Following the Stars ~ Matthew 2:1-12 ~ Epiphany

I am what marketers would call “a reluctant adapter” when it comes to new technology.  This means that I will not embrace it until I have no choice but to do so.

GPS navigation systems are one such technology... 

The first time I ever used one, I was with a friend driving through the suburbs of D.C.—and his car was down to its last drops of fuel.  So we asked the GPS to find us a gas station.  Well, it led us away from civilization into an area that was considerably isolated and rural.  When the GPS proudly told us that we’d arrived, all we could see was trees.  No gas station in sight.  It took us more than ten minutes to finally find what we’d been looking for.

Since then, I’ve never found a compelling reason to own a GPS.  But ironically, I got lost while driving on a youth group outing—and low and behold, it was the GPS on one of your young people’s smart phones that got us to where we need to go.

There is nothing more frustrating than being lost; that helplessness in not being able to get to where you need to be.  When you’re lost, there’s no denying that you’ve made a mistake.  Maybe that’s why we’ve always referred to the Magi as “wise men,” because they were able to find their way to the baby Jesus.  They followed a star, and there they are. 

But this is not a story about how wise these men are... 

This is a story about all of us want to meet Jesus—and how relentless God is in leading us to him.

If we consider who the magi were, we’d find them to be the last persons we’d expect for God to lead to the baby Jesus.  For starters, they were astrologers.  They dabbled in magic and fortune-telling, the likes of which were strictly forbidden by God’s Law.  Secondly, they were not of Jewish Lineage; and thirdly they came from thousands of miles away. 

But that’s what makes this story is so miraculous.  God sent the Word of promise across the miles, so the magi could learn that the King of the Jews was to be born.  Since they studied the stars, God used a star to get their attention, and led them to Jesus. 

That is what God does—and that is good news.

So often in life, we feel lost.  We’re broken, we’re desperate, we’re afraid...  We know we need Jesus more than ever.  But we can’t find our way to him.  Our hearts ache for his peace, and he feels unreachable.  Sometimes, it may even feel as though God has pushed us away from him as either a punishment for our sin or for our lack of faith.

But that is not what the story of the Magi teaches us.   God is in the business of revealing Christ to the world.  That is why we call this day Epiphany.  Epiphany means revealing.  Jesus is born to be known, and God will do whatever it takes to make it happen.

So if you are feeling lost, the first thing to remember is that God has not lost you.  God is absolutely mindful of the aches and longings in your heart.  God knows that you need Jesus—that is why God will be relentless in leading you to the Christ you crave. 

This is why God gives you prayer.  This is why God gives you your church and its ministry of the Word; This is why Jesus invites you to his table.  We are gathered here as One Body to meet Jesus Christ and be filled to the full with his presence. 

And if you leave here today still hungry for him; or you still feel lost, and struggle to believe that you will find the Jesus you need, do not be discouraged.  It may be time to be open to meeting Christ ways we have not before.

He may be calling you to a new spiritual discipline, to serve in a new role here at church, or to share a gift or a talent so that so that someone else may know Jesus Christ.  If you are to grow in faith, you must be open to change.

The very same goes for our church.

We also must be ready for change, and God to lead us to places we’ve never been. 

Our neighbors need the peace of knowing Christ just as much as we do.  Our challenge is then to seek the Spirit’s guidance in how we can go beyond our walls and beyond what is familiar and comfortable to us—to be the star that draws our neighbors to Christ.  While this may seem like a daunting and perhaps even impossible task, it’s not.  We’re sitting atop a bounty blessings.  We are a people of incredible love.  We have all that it takes to be a shining star in our community.  All we need is for the Spirit to show us how we can tap into these great gifts—and share them with every heart that hungers for the presence of Christ.

On this day of Epiphany, we celebrate that the light of Christ’s love is shining in the world—so that all may know him and believe.  Christ is alive in the world so that hungry hearts may be fed with his presence.  We do not have to wander through life, lost and afraid.  The Spirit is hard at work, doing whatever it takes to lead us to the Christ who loves us.

So let us be relentless in confessing to Jesus our hunger for him.  Let us be fearless as God’s Spirit leads us to new opportunities where we may know him more. 

And let remember that our neighbors hunger for Christ just as we do.  So let’s be God’s shining stars in this dark world, so that may meet the living Christ, that we all may live our lives in his peace and his love.  Let us be the miracles who lead the least and the lost to Jesus.