“Do You See That Star?”

Matthew 2:1-12

Epiphany Sunday – January 9, 2022

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?” 

(Matthew 2:1-2a, NRSV)

As I’ve been considering this passage, I can’t help but imagine the conversation the wise men might have had with their wives before they left. Or their mothers. Or their husbands. Or their best friends. Or someone who cared about them and saw them preparing for this journey.

I imagine it going something like this:

“So, wait–tell me again where you’re going?”

“We don’t really know.”

“Umm..okay. Well, how long do you think it will take you to get to where you’re going?”

“We don’t really know.”

“Hmm. Well, remind me who it is you’re going to see?”

“We don’t really know.”

“Ummmm…so why is it that you’re taking this trip?”

“We don’t really know. 

Except we know that we cannot NOT take this trip. 

Do you see that star?  There’s something special about that star… There’s something big–something really big–about to happen. And we cannot not be a part of it…”

And with that (along with some rolling of the eyes and shaking of the heads of their wives, or mothers, or husbands, or best friends), I imagine they loaded up their camels and headed on their way.

And a thousand miles later, give or take–which has to be a long way to travel by camel–they arrived.

Except they still hadn’t. They still didn’t know exactly where to go.

“Where is the child who has been born king of the Jews?” they asked.

Surely someone must know! Surely someone else must have seen the star! Surely someone else has recognized that something big–something really big–has happened…and wants to be a part of it! Needs to be a part of it! Cannot NOT be a part of it…

Ah, of course! The King! The King would know! Why hadn’t they gone directly to the King? Well, no matter. He called them specifically into his private chambers to tell them.

Finally, they would learn their final destination! Finally, it would be revealed to them.

…Except that the King didn’t seem to know, either! But he was certainly eager to find out! [While he may not have been a great king, he was certainly a great actor…] Clearly, like the wise men, he also recognized that something big–something really big–had happened! And wanted to be a part of it. It seemed he, too, felt he could not NOT be a part of it…

“Go and search diligently for the child,” he told them. “And when you have found him, bring me word so that I may also go and pay him homage.”

Yes! He also understood! He got it! This child that had been born, this young king of the Jews, his birth was a big deal! A really big deal! And this King got it. He, too, wanted to go and see and bow down to this child born king of the Jews…

And so they continued on their journey, several more days, going to Bethlehem, where the King had told them they would find the child. 

And finally–the star they had been following all these many, many, MANY miles, all these many, many, many weeks–stopped! 

It hung in the sky, motionless and yet bursting with light… It seemed to point them to their final destination, almost as if it were alive, nudging them to the place where they were sure they would find the child, the king of the Jews…

And like the star bursting with light, they found themselves nearly bursting with joy. They had come so far, traveled for so long, endured others’ questions and doubts–no, they hadn’t really known where they were going, or how long it would take them to get there, or who, for sure, they were coming to see, or even why, exactly, they were making this trip.

But there was that star…

And because of that star, and the stirring that that star gave them deep in their souls,  they knew that they could not not follow it. 

Because of that star, they knew that they could not not go.

Because of that star, they knew that something big–something really big–was happening, and they could not not be a part of it…

And now, here they were, right outside the door, on the verge of seeing for themselves this thing, this really big thing…

Finally, here they were, right outside the door, on the verge of meeting for themselves  this king…

And they took a deep breath–or so I imagine–and they went in…

I mentioned at the beginning of my sermon, that as I’d considered this passage, I couldn’t help but imagine the conversation the wise men might have had with their loved ones before they left. And that was fun for me. 

I also can’t help but wonder if we have seen the star?

Has God’s Light, as revealed in the Christ Child, stirred us deep in our souls, in ways that call us forward–without knowing for sure where we’re going but knowing that we can’t not go? 

Has God’s Light, as revealed in the Christ Child, stirred us deep in our souls, in ways that compel us toward a destination that we can’t name but that we know we need to get to? 

Are we on a journey, whether individually or corporately, or more likely, both, where we would have to say, not only do we not really know where we’re going, or how long it’ll take us to get there, or who we’ll end up seeing when we get there, or even why, for sure, we’re taking this journey–but we know that we can’t not take it??

Has God’s Light, as revealed to us in the Christ Child, stirred us deep in our souls, so much that we cannot stay where we are?

May it be so…