Seeking Jesus
I write these words on the morning of January, 7 2021, the day after the United States Capitol was stormed by protestors – the day after Epiphany.
Each year on Epiphany we read the story of the wise men who seek the newborn king, Jesus. Risking their own lives, they travel to pay respect to Jesus, bringing him gifts and homage. This story has sparked largely meaningless debate about how many wise men came to see Jesus, has inspired the composition of many hymns and carols, and somehow has a role to play in essential oil sales. But underneath all of this trivia, there is Herod. Herod the not-king. Herod who lies and deceives. Herod who wishes to kill Jesus, not pay homage. Herod the foolish, who seeks Jesus for the wrong reasons, as opposed to the wise men who seek Jesus for the right reasons.
Yesterday, while the wise men sought to find Jesus, I watched a man yelling at police officers at the U.S. Capitol building while holding a flag with a Christian fish and the name of Jesus. I saw other similar flags, signs, and apparel worn and carried by those who stormed the Capitol with anger and violence – “Jesus Saves,” “Make America Godly Again,” and “Hold the line patriots, God Wins.”
I watched these scenes unfold on TV while on the coffee table in front of me was the story of the wise men from Matthew chapter two. I could not help but wonder what these individuals were seeking as they stormed, vandalized, and shouted all while bearing the name and will of God. The wise men sought Jesus to bring him honor, gifts, homage, and respect. Herod sought to find Jesus to kill him, thereby using Jesus to achieve his own political agenda and retain his power, position, and authority. I found this question unavoidable: Do we seek Jesus to pay him homage and give him gifts, or do we seek Jesus to achieve our own political goals?
The more I witnessed at the Capitol, the more I reflected on the act of seeking Jesus. When we seek Jesus, do we look for the Jesus we prefer and expect, or are we open to finding Jesus as he is? When we seek Jesus, are we trying to find and follow Jesus, or are we trying to make Jesus follow us? Do we seek a king to rule over us, or do we seek a king to serve us? Do we travel with the wise men, or do we keep company with Herod?
Today, the day after Epiphany, I pray for the divinity of Jesus to be made known to the world, for God to reign supreme over all the earth, for God’s will to be done, on earth as it is in heaven, and for all of us to travel with the wise men.
