Grace Congregational UCC

“The Journey Is Never Simple”
Ephesians 3:1-12
Matthew 2:1-12

January 7, 2007 - Kim M. Henning

My grandfather died when I was just six years old. I have almost no memory of Grandpa. I remember seeing him in the cheese factory. I remember seeing Grandpa dig potatoes in the garden. I played Chinese Checkers with him. But that’s about all I remember. For everything else I have to rely upon family stories.

One of those family stories is that Grandpa Henning was not a traveler. He never strayed far from home. As with everyone else in that rural community, there probably just wasn’t money for something as luxurious as travel. Not only that, the family remembers Grandpa concern that he didn’t think the cheese factory could get along without him.

And... in good Henning fashion, he was a little stubborn. Grandpa is remembered to have said, “Where should I go and what should I do when I get there?” Which was to say, end of conversation.

My grandfather just wasn’t a traveler.

This morning I’d like to say to you that our biblical faith would be a whole lot less exciting if it wasn’t for the travel stories. We have, for example, the mysterious story of Abram and Sarai picking up their family, their possession, their herds and traveling from Ur of Chaldea to the land of Israel. What a story. They picked up and moved because God told them to.

We have the forty year travelogue of the Hebrews in the wilderness. Can you imagine? We have hundreds of thousands of human beings liberated from slavery, living in tents, and trusting God to guide them to the promised land. It’s an incredible story.

We do not have time to name them all. Close to our hearts, is the Christmas story when Mary and Joseph travel from Nazareth to Bethlehem—a distance of about a hundred miles.....all on foot. And this morning, we have the Epiphany story of wise men from the East coming to visit the Christ child.

Come with me, and enjoy the mystery, the marvel, the intrigue of this story. It begins, “In the time of King Herod, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem......”

I wonder.....I faithfully wonder how it was that they began their journey. We call them wise men. In older versions of the Bible they are referred to as magi. (Magi? Short for magicians?). And if you remember that hymn we love to sing, we also call them kings. “We three kings...”

I wonder how the story of wise men began. Do you think it started with one wise man or two, maybe, who saw that star and noticed something peculiar, and felt/discerned that God was attempting to say something through that star? How does God get anyone’s attention, much less our attention? It is foolish to not know that God speaks in a thousand and one different ways from birth to death, from sunrise to sunset attempting to get our attention.

To those wise men, God spoke through a star. Imagine the conversation those wise men had with each other, “I think that star is attempting to say something to us.” “You what?” “I think that star wants us to follow it.” “You what?” “Look at it. It’s light. It’s glory. It’s radiance.”

Image the conversation they had with each other, and then imagine the conversation those wise men had with family, neighbors and friends. “We’ve seen a star.” “You’ve seen a what?” “We’re setting out on a journey.” “What? When will you be back?” “We don’t know.” “Where are you going?” “We don’t know. But we have to do it.” This whole business of faith is such an incredible experience. Faith, speaking louder than any other voice in our lives. Faith, speaking to the heart, “the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” Faith, always inviting us to discern the mysterious, powerful ways of God.

You know what’s so amazing about this story is that that star has such an intrigue that they’re willing to go out on what is more than likely a ‘many week journey.’ This is more than cross the street to see what’s going on next door. This is more than giving up an hour for the worship of God on a Sunday morning. This is a star that begs a costly commitment.

And when they come to Jerusalem, they seemingly have lost their way just a bit, and they need to tell their story to others. “Where is the child who has been born king of the Jews? For we observed his star at its rising, and have come to pay him homage.”

You know its one thing to have a private, religious experience and feel the compelling effect of that. It is quite another to go to the political powers that be and say, ‘we’ve seen a star and want to know where the child is that is to be born.’ What’s powerful about this story is that there is never a hint of embarrassment. Moreover, these wise men come with such an aura of commitment and focus, that Herod becomes frightened.

To be sure, these wise men are on a journey, and their journey has life-changing consequences. There comes a time when they need to ask for directions. Seemingly this star leads these wise men to Jerusalem, and there it stops. Well, Jerusalem—the grand city of David----would seem to be a place where God would come into this world? “Where ‘is he’ who has been born king of the Jews?”

They need help. They need directions. These wise men weren’t about to go home without achieving their purpose. Herod doesn’t know what’s going on, but he knows that there are people in Jerusalem who are faithful to the Lord, he knows that there are scholars in Jerusalem who study the scriptures and who understand the ways of God better than he does. So he goes to the temple and asks them, ‘where will this Messiah be born?’

And they reply, “In Bethlehem of Judah; for so it has been written by the prophet: And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for from you shall come a ruler who is to shepherd my people Israel.”

And so, they traveled on to Bethlehem. And as soon as they stepped outside Jerusalem, the star reappeared and led them directly to the place where Mary was, and Jesus was, and Joseph was. And when they came to the place where Mary was, and Jesus was, and Joseph was, they knelt down and they worshiped. And then, they opened their treasure chests and offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

I’m intrigued by these travelers. To begin, they have a lot of courage. Anyone and everyone who has faith has courage. Anyone and everyone who would follow a star, no less, has to be commended for their courage. But it doesn’t only need to be a star. Anyone and everyone who has faith has courage. Anyone and everyone who follows the cross has courage. Anyone and everyone who believes in their heart of hearts that life is not ultimately about the accumulation of wealth, and life is not ultimately about how big of a car we drive, and life is not ultimately about the names we make for ourselves.....has courage.

Anyone and everyone who believes, as did the Prophet Elijah that God still speaks through a ‘still, small voice has courage.’ Anyone and everyone who believes that the Word of God is the Word of God has courage.

And did you see what the purpose of this journey was? The purpose of this huge journey, which was anything but easy, was to worship....Worship. “Holy, Holy, Holy. Lord have mercy. I praise you.” The purpose was to worship. And the purpose was also ‘to bring gifts.’

To bring gifts. Something there was that was essential for these wise men, was to bring gifts. Say what you want about an offering, it is necessary and important and life-changing for people of faith to bring an offering. They brought gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. That’s why they traveled. That’s why they followed that star. That’s why they made so vulnerable. Those very acts that we maybe take for granted: worship and offering....is what they needed to do.

It’s been said that we give children gifts because we love to see the delight in their eyes. And it’s been said that we give elders gifts because we want to honor them. And maybe that’s why we do this journey of faith: we do it for sheer delight, and we do it to give homage to God.