Matthew
2:1-12
1, 362 miles. That’s roughly how far it
is from Iran to Israel. Why that’s relevant is because we believe that the wise
men, which we hear about in our reading from the gospel of Matthew, likely came
from modern day Iran. We don’t know much about those wise men - how many there
were, tradition says three, but that’s not spelled out in the story. Nor if
they were all men, although given the time and culture, that’s likely. The only
thing we know is that in the original scripture written in Greek they are referred
to only as “magi” which was a class of priest-astrologers from an ancient
Persian religion called Zoroastrian. Hence, it is thought that their travel
originated somewhere in the region of what we know of today as Iran. Roughly
1,362 miles away. And, as you know, they didn’t have the luxury of hopping on a
plane, making the trip in a few short hours. No. And sadly, even in our modern
day given the political realities of the region, that’s still not an option.
The only way the Magi could get from their home to the land of Israel was to
travel all 1,362 miles by foot. That’s like leaving this building, figuring out
which way is southwest, then hedging in that direction all through Virginia,
passing through a corner of North Carolina, traversing the entire length of
Tennessee, crossing Mississippi, entering into Texas, reaching Dallas, and then
deciding to walk an extra 100 miles for good measure. It is quite a journey and
if you are lucky enough to log about 25 miles a day you could go that distance
in about a month and a half.
I know all this because of the wonderful
world of GPS that can plot out distance, show me terrain, warn me of obstacles,
and provide me with an estimated time of arrival. There’s no guesswork, no
ambiguity. I love it. The journey is clearly laid out and plans can be made
accordingly. But obviously, the Magi had no such technology at their fingertips
which may have been a blessing in disguise because it kept them open to the
conditions on the ground. Instead of already having a set idea in their minds
about where they were going, who exactly they would find, what it all would
look like, they had to remain flexible and open, and exercise the ability to
readjust their expectations. For surely when they arrived in Jerusalem they
must have expected their journey to be over. They had followed the star which
signaled the birth of the King of the Jews. Where else would that king be but
in Jerusalem? Yet this is where things took an unexpected turn. First of all,
when they inquired about the newborn king no one knew what they were talking
about. It took a while until King Herod, after consulting with the Jewish
leaders, informed the Magi that the Messiah was to be born not in Jerusalem,
but in a backwater town called Bethlehem. Who would have thought? We take it
for granted that the Magi took this news in stride, but it really is quite
remarkable. They do something that is, indeed, very wise and yet often
something we find very difficult to do - they let go of their own expectations
and trust that the one whom they seek may actually be found in a way and in a
place that they wouldn’t necessarily expect. So they make their way to Bethlehem
where they find what to all appearances looks to be like a regular child born
to a peasant mother in a humble home. Shockingly, they aren’t disappointed.
They don’t complain that this isn’t what they expected. Rather they take it in
and are overwhelmed with joy - a joy that comes from encountering the holy and
the divine even, or maybe especially, in the unexpected.
We celebrate this encounter as the
Epiphany - when God in Christ is revealed to the Magi, who really serve as a
stand-in for all of us. For Jesus came
into the world not for a certain, select group of people, but for us all. And
just as it was then, so it is now. God’s desire for us is always to know the
light of Christ’s presence in our lives. Now often we may think of such
epiphanies as big “Aha!” moments in our lives. Perhaps you can recall a
particular time where you experienced deep peace in the midst of a crisis or an
inner knowing when nothing at the time was knowable or maybe a release that
came from forgiving someone who had terribly hurt you. Those spiritual
experiences are special and should be treasured. However, if epiphanies are
that remarkable and also that rare - something that happens just a handful of
times in our lives, if we’re lucky - then honestly there’s not much to
celebrate today on this Epiphany Sunday.
But thank God that is not the case.
Because the Epiphany of our Lord Jesus Christ that we celebrate didn’t just
happen when the Magi arrived at Jesus’ home. Rather the entire journey, all 1,
362 miles of it, was epiphanal. Observing the star at its rising, making the
long trip to Jerusalem, continuing on to Bethlehem, seeing the child in his
humble surroundings, offering him gifts, then traveling back home by another
way - with each step the Magi took along that journey they encountered the
light of Christ. God was present and being revealed.
As we begin a new calendar year most of
us probably have plans about how we’d like this year to go. And, if we’re
lucky, some of those plans will go off without a hitch. But eventually, as we
journey into this new year we will encounter the unexpected. But as people of
faith our lives are not to be about clinging to neatly laid out plans, counting
on some kind of spiritual GPS to provide us with all of the details of our
route. Rather following Jesus means that we journey on a path where few things
are certain - which means that flexibility and openness are absolutely
necessary. Necessary so that we are able to readjust or sometimes even let go
of our expectations. Trusting that the one we seek and, more importantly, the
one who seeks us is found in ways and places that we may have never expected.
Because epiphanies don’t just happen when we arrive at our planned
destinations. They are appearing throughout the journey - often in the most
unexpected times and places. So where might one of God’s epiphanies be
happening for you? Where in your life are you on a journey that is calling you
to be more open and flexible? Where are things not going completely as planned
or where you are discovering that you have no control at all? Likely it is
there that the light of Christ is shining. Can you pause for a moment, look up
from your circumstances, and observe the light of God’s star, God’s presence,
in the midst of all of it? Because it’s there. Epiphanies are happening all the
time. Be open. Be flexible. Behold.
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