Sunday, January 5, 2025, Epiphany
First Congregational Church of Cheshire
© the Rev. Dr. James Campbell
Matthew 2:1-12
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.” When King Herod heard this, he was frightened, and all Jerusalem with him; and calling together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born. They told him, “In Bethlehem of Judea; for so it has been written by the prophet: ‘And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for from you shall come a ruler who is to shepherd my people Israel.’” Then Herod secretly called for the wise men and learned from them the exact time when the star had appeared. Then he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, “Go and search diligently for the child; and when you have found him, bring me word so that I may also go and pay him homage.”
When they had heard the king, they set out; and there, ahead of them, went the star that they had seen at its rising, until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw that the star had stopped, they were overwhelmed with joy. On entering the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother; and they knelt down and paid him homage. Then, opening their treasure chests, they offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they left for their own country by another road.
Once upon a time, I stood hand-in-hand with my grandmother out in her backyard. Twilight had descended and the first faint twinkle of the North Star could be seen. She pointed it out to me and then she taught me this: “Star light, star bright, first star I’ve seen tonight. I wish I may, I wish I might, get the wish I wish tonight.” And then she told me that I should always wish upon a star, because some of those wishes would come true. And so, they have.
I’ve always been drawn to the night sky. And sometimes I stare into the vast expanse, and I wonder: who are we? And is who God? And what is this life all about? Stargazing an act of worship as old as the human race.
Of course, it used to be a lot easier than it is now. Light pollution prevents us from seeing the night sky as all our ancestors did. There’s just too much artificial light, which is damaging not only to our stargazing, but to our overall health and the health of the other creatures who share this world.
But today, we remember a time when the stars were far more easily seen. Today we lift our collective heads to scan the horizon for one particular star, so firmly ensconced in our collective Christmas consciousness that we cannot think of Mary and Joseph and the Baby Jesus without also thinking of THAT STAR.
Every year there is a spate of articles about what it was that the Wise Men actually saw. Was it an alignment of the planets? Was it a comet? Was it a supernova? Or is this simply a literary device? In many ancient cultures, a star heralded the birth of a great person or a god. Maybe, some scholars say, Matthew simply borrowed that idea so that his readers would know that something remarkable had happened in the birth of Jesus.
And what about those people first drawn by that star? Who were they, these Magi; these Wise Men; these Three Kings of Orient? Well, that too is up for debate, but one thing is clear: these stargazers were unlikely heroes because they were strangers. And they were strangers, not just because they were from some far-off land. They were strangers in that they were strange, different, unusual. Biblical scholars tell us that they may have been magicians or astronomers or astrologers or pseudo-scientists or fortune-tellers or horoscope fanatics. But by any decent standard, they were odd. Strange. Strangers.
Part of their strangeness was their religion. They practiced the ancient faith of Persia called Zoroastrianism. Why would heretics be called to look for the King of the Jews? And they came from the wrong part of the world. The East was where all the enemies of Israel came from to wage war. Yet here they were, with their strange astrological calculations and their strange religion, in their strange clothing, speaking their strange language, and coming from a strange and dangerous place.
And yet they are the heroes of this tale - because they had that one essential thing that the Lord loves. They were curious.
And so, they set out on their 1000-mile journey. And after months of traveling, they finally arrived in Jerusalem, where they sought the assistance of King Herod. But Herod was a despicable man known for his cruelty. He murdered his wife, his three sons, his mother-in-law, his brother-in-law, his uncle, and assorted others because he thought them a threat to his power. So, when the Wise Men told him that a new king had been born, he was determined to kill that child too.
And you know the rest of the story, how they continued to follow the Star all the way to Bethlehem, until it came to rest over the house where the Holy Family lived. And upon entering, they presented the Child with the strange gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. And then having been warned in a dream about Herod’s wicked intent, they headed home, but by another road.
By another road; a new road; an unknown road. That’s what we all started on, just a few days ago. This new year, like any new road, is unknown to us. And it will be full of twists and turns, trickery and danger, revelation and light. But those Wise Ones left us some wisdom for any time we find ourselves on a new road.
