A Light For The World (Epiphany)

Isaiah 60: 1-6 & Matthew 2: 1-12

Roger Lynn

January 6, 2019

Epiphany Sunday

(click here for the audio for this sermon)
(the video for this sermon is unavailable this week)

“It’s out there again, Balthasar.” “What are you talking about, Gaspar?” “You know perfectly well what I’m talking about. The star. The foreshadowing star which we observed at its rising. It’s out there again.” “So, Mr. Wise Man, what do you want me to do about it? We watched it rise. We know it means something important. I suppose now you think we ought to follow it.” “I didn’t say that. But since you brought it up, Melchior has been hinting around that we ought to go see what it means.” “If Melchior thinks it’s so important, let him risk going off on some fool’s quest. He always was the dreamer. As for me, I’m staying home where I’m warm and safe and comfortable. You’re welcome to join me.” “Thanks. I think I will. My wife wasn’t too happy about the idea of us going on a road trip anyway. I wonder if Melchior will go by himself? Oh well, I guess it’s not really our problem. It is, after all, only a star. How important could it be, anyway?”

Fortunately, such a conversation never took place. According to the Gospel of Matthew, the Magi did risk going off on a fool’s quest, because they dared to believe that the star really was calling them to something important and they were willing to respond. Had they been content to simply observe the star at it’s rising they never would have experienced the wonder of Christ’s presence. Had they decided the journey was too far, or too expensive, or too dangerous they never would have encountered Emmanuel, God With Us.

You see, faith is about more than simply knowing or believing. It is also about doing. God’s grace is free. There is nothing which we must do to earn it. Indeed there is nothing we can do to earn it. But what is required for us to fully experience the abundant life which God offers us is to risk receiving it. We must let go of our controlling grip on life and trust that God will, indeed, guide us.

When the prophet Isaiah announced the coming of God’s glorious light into the midst of a people whose lives were filled with nothing but darkness, he begins by saying, “Arise! Shine!” It is not enough for the light to come. It might as well remain dark forever if we sit inside with the curtains drawn closed. Isaiah promises that God’s light will come and God’s light will shine, not only into the lives of the people, but through their lives as well. But it will all be for naught if the people refuse to rise and shine.

The Magi from the east had enough insight and wisdom to recognize the significance of the mysterious star which they observed. But their lives would have remained largely unaffected were it not for their willingness to act on their insight. They were dreamers. They were also doers. They were risk-takers. By stepping out to follow the star, they became examples of what can happen when we are willing to act on our faith, even when it might appear to others to be foolishness. They left the security of the familiar to follow a star. No one would have blamed them if they had simply stayed home and written a book on “Strange Astronomical Wonders I Have Seen.” But they didn’t stay home and they didn’t play it safe and as a result they were overwhelmed with the joy of encountering the very presence of God in human form. And thus they stand before us as both witness and example.

It is not likely that we will witness any mysterious stars which call us to follow, but there are plenty of ways in which our faith does call us to become both dreamers and risk-takers. The life to which faith calls us is not always easy. Sometimes it is downright frightening. Often the stakes are higher than we would really care to risk. But call to us God does, and we must choose how we will respond. Sometimes it is difficult to determine what it is that God would have us do with our lives. Listening for God’s voice amidst the noisy din of our world can require patience and determination. But more often, I suspect, the real difficulty is not in discerning God’s call, but in our willingness to risk responding. Following a star may not be called for, but perhaps giving of our time and energy for an important project is. Setting out on a long journey may not be what God would have us do, but maybe driving someone to the doctor or to the store is. Bringing gifts of gold, frankincense, or myrrh may seem beyond our means, but giving more than we have in the past to church and charity might well be what God is asking of us. As always, the details are something which only we can fill in. But the story remains as true for us as it was for the Magi. We can stay at home and be satisfied with keeping our noses clean and not getting involved, or we can be dreamers and risk-takers and foolishly faithful folk who dare to risk responding to the call of God in our lives. The choice is always ours, but the reward for risking is the opportunity to experience the fullness of God’s presence in our lives and in our world. God’s light continues to shine into the world. When we choose to follow that light, we become God’s light for the world. May we dare to dream and risk and follow God’s call, in whatever form it comes to us.