In the time of King Herod, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, asking, “Where is the child who has been born king of the Jews? For we observed his star at its rising, and have come to pay him homage.”
...And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they left for their own country by another road.
- Matthew 2:1-2, 12 (NRSV)
Only a careful observer would have noticed the new star's quiet announcement.
This was no angelic visitation. No "unto you is born this day." No heavenly host singing praises and shouting directions. The new star that appeared on the horizon seems to have been overlooked by everyone except those who intentionally observed and patiently charted the celestial happenings.
The keen observation and careful record keeping of the magi prepared them to see the Messiah's star as it rose.
But this special star's appearance on the horizon beckoned these thinkers to become doers. They knew that something once-in-a-lifetime was happening, though they couldn't have been sure precisely what it was. They had a decision to make. Continue in their usual routines and practices, staying where they were, and waiting to hear news from Judea. Or they could take a chance, set out on a journey, and see for themselves what was about to happen.
They made the decision. And with the same meticulous care they gave to star-searching, they outfitted their camels, organized their provisions, and charted a course across the desert. Rising early in the morning they traveled several hours before pitching tents and seeking shade, perhaps journeying on a bit further in the late evening. They wove across the wilderness, connecting the dots between oasis and river and stream.
When they arrived in Judea, they headed for the capital, and in perhaps the least wise move of the story, they go directly to King Herod and ask: "Where is the child who has been born the king of the Jews?” Nearly 30 years earlier, Herod had consolidated power in the region and was proclaimed “King of the Jews.” This earthly king had ruled with an iron fist for more than a generation.
Immediately, the magi were caught between two worlds. When Herod realized the object of their quest, he was immediately threatened. He marshaled all of his advisors and secretly met with the magi. Herod knew how to protect power. He had snuffed out challengers before and this time, he thought, would be no different.
The empire of Casear was about to clash with the kingdom of God. A new ruler was on the scene in Judea, and the man on the throne was not at all happy. The Prince of Peace had come, but he was born into a world of ruthless power politics. And as soon as God breathed that first breath of oxygen, earthly powers were threatened and threatening.
It was a brutal and violent world. The unintended consequences of the magi’s visit were lethal.
The king was threatened, and when the magi did not return with the information he wanted, Herod unleashed a bloodbath in Bethlehem, murdering every toddler boy in the area. The murder of the innocents is a stark reminder that God became flesh and blood in the real world – a world that desperately needed a savior.
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The magi, however, weren’t looking for a savior. They were following a star to discover a new ruler. These foreign men had no history with the God of the Jews.
And yet when they finally arrive at the house, and found Mary and Jesus inside, in the words of the King James Version "rejoiced with an exceeding great joy."
Theologian Ronald Goetz writes: "The wise men, having achieved the object of their trek, succumbed to their feelings of joy and awe. They had lost the composure and reserve of scholars and sages, giving way to an ecstasy of naked adoration. There was no possibility of rational detachment in the situation; they could only praise and pour out their gifts in their dumbfounded worship of the newborn infant.”
Their intellect, observation, and commitment led them into the presence of Jesus. They weren’t looking for a savior, but when they came face to face with Jesus, they were overwhelmed by joy and moved to worship. Their encounter with the infant Messiah would change them, sending them home another way. Bethlehem was not their final destination. It was not the end of their journey. In fact, it was a new beginning.
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But what about us? What about our post-Christmas journeys? What can we learn from the magi? Here are a few thoughts:
Look to the skies!
Do you ever find yourself in the middle of a conversation looking down at your phone or your watch? Too often my eyes are drawn away from what ought to be my focus in the moment. It is easy, physically and spiritually, to move through life never looking to the skies. We are too distracted to notice. Too preoccupied with important things for something so frivolous. Too wounded by past experience to dare to hope that something bigger, something grander really is out there. So we don't even look to the sky. We don't make space for wonder and hope and mystery in our lives.
Follow the right star!
What stars are you following? How do you chart the journey of your life? Many of us are following stars that we know in our hearts will never come to stop at any place we could ever call home. But we follow them anyway.
Do you ever find yourself in the middle of a conversation looking down at your phone or your watch? Too often my eyes are drawn away from what ought to be my focus in the moment. It is easy, physically and spiritually, to move through life never looking to the skies. We are too distracted to notice. Too preoccupied with important things for something so frivolous. Too wounded by past experience to dare to hope that something bigger, something grander really is out there. So we don't even look to the sky. We don't make space for wonder and hope and mystery in our lives.
Follow the right star!
What stars are you following? How do you chart the journey of your life? Many of us are following stars that we know in our hearts will never come to stop at any place we could ever call home. But we follow them anyway.
When we pay attention to who God has created us to be, and when we are on the lookout for God’s work in and around our lives, we can set our sights on the right stars, stars that have meaning and purpose for our lives. Stars that lead us toward the Light of the World and toward a new way of living. Find these stars and set your life toward following them.
