Sermons on Sunday
The Epiphany Matthew 2:1-12
“Where is he who was born King of the Jews? For we have seen his star in the East, and have come to
pay him homage.” (Matthew 2:2)
Are you a stargazer? Have you ever looked up at the sky at night – away from the city lights –
so that the sky is so black that you can see the millions of bright glittering stars – a sky black enough
so you could see the Milky Way spread overhead like a great sequence blanket? Ah, as a young child,
I loved to just lie on my back on the cool grass of a summer’s evening and just stare up into heaven.
If you are careful, if you concentrate – you’ll see that stars do twinkle. Some nights, I’ would lie on the
grass and try and try to see beyond the stars – I would even try to imagine looking into “infinity” – that
always drove me crazy. But, you know, while staring up into the heavens – looking up as far as I could
or imagine – my mind would also take off to other places – the places of dreams and visions.
Oh, wow! Is that a falling star or an airplane? (Back to reality.) One night, when I was eleven years
old, I saw Sputnik tumbling across the night sky brightly illuminated by the sun on the other side of the
world. Some of us older folk likely remember “Sputnik.” This was the name of the first artificial satellite
in history to be launched into orbit around the earth by the Russians; and, wow, did that event change
our lives!
This morning, Matthew’s Gospel tells us about the majestic story about the three Magi (a.k.a the three kings or the three wise men) who traveled to Bethlehem to discover a newborn king – an event that changed their lives.
Scholars say that the three were Zoroastrians – astrologers - stargazers from the far side of Babylon. These journeymen were royal experts with special knowledge of the movements of planets and stars - stargazers. On night, likely lying against a sand dune on a dark desert night, each man stared into the heavens and saw the bright star in the western sky – the star that, wow, marked the event that changed the world.
Today, modern astrologers have determined that near the time when Jesus was born the Sun, Moon, Venus, and Jupiter were all within the constellation of Aries, the ram. Together they made a great celestial light. It was known too that Aries is the astrological domain of Judea.
So, catching the sight of this combination of celestial lights within Aries would have knocked the crowns off the heads of three kings of the orient! It was common knowledge at the time that this unique alignment of the stars and planets heralded the birth of a king.
We can only imagine their excitement, “Look, Aries shines bright – ‘What star is this that beams so bright, more beauteous than the noonday light? It shines to herald forth the King, and gentles to his crib to bring.’ (Hymn verse) – a child has been born, a King!”
How excited they must have been, Gaspar, Balthasar, and Melchior. Can you imagine –
One evening, each of the stargazers most have rubbed and blinked their eyes after starring far off into heaven – was it a dream? Can it be true? So the three got together told each other about what they saw – what they hoped it would mean – and together consulted their charts.
Together determined to prove their vision to be correct, they jumped on their camels and traveled west across the sands and the wilderness carrying gifts appropriate for a noble king.
Together they began a journey empowered by a brilliant celestial vision that changed their world forever.
I harp on this part of the story because whether we are stargazers or not, at times we can all find other selves staring off into heaven – or across the horizon – or even into the depths of those dark secret places where dreams and visions are born – bright as a star. Be it by desire or be it by grace – I am sure that all of us have deep seated hopes, dreams or visions.
My wife, Lynn, told me that she is so grateful because her father stood by her in everything she tried to do. She shared with me a note her Dad had sent her when she was just starting college again and, at the same time, had started her own business. She worried if her plan would work out. Lynn’s dad wrote to her, “Do not hold back, keep your goal in front of you – do not just reach for the moon – but always head for the stars! In other words, do not hold back, but go beyond the expected and move toward your remarkable hopes, dreams and visions.
I know Saint Andrew’s has hopes, dreams and visions for this mission in Pickerington. Yes, even I look forward to the day when all the pews are filled. A person asked me why do we print so many bulletins? I answered, “Because I want to ready when the bus may shows up.” Yes, even I look forward to the day when Saint Andrew’s can tare up the mortgage and can pay off the Diocesan loan. Yes, even I dream for the day when there are enough volunteers to cover the nursery and handle a Sunday school over flowing with children form first grade to high school. I look up to heaven and I too – to see the star that will lead Saint Andrew’s into stability, growth and conversion. Is this not that our common dream – our common vision?
I heard an expression recently that caught my attention – it may turn your head as well – “a dream is not a dream unless you share it” So, I have. And the expression holds truth.
The three wise men did not set out on their journey toward Jesus independently. They did not start the journey to find the King alone. The three wise men were not strangers to each other pursuit. In the same way, a church, a community of the faithful cannot find their purpose or achieve the vision or secure its dream if no one is willing to share it!
In fact, it is impossible to fulfill God’s desire or to fulfill God’s mission isolated or separated from your neighbor. It requires a community to see and to understand the star and to make the journey. Take it from the Magi.
Well, the three arrived in the holy city and King Herod had heard that they were asking questions about the newborn King. Poor King Herod was frightened by the thought of a rival; obviously, Jesus had been born into a worldly climate of repression and terror.
But, the Good News is that despite Herod’s self-deception and deviousness, the three wise were able to keep focused on the celestial, heavenly beacon and on the prophetic Word that lead them to Bethlehem. There they found Jesus. They found Jesus because they stuck together in community. They found Jesus because they shared a vision. They found Jesus because they made the journey together.
In today’s worldly and unsettled climate, we must work to make this faith community a place that can offer similar blessings for the star-struck. Churches create that safe place for sharing our personal Godly visions; and Churches can give to others the companionship needed as we continue our mutual journey to Jesus.
The story of the three kings who traveled so far to see Jesus reveals the importance not only of sharing what God has revealed to each one of us but also the importance of finding like-minded companionship along the way. Because, together, the three wise men were able to find Jesus and, together, they experienced God. Together, they were overwhelmed with joy. Together they humbled themselves before their Lord; and in the presence of Jesus, together, their hearts were changed as well as their direction home.
These are just some of the blessing we can receive when we realize God is with us. That is power of the Epiphany. So, together, I pray that we do not just reach for the moon; but, together follow the stars that will fulfill our hopes, dreams and visions, with God’s help of course along the way. Amen |
