“Guided by a Star”

Matthew 2: 1-12

Pastor Deb Troester, STHPC, January 5, 2025

Happy Epiphany Sunday! Today we are celebrating that ancient Christian holiday also known as the 12th Day of Christmas, as in the famous song (pause) – we don’t have to sing it now, but with the four calling birds, three French hens, two turtle doves, and a partridge in a pear tree, I worry that the true love and everyone else in the song may come down with bird flu! 

The word “Epiphany” comes from the ancient Greek epiphanea, “manifestation or appearance” – a sudden and striking realization. It often refers to “the manifestation of a supernatural or divine reality.” At Epiphany we celebrate the visit of the Magi as the moment when the Incarnation of Christ was revealed to the world. The Magi represent the Gentile nations – all persons outside of Judaism – who seek the Son of God. Thus, when the Magi worship the infant Jesus is the moment when Jesus’ divinity was revealed to the world at large. It is the revelation that Jesus came for people of all countries and ethnic groups. Taken together with the angel’s message to the humble, ordinary shepherds, the visit of the wise men shows that God wanted to reveal God’s love to everyone  – rich or poor, powerful or marginalized.  

Many cultures celebrate Christmas on Epiphany, for example Puerto Rico, where they call it Día de los Tres Reyes – Three Kings’ Day – since it is traditionally the day when we remember the visit of the three magi, who somehow in medieval times were thought to have been kings: Melchior, Gaspar, and Balthazar, to be precise. I think I have told you how kids in Puerto Rico get gifts on both Christmas Day and Epiphany, a practice which Christa loved when she was little and we lived there. The giving of presents at Christmas seems much more related to the gifts of the wise men, than it does to Santa Claus, who, despite what some people think, is not actually mentioned in the Bible.

But, who were these wisemen? Matthew says that they came from the East, probably from what is now Iran or Iraq, home of the ancient Persian Empire. The magi are thought to have been Zoroastrian priests, known for studying the stars and other natural phenomena.

They probably had access to at least some of the Hebrew scriptures, brought there by Jewish exiles after the Babylonian conquest in the 6th century B.C.E. Thus they would have known that the Jews expected a Messiah to appear. Knowledgeable about astronomy, the appearance of a new star in the sky attracted their attention. It seemed to point to this Messiah’s arrival. So they decided to travel nearly 1000 miles across the desert to Jerusalem to inquire about the one born “King of the Jews.”

         Their search for the Christ leads us to wonder, “What am I searching for in this new year? Is there anything I would be willing to cross a desert to find? On the back of a camel, exposed to sun, wind, and rain, on a journey that would have taken a couple of months?” At the start of a new year, it’s worth asking, “What am I looking for in life? What is it I really want?” or maybe, like the wise men, “Who am I seeking?” Searching for a closer relationship with God is a worthwhile goal for us all.

         But how did the magi know how to find the Christ Child?

As I mentioned, it’s not unreasonable to think they had access to the ancient Jewish scriptures. They must have studied these writings and pondered their meaning. For us, searching the scriptures is a good way to learn more about God and how to know God better. Thousands of years of experiences of people of faith are recorded there. We have much to learn from their stories.

         The magi were also keen observers of nature. They wondered what the  new star meant. As the Psalmist wrote, “The heavens are telling the glory of God.” Observing God’s creation shows us how all life is connected; that we are part of an ecosystem that provides for the needs of every living thing, including us human beings. God’s provision is abundant and free, with enough for all if we share and if we take care of that which has been so generously entrusted to us by God.

         Having studied the scriptures and observed the star, the wise men set out, together. Tradition says that there were three of them, because of the three gifts. But there could have been more: the Eastern Orthodox Church names twelve magi.

Regardless of how many there were, there is wisdom in traveling together. You have probably heard the proverb: “If you want to go fast, go alone; if you want to go far, go together.” There’s even a song about it in the new Lion King movie, Mufasa. But there is a lot of truth to that saying. We Americans are great for “going it alone,” but the church is here for a reason – and I mean the church as a group of people, not just an institution. Gathering together with others to seek a closer relationship with God, to worship and praise God, and to find ways to serve God together will nearly always bring better results than the “Jesus and me” approach.

         Traveling alone in the desert can be extremely dangerous, so the wisemen traveled together, and when they weren’t sure which way to go, they asked for help. There is nothing wrong with asking for help if we need it. To quote another often-used saying, “Sometimes asking for help is the bravest thing you can do.” So this year, if you need help – whether from a counselor, therapist, pastor, or auto mechanic, ask! Your pastor gives you permission if you need it. There’s no shame in it.

We all need help finding our way sometimes. The wisemen asked for advice from King Herod, which on the surface may not have been the best move, but Herod had access to knowledge that they did not – namely he called upon his chief priests and scribes to find out where the Messiah was to be born. “In Bethlehem of Judea,” they answered, according to the Prophet Micah. So, in asking, they found what they needed to know. As Jesus put it, “Ask and it shall be given; seek and you shall find; knock and the door shall be opened.” This is also good advice for the new year.

         After their long journey, the magi finally found the house where the infant Jesus and his family were staying. There they knelt down and offered him their gold, frankincense and myrrh. The end of their journey was to worship the Christ child and offer him the precious gifts they had carried so far. We could go into the symbolism of each gift – if you want to know more, read all the verses of “We Three Kings of Orient Are” – it gives a pretty good explanation (but wait till the sermon is over at least!) What is important here is that they were gifts of great value, the best that they could offer.

         When, after all our seeking, we find ourselves in the presence of God, or maybe at least a hint of God’s presence, it’s good to be still and worship, drink it in, be present to the divine mystery that surrounds us always, but of which we are usually only dimly aware. And what gifts do we have to offer? Ourselves, and our love for one another, as beings made in the image of God. For what does the Lord require of you, said the prophet Micah long ago, “but to do justice and to love kindness and to walk humbly with your God?” Justice, kindness, humility – these are precious in God’s sight.

         This past week we lost a great man, President Jimmy Carter, not remembered so much for what he did in office as what he did afterwards: build houses with Habitat for Humanity, fund projects to eradicate disease in developing countries, serve as an ambassador for peace and the dignity of all human beings whenever he could.

A few days ago I read a piece about him in Christian Century magazine by Randall Balmer, a historian and Episcopal priest. Balmer told how, after Carter lost his first campaign for governor of Georgia, his sister, Ruth, a Pentecostal evangelist, helped him to rededicate his life to Christ. After that, he was moved to participate in an outreach to Spanish-speaking neighborhoods with Puerto Rican pastor, Eloy Cruz. Carter read from the Bible in Spanish, and Pastor Cruz would preach. Balmer writes, “At the end of their week together, Carter pressed Cruz about why he was so successful as a pastor. Cruz…responded, “the secret to faith is to have two loves: one for God and the other for whoever happens to be standing in front of you at any given time.”

“Love whoever happens to be standing in front of you” – family, friend, co-worker, stranger – this is a gift we can all give to God this year.  Not necessarily love meaning “like” or an emotional attachment, but love in the agape sense – wishing what is best for that person, being kind, treating that person as you would like to be treated.

It’s not gold, frankincense or myrrh, but in the long run, it’s more valuable. Howard Thurman reminds us of this in his poem “The Work of Christmas”:

When the song of the angels is stilled,

When the star in the sky is gone,

When the kings and princes are home,

When the shepherds are back with their flock,

The work of Christmas begins:

To find the lost,

To heal the broken,

To feed the hungry,

To release the prisoner,

To rebuild the nations,

To bring peace among others,

To make music in the heart.

Amen.

©Deborah Troester 2025