The first is, perhaps, the most obvious. And it’s simply this: curiosity is always a virtue. It seems odd to even have to say that, but in this world of cock-sure opinions about everything, it’s important to say. Remember that these Magi could have simply stayed the course. They could have stayed where they were. They were comfortable. They had nice lives and families and wealth and privilege and education. And they had their own traditions and religious practices and holy books. But, like every curious seeker, they suspected that God could not be contained by any one religious system. They suspected that the truth could not be controlled by any human-made ideology.
Now some folks will tell you that being spiritually curious is a dangerous thing. They think they know the road that everyone should take. But I think that the real danger is in believing that you already know all you need to know; or worse yet, that you understand this great mystery we call God.
Second, the Wise Ones knew the value of the journey itself. On this very long trek, they slept many-a-night together under the stars. And they spent countless hours speaking to one another around the fire, and singing songs, and roasting meat, and debating what that star meant. And some of those days were good. And some of those days were bad. But all of those days were a gift. And all of those days were part of the divine revelation.
We over-simplify this story when we make it all about the Star. The Star is important, but it alone did not prepare them to meet Jesus. It was the journey that did that. On the road, they were formed and shaped and changed and opened, so that when they finally arrived, their hopes and fears met in a moment of transcendence. The journey itself made them ready for that.
And here’s one more bit of wisdom from those Wise Guys: you don’t find God on the path of least resistance. Those Magi were not looking for political intrigue. They were just out for an adventure, but then they met the ugliness of life in the face of Herod. And they had a choice to make.
Of course, they could have just done as the king asked. After all, they wouldn’t be doing the killing. They would just be obeying orders. But Herod’s law was immoral. And so, they resisted, quietly, but effectively. They did not go back to see him again, even though they said they would. Instead, they took another road home. They did what every Christian promises in the waters of baptism: “to resist oppression and evil” in all its forms.
I don’t know what this new year will hold for any of us. But some very wise folks have left us their best advice.
And so, in 2025, I intend to more fully engage my curiosity in the search for beauty and truth and light and goodness, wherever it is found, in whomever it is found. No boundaries. And I hope to be intentional about each moment, each day, each night of this marvelous adventure we call life. And when oppression and evil show their face, as they no doubt will, by God’s grace, I will resist. And I will gaze into the night sky, and remember my grandmother, and look for any sign of light in the darkness.
First Congregational Church of Cheshire
© the Rev. Dr. James Campbell
Matthew 2:1-12
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.” When King Herod heard this, he was frightened, and all Jerusalem with him; and calling together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born. They told him, “In Bethlehem of Judea; for so it has been written by the prophet: ‘And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for from you shall come a ruler who is to shepherd my people Israel.’” Then Herod secretly called for the wise men and learned from them the exact time when the star had appeared. Then he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, “Go and search diligently for the child; and when you have found him, bring me word so that I may also go and pay him homage.”
When they had heard the king, they set out; and there, ahead of them, went the star that they had seen at its rising, until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw that the star had stopped, they were overwhelmed with joy. On entering the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother; and they knelt down and paid him homage. Then, opening their treasure chests, they offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they left for their own country by another road.
Once upon a time, I stood hand-in-hand with my grandmother out in her backyard. Twilight had descended and the first faint twinkle of the North Star could be seen. She pointed it out to me and then she taught me this: “Star light, star bright, first star I’ve seen tonight. I wish I may, I wish I might, get the wish I wish tonight.” And then she told me that I should always wish upon a star, because some of those wishes would come true. And so, they have.
I’ve always been drawn to the night sky. And sometimes I stare into the vast expanse, and I wonder: who are we? And is who God? And what is this life all about? Stargazing an act of worship as old as the human race.
Of course, it used to be a lot easier than it is now. Light pollution prevents us from seeing the night sky as all our ancestors did. There’s just too much artificial light, which is damaging not only to our stargazing, but to our overall health and the health of the other creatures who share this world.
But today, we remember a time when the stars were far more easily seen. Today we lift our collective heads to scan the horizon for one particular star, so firmly ensconced in our collective Christmas consciousness that we cannot think of Mary and Joseph and the Baby Jesus without also thinking of THAT STAR.
Every year there is a spate of articles about what it was that the Wise Men actually saw. Was it an alignment of the planets? Was it a comet? Was it a supernova? Or is this simply a literary device? In many ancient cultures, a star heralded the birth of a great person or a god. Maybe, some scholars say, Matthew simply borrowed that idea so that his readers would know that something remarkable had happened in the birth of Jesus.
