Sermon by Rev. Dr. Daesun Chung See More Than Others Can See 1

See More Than Others Can See Matthew 2:1-12 January 7, 2018

There is a story about the filmmaker, Walt Disney, who died in December 1966, about five years before the opening of the Disney World in Orlando Florida. At the opening ceremony, two Disney executives were sitting together. One said, “Isn’t it too bad that Walt Disney did not live to see this?” The other replied, “Walt did see it. That’s why it’s here.” Seeing more than others can see is the true quality of a leader. The ability to visualize the possibilities that others don’t see is one of the characteristics of a great leader.

A boy named Jimmy was playing after dinner. His mom and dad were busy doing some work and did not notice the time. When the mother finally realized it was passed Jimmy’s bed time, she said to him, “Jimmy, it’s time to go to bed. Go upstairs now.” Unlike other times, Jimmy went up to his room right away.

About an hour or so later, his mother went up to make sure Jimmy was sleeping okay. When she opened the door, she found Jimmy sitting on his bed staring out the window looking at the moon. It was full moon and the moonlight was bright. “What are you doing, Jimmy?” “I’m looking at the moon, mommy.” “Well, it’s time to sleep now.” Jimmy was reluctant, but settled down. As he was covering himself with a blanket, he said, “Mommy, you know one day I’m going to walk on the moon.” That night young Jimmy planted a dream in his heart.

This young boy later had a motor cycle accident which broke almost every bone in his body, but that accident could not break his dream. Thirty-two years after the night when he had the dream to walk on the moon, James Irwin stepped onto the moon’s surface. He became one of the 12 people in human history to have ever walked on the moon.1

James Irwin saw a possibility no one else could see. That is the power of vision. Nothing happens without a vision. The world hungers for the people with visions; the people who can see more than what others can see.

In the year 7 B.C. the planets Jupiter and Saturn appeared very close together in the night sky. Because they were so close, it was very bright. It appeared as if it was just one large star. The following year, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn were also closely aligned and produced a tremendously bright light.

1 Bill Hybels, Who You Are When No One’s Looking, IVP, 1987, p. 35.

East Whittier United Methodist Church 562-698-2241 www.ewumc.org 10005 South Cole Road, Whittier, CA 90603 Sunday Worship: 10 AM Sermon by Rev. Dr. Daesun Chung See More Than Others Can See 2

Historians tell us that Jesus was born around 4 B.C. to 7 B.C. and it was right around that time when the very bright light appeared in the sky. This is the reason why some scholars believe that it was one of these two events that produced the bright light in the sky which the magi followed.

Whether the bright light produced by the close alignment of the planets is what the magi followed or not, the fact that such phenomenon happened so close to Jesus’ birth is fascinating to me. But what is more fascinating to me than this is the fact that the magi understood the meaning of this cosmic sign. When they saw an unusual star in the sky, they understood it to be the sign that indicated the birth of a Jewish King who would be the ruler of the world. The question is “How did they know that?”

Magi were a group of scholars who studied astrology and its prophetic message. In ancient Mesopotamia, the Sumerian priests often studied the stars and their movements to draw portents and signs of the future.

There is an ancient tradition that Balaam, a priest from Mesopotamia, was an early member of the Magi. You might remember that Balaam was the priest from Moses’ time.

When Israelites were on their way to the Promised Land they came to the land of Amorites. They requested the Amorites to allow them to go through their land, but they refused. Not only did they refuse the request, they also came out to take military action against the Israelites to destroy them. In that battle, however, the Israelites defeated the Amorites and occupied their land. Then the Israelites went up to Bashan and wiped them out as well. Then they continued toward Moab. When the Israelites came close to Moab, Balak, king of Moab knowing what the Israelites had done to Amorites and to the people of Bashan was scared.

Balak collaborated with the Midianites and together invited Balaam, the priest from Mesopotamia to come and curse the Israelites in exchange for a reward. Balaam said that he needed God’s permission to do that, but God said not to curse the Israelites. So Balaam said to the representatives of Moab and Midian that he could not go with them, but Balak kept insisting.

