Rise within us like the star
And make us restless
Till we journey on
To seek our peace in you
Song “Light of the world”
Confession- a time of silence and reflection
Jesus says "I am the Way", and so we come to follow Christ.
Jesus says "I am the Truth", and so we come to dwell in the light of
that Truth.
Jesus says "I am the Light", and so we come, leaving all else
behind, to which we cling. Amen.
Song “Like a candle flame”
Mathew 2v1-12
There is a strong Christian tradition, that would see astrology as suspect. But here are astrologers from the East, traditionally thought to be Persian/Iranian visiting the baby Jewish Messiah because their stargazing has foretold a very significant birth. They embark on a long and dangerous journey to find the reason for this large star. These non Jews believed that the star depicted the birth of the King of the Jews, and they went to the palace to find the king-because kings live in palaces. But Herod was troubled by the arrival of the magi. He pretends that he is interested and encourages them on their way to Bethlehem, which means in Hebrew, House of Bread, to where the prophet Micah has foretold that the Messiah will come from.
And so they go to Bethlehem and give the infant Jesus gold, frankincense and myrrh and pay homage to him: Myrrh for a kings anointing, gold symbolizing costly worship and frankincense prayer. And they departed another way having been warned in a dream of impending trouble, if they went back to Herod.
Sometimes we forget, that the arrival of Jesus, was not welcomed by everybody. Luke’s Gospel tells us that Herod was disturbed by the news and went into a rage then ordering the killing of every single male infant in Bethlehem.
The Christmas story proclaims new birth, but here we find ourselves confronted with the pain of loss and the vengefulness of a ruler who uses his authority for evil purposes and the weeping and mourning of those whose children are no more. We feel the injustice of power abused, as the powerless are slaughtered by the powerful.
But this is not the end of the story. With divine protection, Jesus and his parents escape the massacre. Herod later dies, and his evil power is buried with him.
How was it that Jesus, this vulnerable baby born into the humblest of beginnings, could cause such disruption? How could someone seemingly so powerless threaten someone so powerful? We live in a world too where, all too often, our leaders project strength without integrity. Herod simply could not embrace the challenge posed to his rule by a baby born in a stable. Like so many refugees today, the decision of Joseph and Mary to flee was based on survival. Trusting in faith that the journey will be a safe one, they like the wise men, exchange their home, family, community and language, for the hope of safety, security and a life free of persecution. We pray for the 60 million people today on a similar dangerous journey.
The importance of dreams and angels in the gospel stories of Jesus are striking. Do we take notice of our dreams? Without a vision, a dream, we become as dead people. Gods Spirit is at its most powerful when it inspires our imaginations and dreams and drives us to think and act in ways that can change us and those around us and our world.
What will drive us like the wise men to foolishly follow the God of Truth and Wisdom? It may involve a leaving behind and moving into dangerous territory and the giving of what is costly. But of such stuff are dreams made of and of such stuff is the journey we are on. Amen
Song “Every star shall sing a Carol”
When the star in the sky has gone
And the wise men have gone back to their homes
The real work of Christmas begins
To find the lost, heal the broken, feed the hungry and release the prisoner. Amen
