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.
Travel at night is never easy. It’s harder to see, and you’ve got to stay awake the whole time if you’re driving. It can throw off your sense of timing. But there’s something exciting about traveling at night. When I went to college in Virginia, I drove back and forth to Pennsylvania, a trip that lasted between seven & eight hours, and I did the trip at all hours of the day and night. Sometimes I would leave after my exams were done in the late afternoon and drive through the night arriving in the early morning. In fact, I realized at one point that I had made the trip during every hour of the day. I was no stranger to night travel, though, of course, I was much younger then. I’m not sure I’d be up to such travel plans now, unless someone else is doing the driving (or flying or whatever mode of conveyance I happen to be on.)
But of course, night travel has a long history. People learned to navigate by the stars early on in human history. And to see those stars, one has to be out at night. So it was for those travelers described in today’s reading from Matthew. Matthew describes them as “wise men.” We also know them as the Magi. And as our opening hymn described them, they’ve become known as kings. Likely they were astrologers or early astronomers who read the skies and knew it by heart.
The appearance of a new star would be something worth noting to them. And, indeed, they found a star at its rising in their heavens, we are told. Such an event would be portend that something marvelous is going on. So they set out. We don’t know much about them and most of what we think we know is from tradition, not scripture. We don’t know how many there were of them. Tradition says that there were three of them because of they brought three gifts with them that they offered. They were probably from Persia or some such place traveling across the sands of the ancient Near East. We always think of them on camels, but again, that is something we have ascribed to them across history. We don’t know how they actually traveled. But one thing we can be pretty sure about is that they did their traveling at night because they had to keep their eyes on that star.
So there they are, trudging across vast landscapes, in search of...well, they’re not exactly sure what or who they’re searching for. But they have a good idea. Because of their calculations of where the star is leading them, they’ve figured out that they are seeking a newborn who will grow up to be king of the Jews.
Their mistake, as we look back, is that they thought the then current king of the Jews, whom we know as Herod, would be interested in this newborn too. And, of course, Herod was interested; he was very interested. But not for the same reasons that the travelers were interested. Herod’s story is another tale for another time, however.
For now, let us focus on these mysterious travelers. We know they are not Jewish. They have come from the East, we are told. And as enigmatically as they showed up, so was their departure. We only know that after they brought their expensive gifts, they went home, avoiding Jerusalem and Herod, lost to history.
Traveling in the dark can be disorienting…exciting…dangerous. Landscapes look differently than they do in the day. Distances seem different. Instead of moving about in relation to the bright light of the sun, you have to orient yourself according to the starlight, just as those travelers to Jesus did two millennia ago. Knowing the stars is a different skill from knowing that the sun rises in the east and sets in the west. It’s more work and takes more knowledge.
For the past 13 years or so, we’ve been traveling together in this ministry seemingly in the bright light of day. But now there’s a change and to some of us it may feel like we’re entering a time of darkness. We each may feel a bit disoriented because of my impending departure from the church. It works on both sides, of course; I’m feeling that disorientation too, as I prepare for the major changes coming up in my life. None of us really knows what the future holds; and we don’t really like that.
But we turn to the stars for guidance and light in the midst of our dark times. God is in those stars, just as God was in that star that guided the early travelers to the house where Jesus was found. No, the light isn’t as bright as during the day, but with gratitude we can look for the stars that will guide us during the dark times.
What stars should we look for as we stumble about in the dark? How will we differentiate the stars that will guide us from all the other stars that are out there? What stars will guide us and which ones will just shine prettily in the night?
That can be a difficult decision. That is where prayerful discernment on our part comes in. We are called to seek out the presence of the Divine in the stars around us. Surely, just as the star over Bethlehem led those early travelers to Jesus, God’s presence in the metaphorical stars will guide us.
As we travel through the night, our eyes fixated on the stars all around us, we can hold fast to others who are co-travelers. The Magi traveled as a group, not alone, and we aren’t called to do this alone either. Listen to each other and be kind in your dealings. Continue to form community and recognize its importance for your searching for the star that will guide you.
For the past 13 plus years, it has been my pleasure to travel with you. But after today, we will be following different stars in the night sky. Separating, after such a trek together isn’t easy. We’re used to each others’ ways and even, dare I say it, the quirks that we might have. There may be grief because things won’t be the same. We have to readjust to a new star, But whatever route we travel, we need not fear. For God is with us, even before us, shining in the night sky, constantly beckoning us to new life.
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