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The words from the Prophet Isaiah serve to energize us
as we begin the new year. “Arise, shine; for your light
has come.” The time has come for us to step out in
faith, to arise and shine in 2008. Jesus calls each and
every one of us to be his modern day disciples. With a
sense of both confidence and boldness we reach out to
others in the name of Jesus. We want those we care
about to experience what we have found to be true in
Jesus. The time has come for us to act in bold new ways
hoping to draw other people to Jesus. We are confident
precisely because we know that Jesus promises to be with
us always, “to the end of the age.”
In
what ways are you personally going to arise and shine in
the new year? To impact our church in a positive way
will take each and every one of us working together for
the glory of God. You might be the only person,
drawing on your life experiences who is able to reach
another person. We have the light of Christ shining in
our lives, in our hearts and need to take that light and
allow it to shine brightly wherever we go in 2008.
The very first words spoken in the New Testament is the
question, “Where is the child who has been born king of
the Jews?” May that be our focal point as we begin a
new year, where do we look for God in our lives and in
our world? What new thing is God doing in our midst
right now—today? We want to be a part of what God is
doing in our lives, our community, church and world.
There were “wise men” or magi living in a Gentile land
who saw a bright star in the night sky. From their
studies they felt there was something important about
the star that required further investigation. The magi
began a journey following the star, a journey which most
likely took a couple of years to complete. We sang, “We
Three Kings,” but the magi were not kings and probably
were not three in number either. We commonly refer to
them as “wise men,” and in a sense there were wise.
They studied the unusual, words such as magicians,
sorcerers, or astrologers would better describe them.
What is important for us to understand is that they were
outsiders, Gentiles, not of Jewish background, yet they
sensed that something special had taken place. They
might not even have thought about God. They were
determined and nothing would stop them.
Their quest led them to Jerusalem
where they met with King Herod. They asked him that
question, “Where is the child who has been born king of
the Jews?” They incorrectly assumed that the king would
have knowledge of the birth of the new king. The wise
men explained that they had come to honor the new born
king. However, Herod had no knowledge of what they
spoke of. Herod did not take the news too well either.
You cannot have two kings in the same kingdom. The news
of a possible rival king set Herod off, we are told, he
was “frightened and all Jerusalem with him.” Herod was
paranoid, thinking someone was always out to get him.
Given Herod’s brutal reputation everyone should have
been frightened, for there was no telling how the king
would react to such news.
King Herod called the biblical
studies department at the local college to inquire about
what scripture had to say on the subject of where the
messiah would be born. It was the Prophet Micah who
centuries before told of the messiah being born in the
little town of Bethlehem, “for from you shall come a
ruler who is to shepherd my people Israel.” Needless to
say Herod did not like this scripture.
Herod then “secretly” summoned the
wise men back to the palace. He wanted to know the
exact time when they first saw the star. Then with all
the hypocrisy and insincerity he could muster 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.”
The wise men set out to find the baby Jesus. They
continued to follow the star. When they arrived in
Bethlehem they were “overwhelmed with joy.” They were
where they were supposed to be, where the star had led
them, where God invited them to be. They were open and
receptive to what God was doing in their midst. They
saw and worshiped the baby Jesus.
In
every nativity set there are wise men kneeling in front
of the baby Jesus alongside of Mary and Joseph. The
shepherds are standing on the other side. This suggests
that the wise men arrived on Christmas Eve or the next
day. However some time had passed, I’ve heard suggested
anywhere from six months to two years have passed since
the birth of Jesus. Matthew confirms that some time had
passed, for Mary, Joseph and the baby Jesus were no
longer staying in the stable but are living in a house.
Mary and Joseph were adjusting as any parents of a
newborn would in caring for their baby.
When the wise men arrived Mary and
Joseph had settled into their daily routines. They must
have been startled by the appearance of the magi. What
would the neighbors think had they seen the arrival of
these strangely dressed—foreign men? They entered their
house and knelt down before the baby Jesus. They
presented him with gifts fit for a king, “gold,
frankincense, and myrrh.” They gave their very best to
the baby Jesus. Mary and Joseph were unsure how to
respond wanting to be gracious to these out of town
guests. The visit of the wise men served as another
reminder that Jesus was no ordinary baby but the Son of
God. This further reinforces that Jesus was born for
all people—not just some—but all.
As I mentioned the wise men were
Gentiles, outsiders yet they were open and receptive to
what God was doing in the world. As a result they were
warned in a dream not to return to King Herod, who meant
to harm the baby. So, “they had the good sense to go
home another way, without passing through Jerusalem.”
We stand on the threshold of a new
year, filled with new possibilities. Will we seize the
moment, arise and shine, living out our faith in bold
need ways? Will we make the extra effort to reach out
to those we know and care about who do not yet know
Jesus as their Lord and Savior? Will we follow the star
of where God is leading us? May we resolve to do so
here and now as we prepare for Holy Communion. Expect
great things from God in ’08.
Amen.
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