The story of the Wise Men is a story about 3 kings.

But, none of those kings are the Wise Men themselves.

In the passage we just read, two of the three kings are introduced directly:

There is King Herod

And then there is “the king of Jews” whom the wise men are looking for in order to welcome his birth.

Within the first two verses of this reading, a dramatic tension has been created.

As King over all of Israel, shouldn’t Herod be “king of the Jews?”

Obviously, the wise men don’t think so.

And though they are called wise, how these men behave is quite foolish.  King Herod was known in the ancient world for his terrible cruelty.

Just a few verses after this story, Herod decrees that all the children in Bethlehem be slaughtered in the hopes of killing this one baby.

And as one commentator put it, “while there is no historical proof this actually happened…it does fit Herod’s character.”

Herod sent his troops into villages to raid and steal food from the people.

Herod set up a secret police network to spy on people and would kill anyone who questioned his authority.

Herod had 2 of his sons killed because of his paranoia.  One of which begged for his life, and Herod didn’t care.

Herod had his brother-in-law (the high priest) drowned.  He had his wife killed.

Herod had students publicly burned in the city for protesting his renovations of the Jerusalem Temple.

Herod heard a rumor that a particular soldier was questioning his kingship…and so he had the sons of that solider killed in front of him.

When Herod died, his will specified that he wanted the most influential people in Jericho brought into a stadium and slaughtered so there would be guaranteed mourning on the day of his death.

Herod was a ruthless king.

And so, the so-called wise men truly risk their lives when they come to Herod and ask him about some other “King of the Jews.”

It’s only because of Herod’s cunning and willingness to play the long game that these men aren’t killed on the spot.

Undoubtedly, Herod planned to not only kill the baby Jesus when the wise men returned, but also the wise men themselves.

Given how ruthless this man was, it’s fair to ask how he stayed in power.  The Jewish people were not unfamiliar with revolts and revolutions.

When Herod conquered Jerusalem and all of Israel, he conquered it from the Hasmonaean dynasty.

The Hasmonaeans began as a Jewish liberation movement, it was an independent, Jewish, autonomous kingdom.

So why did the people put up with Herod’s ruthlessness?

Rome.

This is the third king in the story of the wise men: Caesar.

Herod was supported by Caesar, the king of the vast Roman military empire.

Herod was backed up by the leadership of the world’s foremost military superpower of the day.

And everyone knew that.  So when you read Herod in the Bible, you should simultaneously hear in your mind “Caesar.”

Caesar didn’t mind how ruthless Herod was because Caesar ruled in much the same way.

Rome had a mantra:

Peace through Military Victory

It was printed on all their money.

It was etched into the sides of big official Roman buildings.

The Peace of the Roman empire, the Pax Romana, was built upon military violence and death.

In Israel alone, when Herod died in 4 BCE, there were some rebellious rumblings, some urges for freedom.

And Rome had two of the major hubs: the city of Emmaus in Judea and the city of Sepphoris in Galilee burned to the ground, demolished, and all the people who lived there either killed or enslaved.

That’s how Rome ensured peace…through military might, intimidation, violence, and death to anyone who opposed this “peace.”

Let us not forget that the cross was invented by the Roman system to publicly shame and torture anyone who defied Caesar’s kingship.

The cross was an instrument of torture that tried to keep people alive for as long as possible and in the most amount of pain.

Crucifixions were public events to teach everyone: this is what happens when you go looking for a king other than Caesar.

Yes, these so-called wise men who traveled to Bethlehem were quite foolish in how publicly they asked Herod about some other King.  A King who is not Herod and not Caesar.  It is no wonder that all of Jerusalem was frightened.

Now, some of the other royal titles for Caesar included:

-King of Kings

-King of all of creation

-Prince of Peace

-Son of God

Sounding familiar yet?

-The One who Wipes Away our Sins

-The Savior of the human race

-The Good News for the World

By now, I hope you’re asking…but wait, aren’t those the titles we use for Jesus?

Yes.  That’s exactly right.  The authors of the New Testament knew exactly what they were doing.

They were drawing a direct and clear contrast between Caesar, the king of Rome, and Jesus, the true king of Peace.

Now that we have examined Herod and Caesar, it’s time to turn and examine this alternative king.

The wise men have come to find this king…and they succeed.

They find Jesus in a home in Bethlehem.

This is not a wealthy palace, it is not a fortified castle, Jesus is in a peasant’s home.

This king is not identified with wealth or military power…this king is identified with the people who are poor, the people who are exploited and oppressed.

You could say the entire Gospel of Matthew is an exploration of what this king is like:

-this king doesn’t take food from villagers,

but rather he feeds them.

-this king doesn’t maim and disable people through violence,

but rather he heals them.

-this king doesn’t demand obedience or death,

But rather he forgives.

-this king doesn’t even use the title king,

But rather he calls himself “son of Man” – “Human One”

When Jesus is presented as a king, for the people in Jesus’ day and our own, he turns the idea of king on its head and inside out.

Jesus’ life and ministry are a critique of the ruling systems of his day: Violence, Poverty, Oppression, and Exploitation.

Herod and Caesar were products of these systems, they did not create them…instead they embodied them.

Jesus embodies a different way.

But how can we characterize or describe the kingdom that Jesus embodies?

The answer, of course, is LOVE.

Our presiding Bishop, Michael Curry, in a PBS Newshour special Thursday night, defined this love as “unselfish…seeking the good and welfare of others, as well as the self.”

When the crowd wants to throw Jesus off a cliff for claiming to be the Messiah, Jesus slips away from them and forgives them.

When his disciples fight over who is the greatest, Jesus reveals the boundlessness of this love by declaring that to be first is to be the servant of all.

When the Jewish and Roman soldiers come in the night to arrest Jesus, and one his disciples lashes out with a sword, Jesus stops everything and shows love to the injured one.

When the Roman soldiers are nailing Jesus to a cross, subjecting him to a system of torture intended for those who challenged Caesar’s claims of power, Jesus loved them and forgave them.

In God’s Kingdom, love is the way to peace.

Love is the foundation of strength.

Love is the way to great wealth.

Love is what transforms communities and brings an end to war and strife.

Love is what holds us together in unity amidst our diversity.

Love is the fabric of society in God’s kingdom.

And so, as we begin 2021.

As we begin a new year, we need to ask ourselves:

Which king are we seeking?

Are we seeking the kingdom whose peace is built on violence and death?

Are we allowing economic and political systems that benefit a few, privileged elite at the expense of everyone else be our guiding kingdom?

Or do we follow a different king?

Are we living our lives in service of love?

Do we allow love to guide the economic and political decisions we make?

Do we let love be the way we resolve conflicts between family and friends and in community?

Do you find peace through power and might? 

Or do you find peace through love?

Is love the guiding principle of your life?