Don't give up on the journey!
The magi saw the star at its rising, but they saw more than just a star, they saw an invitation to something a new journey. They certainly crossed difficult physical terrain... They must have wrestled with doubt as to whether they should have set out on such a quest in the first place... They probably lost sight of the star for periods of time... Don’t give up when the journey gets tough or when the way forward is unclear. Often God’s work in our life happens in those moments.
Don't give in to Herod!
When violence, excess, selfishness, and indulgence become characteristic of our culture, we all bear responsibility. We live within and contribute to the status quo. We protect our power and privilege and status as soon as we acquire it. We all face the temptation to give in to the Herod within ourselves and within our culture.
Don't give up on the journey!
The magi saw the star at its rising, but they saw more than just a star, they saw an invitation to something a new journey. They certainly crossed difficult physical terrain... They must have wrestled with doubt as to whether they should have set out on such a quest in the first place... They probably lost sight of the star for periods of time... Don’t give up when the journey gets tough or when the way forward is unclear. Often God’s work in our life happens in those moments.
Don't give in to Herod!
When violence, excess, selfishness, and indulgence become characteristic of our culture, we all bear responsibility. We live within and contribute to the status quo. We protect our power and privilege and status as soon as we acquire it. We all face the temptation to give in to the Herod within ourselves and within our culture.
But as Christmas people, we believe God's best intentions for the world were unveiled in the extreme vulnerability, unconditional love, and unbridled potential of a newborn baby. Instead of living in the fear and anxiety so easily evoked by the world around us, we can push back against the way things are and imagine the way they might be.
Don't stop at the manger!
What a wonderful, mysterious, miraculous thing to somehow find the Christ child in the midst of the craziness of our world. To find peace in the midst of chaos. To find hope in the midst of despair. To find meaning in the midst of aimless wandering.
But if we stop there, our journey is only halfway done! The wise men found another road home. They took what they discovered back to their everyday lives. They must have remembered the joy of that moment for the rest of their lives. But they could not stay. Their journey continues and so does ours.
Don't stop at the manger!
What a wonderful, mysterious, miraculous thing to somehow find the Christ child in the midst of the craziness of our world. To find peace in the midst of chaos. To find hope in the midst of despair. To find meaning in the midst of aimless wandering.
But if we stop there, our journey is only halfway done! The wise men found another road home. They took what they discovered back to their everyday lives. They must have remembered the joy of that moment for the rest of their lives. But they could not stay. Their journey continues and so does ours.
So, even on the darkest of nights, take a hopeful glance toward what lies on the far horizon.
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Every Christmas, the church I grew up in put on a living Christmas tree. A crew assembled the huge steel frame, which was then covered in greenery and strung with miles of lights. Nearly a hundred voices sang in the choir, a full orchestra accompanied, and a cast of teenagers and adults enacted the Christmas story, all for a week’s worth of evening performances, open to the community. Through the years, the music would change - new songs would be added, others left out. But several favorite songs became the unchanging center pieces of the living Christmas tree.
During one of them, a song called "Wise Men Still Seek Him," the magi process onto stage. Each of the regal seekers wearing long robes and accompanied a page bearing his gift for the Christ child. They each bow low, worshiping the baby, placing their gifts before him. As the choir sings: "Wise men still seek him today. His light still shines to point them to the way," modern day seekers approach the manger. A nurse, a fire fighter, a high school football player, a businessman, a teacher, a Marine. Each kneeling before the baby Jesus.
Today, wise men and women do still seek the Messiah, the savior of the world. We journey to the manger from all sorts of places, along a variety of paths. Perhaps we, like those initial wise men, will set our minds and our hearts toward seeking this surprising King, using all the resources at our disposal.
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Every Christmas, the church I grew up in put on a living Christmas tree. A crew assembled the huge steel frame, which was then covered in greenery and strung with miles of lights. Nearly a hundred voices sang in the choir, a full orchestra accompanied, and a cast of teenagers and adults enacted the Christmas story, all for a week’s worth of evening performances, open to the community. Through the years, the music would change - new songs would be added, others left out. But several favorite songs became the unchanging center pieces of the living Christmas tree.
During one of them, a song called "Wise Men Still Seek Him," the magi process onto stage. Each of the regal seekers wearing long robes and accompanied a page bearing his gift for the Christ child. They each bow low, worshiping the baby, placing their gifts before him. As the choir sings: "Wise men still seek him today. His light still shines to point them to the way," modern day seekers approach the manger. A nurse, a fire fighter, a high school football player, a businessman, a teacher, a Marine. Each kneeling before the baby Jesus.
Today, wise men and women do still seek the Messiah, the savior of the world. We journey to the manger from all sorts of places, along a variety of paths. Perhaps we, like those initial wise men, will set our minds and our hearts toward seeking this surprising King, using all the resources at our disposal.
And when we find the Messiah and spend time in his presence, chances are we will be sent home by another road.
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