You are Welcome to Reflect on this Message
From The First Baptist Church in America pulpit
Epiphany – January 13, 2008
"Three Wise Women" (Matthew 2:1-12)
Dr. Dan Ivins, preaching

One of my favorite all-time Christmas cards came from a feminist buddy. On the front is a manger scene, with the traditional characters. A baby is lying in the manger, surrounded by the regular barnyard animals. But the wise men, shepherds and Joseph have stunned looks on their faces...open-mouthed and wide-eyed. Mary's smiling smugly, giving the OK sign. On the inside the card simply read: It's a girl!

Epiphany is epitomized by the wise men and the star. But wisdom has nothing to do with gender. Everybody’s familiar with the story of the three Wise Men. But I’m going to talk about three wise women. There have been many wise women in my life. The benefit of their wisdom has been invaluable. My first teachers in school and Sunday school were women. At the age of 5, it was a woman who interpreted a childhood tragedy as “a call from God.” All the men wanted to do was get even. It took 20 years to respond to that call but it started with the words of my Sunday School teacher Mrs. Harry Haskins: “God wouldn’t have let Danny survive that explosion unless he had something special for him to do.”

I can recall many wise women in the churches where I was pastor. And the wisest woman I’ve ever known is my wife. But I’ve also benefited from the wisdom of women doctors, and admired women coaches. Who knows, maybe America’s ready for a female president.

So I hope ya’ll brought your imaginations with you this morning. Ever wonder what it would’ve been like if the wise men had been women? Or if Jesus had been a girl? God help him! Cause when they arrived at the manger, you can bet if they were women, they would have: asked for directions; arrived on time; helped deliver the baby; cleaned the stable; brought practical gifts and made a casserole! (More on what they said on their way home later). But the Christmas message of God's love-gift is universal and can’t be confined to nationality or gender.

Luke’s is the gospel most aware of the strengths of women. “Steel Magnolias,” who stand out in Jesus’ story. Like Helen Reddy’s “I am Woman,” with feminine wisdom at the beginning of the gospel and the end, were the women. Without them, there’d be no Christmas or Easter. Without the ladies, there’d be no church.

Wise woman number one is ELIZABETH (Luke 1:5-7). Zechariah the priest and Elizabeth were the first two characters mentioned by Luke. She and her husband, had the ideal marriage and a bright future, looking forward to the day when kids bless their home. But time goes by, their friends wonder why her tummy’s not swelling. And of course, with pre-scientific, patriarchal prejudice, he blames the barrenness on Lizzy!

And the inquiries hang over her head until it begins to droop. She meets her buddies by the well with babies in their arms, and sews tiny booties, hoping for the day when she too will be a mother. But no child comes to Elizabeth. The months turn to years and Elizabeth is still childless. There's no suggestion that Zechariah might be impotent, only that Elizabeth is childless.

Gotta blame somebody, so it must be her fault! That stigma borne by the females for centuries, meant days of despair, disappointment and depression. Her empty womb bred an empty heart. She endures the taunts from small-minded church-folks, "What sin has she committed to cause her to be infertile?" New brides come along and are warned not to be like Elizabeth. Her barrenness is a sign that she's not really a woman and certainly not someone to be esteemed. As the years pass, the blush of youth has left her cheeks and her smile is long gone. She and Zechariah passed mid-life and are getting up in years.

Then one day a messenger showed up with an announcement that the old man and woman would finally bear a son and name him John. The daddy was struck dumb and Elizabeth lit up like a firecracker! "The Lord has ... taken away my reproach in the community." As if God was humiliating her! But “at last, she’s finally gonna be a mother!" As her abdomen swelled the smile returned to her face and a song in her heart. Then one day, she heard footsteps and Mary’s young voice humming an unusual tune. Her cousin was paying a visit, with secrets of her own to tell. And little John turned somersaults and kicked inside Elizabeth's belly: "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child that you will bear" (Lk. 1:42). And deep communicates with deep.

Elizabeth had the wisdom to know how to live with hope when things looked hopeless. Here’s a wise woman, kin to all women who’ve felt the pain of being childless and the self-doubt that goes with it. For those with parched places in their souls, Elizabeth speaks a kind word to each. And she's also sister not just to women, but anybody who’s felt rejection of any kind. People stigmatized for circumstances they’ve inherited; things they’ve had done to them, otherwise beyond their control.

Yeah the wise men brought costly gifts to the Jesus. But Elizabeth offered something more valuable than gold ... the gift of hope, when things look hopeless. To keep on, when you don't know what's going on.

Wise woman number two was MARY...just a kid, engaged to be married. She too was approached by a heavenly visitor, and told that she’ll mysteriously conceive a son of the Most High. Her kid would occupy the throne of David. "You have found favor with God!" Whatever that means! It’s not like winning the lottery I can assure you! Mary thought about it a lot, but obeyed in the end, "I am the handmaiden of the Lord, let it be to me according to thy word.” That’s wise.

The paradox of being "favored of God" for Mary meant carrying on her shoulders a ton’s worth of pain and sorrow and grief; thinking your son’s lost his mind and watching him get crucified. Old Simeon was right-on when he predicted, "a sword will pierce your own soul." Mary would learn what every mother should know, having to accept that the Child she birthed is not hers to keep, nor hers to control. That authority lay elsewhere, which was apparent as a 12 year old at the temple when he said, “He must be about his Father’s business.” The privilege and pain of being "chosen of God" is a crown of joy with thorns of sorrow. Negotiating those dicy boundaries made Mary very wise. She’s sister to all whose “yes-to-God” creates a struggle between the rewards and torment of what’s entailed in being "called-of-God."

