Father Riley's sermon from January 6, 2019

 …Mrs. Jane Barnett will lead us in Morning Prayer Sunday at 10am January 13th.  We will have a vestry meeting following fellowship this Sunday.

...Father Riley will lead us in Holy Eucharist Sundays, Jan 20 and 27.  

...We will have our annual congregational meeting Sunday, Jan 20 after our service.

THE EPIPHANY - C - 19       MATTHEW 2. 1-12

One of my seminary classmates recently posted on face book; yes, I confess I look at it occasionally, that they were traveling from Kansas City to Lexington, Kentucky on Christmas Day to visit family. In their post they lamented over the traffic, the stops and goes, and the minor difficulties they were encountering on their journey.

My friend’s wife concluded their post by raising the question “I wonder what difficulties the wise men must have encountered on their way to visit the Christ-child?” My response was “they did not have any holiday traffic.”

Today the majority of Christendom celebrates the Feast of the Epiphany, or as it is sometimes called, The Manifestation of Christ to the Gentiles. These Gentile wise men prefigure the church, in which membership is determined by faith and not by ethnic lineage.

It was the Jewish shepherds who were the first to visit the Christ-child, as the good news of the Savior’s birth came first to God’s chosen people, Israel. The Gentile Magi came to worship him sometime later, after he had been circumcised on the 8^th day.

The Christ-child, then, traveled from Bethlehem to the Temple in Jerusalem and back to the city of David before the visitors from the East discovered him. He was right under Herod’s nose during his visit to the Temple without being recognized by the authorities.

Today’s story is unique to Matthew. In it he tells us that it was a star that caught the wise men’s attention that something extraordinary had occurred. To ancient pagans a star signified a god, a deified king (Num. 24.17) Christ being born under a star fulfils the prophecy in Psalm 109.3 and shows all of creation participating in the Incarnation. (Ps 18.2; 148.3)

It was this star that the wise men followed to Jerusalem. Once there they inquired, “Where is he who has been born king of the Jews?” We know from St. Luke’s account of the birth of Christ that he was born in Bethlehem of Judea. Thus, it is safe to say that those in Jerusalem were ignorant of his birth and were amazed at the wise men’s inquiry. No doubt, their presence and their question concerning the Savior’s birth soon reached the ears of an insecure King Herod.

Herod had to summon the Jewish leaders for he knew little about the Jewish Messiah and he feared losing his throne to this newborn king. He called in the Jewish experts to ask where this child was to be born. When he had gathered the information he desired he summoned the wise men and asked what time the star appeared.

His inquiry was not a noble one, however, as attested to by his slaughter of the holy innocents after the wise men had returned to their own home without revealing the child’s whereabouts to him. It was the star that led the wise men to the house where the Holy Family was staying.

“When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy; and going into the house they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshipped him.”

The significance of their gifts is revealed in an ancient hymn: “Gold is for the king of ages. Frankincense is for the God of all. Myrrh is offered to the Immortal One.” The star led them to the Christ-child. God’s warning led them away from Herod. Being obedient they returned to their own home.

The star was no longer visible after the wise men’s visit. Thus, Herod was unable to find the newborn king. Luke gives us the birth story with the shepherds being the first to visit the Christ-child. Matthew gives us the story of a later visit of the Magi. Together they confirm the angels’ message: “good news of a great joy has come to all.”

Jesus’ birth was celebrated by creation and witnessed by Jew and Gentile alike. He is the Savior of the world. Today we who follow Him have no star to lead us to Christ. Instead, God has given us the gift of Faith.

We don’t know what difficulties the wise men may have encountered in their search for the Christ-child. We do know ours. They were determined to find him, who was born king of the Jews. They were relentless in their search. They followed God’s lead until they reached the place where he lay. There they worshipped him and offered him their gifts. Then, being obedient to God’s warning, they returned to their own home.

I can only imagine, like the shepherds, they revealed with great joy what they had seen once they were safely out of the reach of Herod. It was part of God’ plan that these Gentiles see him. Only to Herod were they told not to reveal his presence.

Epiphany is a season of revealing or making known, of stars and light, of dreams come true, of promises fulfilled. To us a child has been born. In Him, God’s plan of salvation has been revealed. In Him, we discover who we are and the role God has given us in making Him known.

The wise men showed determination in finding him. They were relentless in their search. They followed God’s lead and were obedient to His will. In this well-known story, oft repeated in song, we are given examples of how we too can follow Him.

God gives us the gift of Faith and His grace to overcome our human weaknesses in order to do so. God’s Love given to us through Christ enables us to discover and recognize Him wherever we are and in the face of whomever we meet along the way, whether friend or stranger.

The difficulties we will face in our journey to God are common to all. There will be trails and temptations, pain and suffering, times of peace as well as joy. The wise men knew the object of their search and were determined to find Him. Pray God, following their example, we too will have the resolve; come what may, to continue our journey to God.

To discover along the pathway of life Christ’ presence wherever we are, and rejoice in our role of making him known. To worship Him by offering the only true gift we have to offer, the gift of self, and in all humility accept God’s gifts of Faith, Hope, and Love that identify us as belonging to Him.

For we too, like the Magi, know the object of our life-long journey and the promise of God that awaits all the Faithful at its end - eternal life in Him who has come to bring Life and Light to the world, even JCOL. AMEN+