from His strength to live it again.
We fall down and worship.
We are not motivated by a fear of losing ourself or anything about us, because His perfect love casts out our fear.
Jesus’ love and the Spirit Word moves you, motivates you, excites you, incites you.
You have nothing to fear.
Your gold, your name, your honor, even your own life, it all belongs to King Jesus.
And He is a just and righteous King.
He is a defender of the poor.
He crushes your oppressor, the devil.
He refreshes your soul like rain on a dry ground.
He considers your blood, your life, your everything precious to Him. And not one hair on your head will perish without His knowledge.
So, yes, we are deeply motivated to give Him our gold. He does so much good with it.
Take my very self. My reverence. My worship.
Take my life and let it be, consecrated Lord to thee.
Where is He who is your good King, more powerful than even death, more powerful than even our selfish motivations, so powerful that He changes our motivation to love and not fear?
Where is the one who is born King of the Jews?
He is here. You have sought Him where He has promised to be. But only because He has come to you to lead you to Him.