Third Week of Advent
Matthew 2:1-12
Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem, saying, “Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.” When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him; and assembling all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. They told him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for so it is written by the prophet:
“‘And you, O Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;
for from you shall come a ruler
who will shepherd my people Israel.’”
Then Herod summoned the wise men secretly and ascertained from them what time the star had appeared. And he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, “Go and search diligently for the child, and when you have found him, bring me word, that I too may come and worship him.” After listening to the king, they went on their way. And behold, the star that they had seen when it rose went before them until it came to rest over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. And going into the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh. And being warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed to their own country by another way.
The Wise Men mistakenly assumed that King Herod would sincerely wish to worship the baby Jesus like they did. In their joy they believed that everyone would be joyful with the news of a newborn King of the Jews. Their joy was not their mistake. Joy is rarely a mistake. Their mistake was that in their power as kings and wise men they spoke to Herod, a man of similar power, never dreaming what that power might do.
Most white people misunderstand the term white privilege. We say to ourselves, “Well I’m not racists, I would never dream of owning slaves or denying people the right to vote.” But that’s not what privilege is about. The Wise Men wanted nothing more than to humbly and joyfully worship the baby Jesus. They would never have dreamed of harming him. But in their privilege, they assumed that all kings, all people who were just like them, and would act the same way. And so, they innocently but devastatingly gave Herod information which was almost the undoing of everything.
White privilege is not about how many schools you personally have kept segregated or whether you use racial slurs. It is about little actions, conscious or unconscious, you take that prop up the jealous power that fears change.
In the case of the Wise Men, when they were confronted with their privilege in a dream, they immediately recognized it and took action to repair the damage. They understood that their joy had accidentally put a child in danger, even though that was not their intent, and did not return to Herod. Because of their quick thinking and ability to accept their mistakes, the lives of Mary, Joseph, and their son are spared. And we get to live in the continued joy of the gospel story.
But although the Wise Men saved one family, they could not stop Herod from killing every newborn son in Bethlehem. Their privilege lead to power committing unimaginable horrors in order to hold on to power. I am sure the news of the slaughter spread far and wide. And I am sure it broke the hearts of the Wise Men every day for the rest of their lives.
The work to undo the damage of unconscious privilege is lifelong. And it starts when we acknowledge the times we have propped up greedy power through our own ignorance. May we have the wisdom and the grace of the Wise Men to act quickly when we are confronted with our own privilege. Then, maybe, we will also know the unabashed joy of celebrating the newborn King of the Jews.
Kesia Lee 