This morning’s gospel story from
Matthew is a story that we’ve all grown very familiar with over the years. It’s the story of three wise men, traveling
from a far and distant land, following the light of a star in order to offer
their gifts to the baby Jesus in Bethlehem.
It’s a familiar story—we’ve all heard it a million times. Yet despite its familiarity, this text still has
so much to say to us, particularly on this day when we celebrate both the
church holiday of Epiphany and the wider cultural holiday of New Years Day. This text has much to say to us as we
struggle to find places in the world and in our lives where we can truly agree
with the pronouncement that God’s light has been born into the world on Christmas. For some of us,
to hear these words proclaimed again on New Year’s Day is a clarion call to hope--
giving us the refreshment we need to move forward into a new year. But for others, these words may seem a little
empty. With the discrepancy between the
proclaimed light on the one hand and the seeming darkness of reality on the
other, these words may feel like a contradiction that stretches our capacity to
suspend our disbelief. On this first
Sunday after Christmas, we hear and proclaim that God’s light has come, but the
nightly news seems to tell us otherwise, with stories of violence and war, poverty
and unemployment, division and political bickering. For some of us it may hit closer to home than
the news, with things happening in our daily lives that cause us to wonder,
where exactly is God’s light to be found? As we head into 2012, making new
year’s resolutions and looking forward towards the future, I believe this
morning’s gospel text gives us a number of clues as to where we can find God’s
light—and what to do when we find it. And it all comes back to these three
strange visitors at the heart of this morning’s story.
So who exactly where the Magi in
Matthew’s gospel? Well, there is plenty
of speculation amongst biblical historians and interpreters about who these men
were and where they came from. Most
scholars guess that they came from somewhere in Persia and were likely
astrologers who observed the night sky in conjunction with sacred and mystical
texts in order to determine that something remarkable was going on in
Bethlehem. But of course, that is just a
scholarly guess. No one really knows for
sure. We don’t even really know how many
wise men there were. We often say there were three, but that’s only because
they came bearing three different gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. There’s actually nothing in the text that
says there were exactly three men. Some
scholars have suggested there was a whole company of wise men— which would have
made quite a crowd in that small little stable in Bethlehem. But again, we just don’t know. However, what we don’t know about the details
of this story only serves to highlight what we do know-- what is really
important about this text— which is that is gives us, as 21st
century Christians, a road map for our journey towards Epiphany. It gives us clues for how to make our own
discoveries of God’s light as it shines forth in the dark or unlikely places of
the world. We may not know much about
who the wise men were, but we can still follow their example and learn from
their wisdom.
First of all, we learn from the
example of the wise men the importance of seeing. One scholar suggests that there probably wasn’t
anything particularly remarkable about the star the wise men followed, but that
it was their unique ability to see something extraordinary in the midst of the
ordinary that led them to Bethlehem. It
was their study of sacred texts, along
with their observations of the natural world, and even perhaps their study of
the cultural movements around them, that culminated in the knowledge that
something was happening and they wanted to be a part of it. And so in order for us to find our own epiphanies,
we need to be willing to see. We need to
be willing see the extraordinary in the midst of our ordinary lives. We need to be open to the unexpected moments
of epiphany that arrive in the margins of everyday life. It may not always be obvious, but if we are
paying attention, we might just notice that at some point, what is happening in
our lives and in the world around us may just correlate with what we have found
in our study of sacred text and scripture.
And it is at that point of correlation where we begin to find those
first few traces of light.
But of course the willingness to
see, to be open to the appearance of those traces of light in our lives, is
only the first step towards Epiphany. The
second thing we learn from the story of the Magi is that it’s not enough merely
to be observers. It’s not enough to
merely notice those traces of light and go on with business as usual. As many a contemplative soul has pointed out,
it is our commitment to contemplation and observation which sows the seeds for
compassionate action in the world. When
the Magi realized that something extraordinary was happening, they took action. They left the safety and comfort of home in
order to follow the light that had emerged.
They took a chance, not knowing what they would find, but knowing that
risk-taking is often a necessary ingredient in seeking out Epiphany. Sacrificing time and comfort, these wise men
traveled a great distance in order to offer gifts, and indeed their very
selves, to a poor newborn child. And so in
seeking out God’s light in our own world, we are called, when we find it, to
act. To let God’s light lead us out of
our own comfort zones, whatever those may be, and offer something of ourselves
in response.
Finally, the third lesson we
learn from the story of the Magi is the one that is perhaps the most
challenging of all. In the final words of the
drama, we read that being warned in a dream not to return to Herod’s court, the wise men return home by another road. A literal interpretation of this text would
simply acknowledge that the wise men had to take an evasive route home in order
to avoid what would most likely have been a deadly confrontation with a brutal
king. But as always with scripture, there
is more here than meets the eye. Theologian
James Howell highlights one possible deeper meaning to the end of this
story. “Could it be," he writes, "that Matthew is
offering a tantalizing hint about life for those who have encountered
Jesus? Nothing is ever quite the
same. You don’t take the old road any
longer. You unfold a new map, and
discover an alternate path.” When we truly experience God’s
light, there is no more business as usual.
We are called to live differently— to return home by another road. I think that sometimes the reason why it’s so
difficult for us to see God’s light— as individuals and as a society-- is that
we continue to try and find it in the same old places, through the same old
habits and routines. We continue to try
and take the same path, when maybe what we should be doing is following the
voice of God’s Spirit towards something new and different. As we embark upon new journeys in a new year,
many of us may be encountering changes in our lives. Maybe they are changes in employment, health,
or relationships. Maybe they are changes
in economic or financial status. For
some of us, it may not be outward change, but inward change that we seek. Perhaps we have made resolutions to change
the way we live, alter bad habits, or be better parents, spouses, or friends. Regardless of what kinds of changes we may be
seeking or experiencing, the example of the Magi reminds us that to truly
experience God’s light and holiness in our lives, we must be willing to see God’s
light in the margins of everyday life. And
we may just find, when we arrive at the source of that light, that we need to
change course. We may need to travel
home by another road. We may be called
to seek out uncharted territory, and in doing so, we may just discover
unexpected possibilities for vocation, transformation and renewal.
As I was reflecting on all of
this over the past week, I couldn’t help but think of how appropriate this idea
of “home by another road” could be for the 21st century church. There are many of us in the church, leaders
as well as lay members, who look around, wee the empty pews, and we can’t help
but wonder if God’s light is dimming in our churches. I think that as God’s people, if we are serious
about renewing the church, we have to take the message of the magi to heart. Perhaps it is time to embark upon a serious
period of study and contemplation.
Perhaps it is time to seek out places where God’s light is waiting to
break forth in new and perhaps unexpected ways.
We have to be willing to see it, we must be open to it. But beyond that, we have to be willing to
follow where that light leads. Even if
it’s outside our comfort zone, even if it takes us home to God by another road—
one that is unfamiliar, but full of new adventures and opportunities.
It was one of the great founders
of the congregational church— John Robinson— who said that “there is yet more
truth and light to break forth from God’s Holy Word.” We are encouraged, and indeed as Christians
we are called, to seek out that truth and light, and to be bearers of that
light in the world.
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