And what about those people first drawn by that star? Who were they, these Magi; these Wise Men; these Three Kings of Orient? Well, that too is up for debate, but one thing is clear: these stargazers were unlikely heroes because they were strangers. And they were strangers, not just because they were from some far-off land. They were strangers in that they were strange, different, unusual. Biblical scholars tell us that they may have been magicians or astronomers or astrologers or pseudo-scientists or fortune-tellers or horoscope fanatics. But by any decent standard, they were odd. Strange. Strangers.
Part of their strangeness was their religion. They practiced the ancient faith of Persia called Zoroastrianism. Why would heretics be called to look for the King of the Jews? And they came from the wrong part of the world. The East was where all the enemies of Israel came from to wage war. Yet here they were, with their strange astrological calculations and their strange religion, in their strange clothing, speaking their strange language, and coming from a strange and dangerous place.
And yet they are the heroes of this tale - because they had that one essential thing that the Lord loves. They were curious.
And so, they set out on their 1000-mile journey. And after months of traveling, they finally arrived in Jerusalem, where they sought the assistance of King Herod. But Herod was a despicable man known for his cruelty. He murdered his wife, his three sons, his mother-in-law, his brother-in-law, his uncle, and assorted others because he thought them a threat to his power. So, when the Wise Men told him that a new king had been born, he was determined to kill that child too.
And you know the rest of the story, how they continued to follow the Star all the way to Bethlehem, until it came to rest over the house where the Holy Family lived. And upon entering, they presented the Child with the strange gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. And then having been warned in a dream about Herod’s wicked intent, they headed home, but by another road.
By another road; a new road; an unknown road. That’s what we all started on, just a few days ago. This new year, like any new road, is unknown to us. And it will be full of twists and turns, trickery and danger, revelation and light. But those Wise Ones left us some wisdom for any time we find ourselves on a new road.
The first is, perhaps, the most obvious. And it’s simply this: curiosity is always a virtue. It seems odd to even have to say that, but in this world of cock-sure opinions about everything, it’s important to say. Remember that these Magi could have simply stayed the course. They could have stayed where they were. They were comfortable. They had nice lives and families and wealth and privilege and education. And they had their own traditions and religious practices and holy books. But, like every curious seeker, they suspected that God could not be contained by any one religious system. They suspected that the truth could not be controlled by any human-made ideology.
Now some folks will tell you that being spiritually curious is a dangerous thing. They think they know the road that everyone should take. But I think that the real danger is in believing that you already know all you need to know; or worse yet, that you understand this great mystery we call God.
Second, the Wise Ones knew the value of the journey itself. On this very long trek, they slept many-a-night together under the stars. And they spent countless hours speaking to one another around the fire, and singing songs, and roasting meat, and debating what that star meant. And some of those days were good. And some of those days were bad. But all of those days were a gift. And all of those days were part of the divine revelation.
We over-simplify this story when we make it all about the Star. The Star is important, but it alone did not prepare them to meet Jesus. It was the journey that did that. On the road, they were formed and shaped and changed and opened, so that when they finally arrived, their hopes and fears met in a moment of transcendence. The journey itself made them ready for that.
And here’s one more bit of wisdom from those Wise Guys: you don’t find God on the path of least resistance. Those Magi were not looking for political intrigue. They were just out for an adventure, but then they met the ugliness of life in the face of Herod. And they had a choice to make.
Of course, they could have just done as the king asked. After all, they wouldn’t be doing the killing. They would just be obeying orders. But Herod’s law was immoral. And so, they resisted, quietly, but effectively. They did not go back to see him again, even though they said they would. Instead, they took another road home. They did what every Christian promises in the waters of baptism: “to resist oppression and evil” in all its forms.
I don’t know what this new year will hold for any of us. But some very wise folks have left us their best advice.
And so, in 2025, I intend to more fully engage my curiosity in the search for beauty and truth and light and goodness, wherever it is found, in whomever it is found. No boundaries. And I hope to be intentional about each moment, each day, each night of this marvelous adventure we call life. And when oppression and evil show their face, as they no doubt will, by God’s grace, I will resist. And I will gaze into the night sky, and remember my grandmother, and look for any sign of light in the darkness.
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