What ended up happening was Balaam finally went with them. However, instead of cursing the Israelites, he prophesied about a star. He said: “I see him, but not now. I behold him, but not near. A Star shall come out of Jacob, and a Scepter shall rise out of Israel” (Numbers 24:17a). Balaam’s divinely inspired

East Whittier United Methodist Church 562-698-2241 www.ewumc.org 10005 South Cole Road, Whittier, CA 90603 Sunday Worship: 10 AM Sermon by Rev. Dr. Daesun Chung See More Than Others Can See 3 prophecy revealed that a unique Star associated with Israel would accompany a future Scepter (that is, King) who would eventually rule the world.

Later in the days of Daniel, the Angel Gabriel came to Daniel and gave him a prophecy saying, “Seventy (of) ‘sevens’ are decreed concerning your people and your holy city…” “Seventy (of) ‘sevens’” is interpreted as 70 years times 7 which is 490 years. This period of 490 years would start with the commandment to rebuild the city of Jerusalem sometime after the 70 years of Babylonian captivity.

In the books of Ezra and Nehemiah, we find four royal commands given by Persian kings to rebuild Jerusalem. The first was given by Cyrus in Ezra 1:1-11. The second was by Darius in Ezra 4:24 an 6:1-12. The third by Artaxerxes in his 7th year in Ezra 7:7-26, and the fourth was also by Artaxerxes in his 20th year in Nehemiah 2:1-8.

As 490 years approach from the time of first royal command to rebuild Jerusalem, the wise men must have been watching for the cosmic sign, the star. So, when the unusual star or the unusually bright light appeared in the sky, the magi were convinced it was the Star out of Jacob.

The magi were seekers searching for something that would transform their lives, something that can change the world. When they saw the star they had been waiting for, they were on their way to greet the newborn King. They did not delay. They were the men of action.

The people who make a difference in the world are not content to sit on the sidelines. They set their eyes on a worthy star and follow it with all their hearts.

In 1992, Patricia Aburdene and John Naisbitt wrote a book about the major contributions women were making called, “Megatrends for Women.” In that book they shared a story about a woman named Celeste Tate. In 1982 Celeste Tate was shocked by how much good food supermarkets throw away. She persuaded a store manager to donate his expired items to help the less fortunate. She and David McKinley set up a shop in a garage. Soon they had built the first Gleaners supermarket for the needy in Las Vegas. The name “Gleaners” comes from the Old Testament practice of leaving some grain in the fields after harvesting so that the poor may gather it.2

2 Deuteronomy 24:19-22.

East Whittier United Methodist Church 562-698-2241 www.ewumc.org 10005 South Cole Road, Whittier, CA 90603 Sunday Worship: 10 AM Sermon by Rev. Dr. Daesun Chung See More Than Others Can See 4

Since the 1990’s, the Las Vegas store served about 20,000 people a month. There were 194 stores based on the Gleaners model in the world by the 1990’s. You could find them not only in America but also in Great Britain, Australia, Holland, and China. I am sure they have a lot more stores now and perhaps in more countries. These non-profit stores receive food and other perishable goods from supermarkets and big businesses, repackage them and either give them away to the needy or sell them at dramatically reduced prices for those who do not have a lot of money.

The Department of Health and Human Services has called Gleaners the most outstanding food program in the United States. And it all began because one woman saw and was shocked at the waste in our supermarkets.3

Nothing happens in this world until someone sees some issues and does something about them. The wise men saw the Star and followed it. They followed their conviction. Their purpose was to worship and to praise the promised King, the Messiah. They came to offer their gifts and to recognize the Lordship of the newborn King.

What does this mean for us? It means for us to see more than what other can see, and following our conviction to do something about it that brings honor and glory to God.

Celeste Tate saw perfectly fine food being wasted, and she used her mind and skill to bring real help to those who need it. That honors God.

What about you? What do you see around you? Is there anything you can do to bring a positive change, even on a small scale? As we begin this New Year, I hope we all see something more than what other people see and do something about it.

3 Patricia Aburdene and John Naisbitt, Megatrends for Women (New York: Villard Books, 1992), p. 276.

East Whittier United Methodist Church 562-698-2241 www.ewumc.org 10005 South Cole Road, Whittier, CA 90603 Sunday Worship: 10 AM