The wise men brought frankincense to the manger, but Mary was wiser. She gave God a more valuable gift of obedience, even though she didn’t understand. And her Son on another day in the “Garden of Gethsemane," uttered similar words that his Mamma spoke to Gabriel years before: "If it be possible, let this cup pass from me, nevertheless, Let it be to me according to thy will!" You know what happened after that. And the world’s never been the same. But I think he got it from his Mamma!

Wise Woman number three is ANNA...the other woman Luke describes, associated with Jesus beginnings. The 1^st time Jesus went to church, only 2 showed up! One of ‘em was Anna, "a widow until she was 84, who never left the temple. But worshiped night and day, fasting and praying. When Mary & Joseph arrived, she spoke about the child to all who were looking forward to the redemption from oppression" (Lk. 2:36-38).

For seven years, Anna was happily married. But her husband died and she was left a young widow in a time when women had few options without a man around. But rather than give up, Anna stood tall. Like a “first century nun,” she absorbed her losses and dedicated herself to a new beginning, and hung out at the temple. She spent her time looking for the Deliverer and it gave her life meaning. Her grief turned to praise one fine day because Anna’s open mind and heart was something God liked in a preacher! Anna was bold in proclaiming something God wanted said. So. A woman preacher! I don’t know what ya’ll do with that, but preaching is not about gender, just willingness.

It was more than coincidence that Anna was in the temple when Mary and Joseph brought the infant Jesus for dedication. Others looked at Jesus and saw just another baby; not worth making a fuss over. But Anna's 84 year old heart was alert and receptive. When she recognized Jesus as the promised Messiah, she seized the moment and pounced on the opportunity to proclaim God’s good news.

Anna’s like one of those smoke alarms attached to our ceilings that drive you crazy every time you heat the oven. You have to take a towel and wave over it to get it to shut up! When Mary held the baby out to Simeon, and he validated him, Anna goes off like a horn, testifying to all within the sound of her voice that God was among them! Unlike her forefather Jacob, the dunce who said “The Lord was in this place but he knew it not,” she knew it! And said so.

Anna is our sister too, to all who have experienced the grief of losing somebody we loved; sister to all who struggle for a meaningful spiritual quality of life, and the enthusiasm that comes from getting to preach God's truth to those hungry for grace. We all know folks who are single because of death or divorce or choice. All of us have friends who’ve moved away and that’s like dying. Anna is sister to these too. Yeah the Wise Men brought to Jesus Myrrh. But Anna showed even more wisdom, in offering to God the gift of faith. Three wise women associated with the early days of Jesus. You don’t hear much about them or their wisdom. They had no material gifts; no gold, or frankincense, no myrrh. But they shared gifts which we too can give if we would be wise. As we move into the period after Christmas that the church calls “Epiphany,” let us not forget our wise sisters, Elizabeth, Mary, and Anna and the unique contributions they offered to the Christ: the gifts of hope, obedience, and faith.

Now I’m gonna tell ya’ll what these gals might’ve said as they left the manger. Are you ready? “Did you see the sandals Mary was wearing with that gown?” “And that donkey they’re riding has seen better days too.” “Well. That drummer boy can beat my drum anytime.” “Wanta bet how long it’ll take to get your casserole dish back?” “Virgin my eye. I knew her back in high school!” And last but not least: “That baby doesn’t look anything like Joseph!”

Ah the ladies, God love ‘em. What would we do without the ladies??

Prayer (1-13-08)
We’re amazed Lord, at the insight of these Eastern pilgrims, who weren’t connected in any way with the Jewish religion, yet they detected your Christmas sign that has greatly blessed our world. Help us Christians to be as open to following you as they were.

We’re practical people, Lord. With our road maps, nice hotels, reservations and good highways. Mostly we like being in control and knowing what’s coming around the next corner. We sing “wherever you lead, we’ll go,” but that’s as long as it’s not too far, or inconvenient, or demanding. Teach us to quit looking at the ground and to be more starry-eyed this Epiphany.

Forgive us for playing it safe, when we catch your vision and close our eyes to it. As you directed the eastern visitors to a humble home in Palestine, help us to detect your presence in the unlikely places. Enable us to see Christ in the faces of the poor, the marginalized, the sick and afflicted, the grieving...and may we see that how we treat them, we are treating you.

Help us also to see your presence in worship that is not our style, in customs that are not our familiar practice, and in religions other than ours and the petty little ways we like to separate ourselves from one another. We know that “in Christ, there is neither male nor female, Jew nor Greek.” And while we’re making progress with that, we still can’t seem to get it right.

Sensitize us to the dark places in the world around us and in our own hearts. Help our church to be an open shaft of light with the promise of hope. Show us how Christ is in the workplace as well as the worship place; in the public school as well as the church school; in our homes and families as well as our church family; in bread and wine...for it is Jesus’ way to make the common holy.

We worship you today as the God of all who wander because you know how we’ve come through many deserts and endured them all, even when the star grows dim. So we continue to follow the shining light that led the seekers, trusting that the God who brightens the heavens also illumines our path. We believe it’s written in the stars and we can count on it. Amen.