"looking For God"

“Looking for God”

Matthew 2:1-12

Today is Epiphany, according to the Christian calendar.

Now what do we mean by that?

Epiphany, really is that same word, as in, “Wow. I just realized something I had never thought of before.

I’ve had an epiphany.”

It’s a realization, a revelation, a moment of insight, when what was previously muddy or confusing, becomes crystal clear.

And in Christian-Speak, an Epiphany is a divine manifestation in the midst of human history.

And in our Gospel Lesson for this morning we meet some interesting folk.

They are called magi.

Magi is where we get our word “magic” from, and yet these guys are not magicians.

They are not kings.

They are more like astrologers, and something in the sky tells them that the cosmos are changing.

The star is a symbol of the Light of the world—which Jesus is.

And they follow the Light.

When you live in a city it can be easy to forget what it’s like to get away from streetlights, big buildings, bright restaurant signs, car headlights and all the rest.

I was out in the country several months ago, and we were getting ready to have a bonfire.

It was a pitch-dark night, but the sky was clear and so it wasn’t so pitch dark after-all because the stars and the moon were brilliant—in focus—and lit up the night as far as my eyes could see.

You know what I’m talking about; it’s a breath-taking sight, is it not?

It brings us closer to God in some way.

It helps to remind us of our place in this vast eternal universe, and of the mystery which surrounds us and causes us to wonder what it all means.

Artificial lights can sometimes cause us to forget about God—to get off track, to waste time focusing more on the human than the divine…

…to begin to think that we are the gods, rather than God Himself.

I don’t know about you, but the light from the night sky often causes me to seek out God—the Truth, the Way, and the Life.

It helps me to refocus—to step into a bigger reality than my, sometimes small, boxed-in worldview.

The ancient world didn’t have street lights.

And many people, especially in the countries east of Palestine, had made the study of the stars and the planets into a fine art.

And you know, if you are studying the stars, the night sky every night—how could you help but be a bit more in-touch with God, more focused on the big picture than, say, someone like me?

It may seem really odd that these non-Jewish astrologers would follow a star, for probably about two years, in order to find the New Jewish King.

But the interesting thing is that, just about the time Jesus was born, there was a strange feeling in the world—a strange feeling of expectation about the coming of a King.

Even the Roman historians of the time knew about this and wrote about it.

For instance, at almost the same time as Jesus was born, Augustus, the Roman emperor was being hailed as the Savior of the world and there was all kinds of talk about a coming Messiah.

And so, the magi were people who had experienced this strange feeling.

They had heard the news.

They had seen a sign in the sky—and they went for it!

They are people who are searching.

The world as they knew it was just not enough; there had to be more to it.

And so, they were open to God’s call.

And a lot of times, that is how our relationship with God begins, isn’t it?

We sense something calling us: a light, a shimmer of hope, a spark of love—and so we start on the journey.

United Methodist Pastor James Howell is quoted as saying: “God seems to have put some unquenchable hankering into all of us for… yes, for God.

We think we’re looking for the next big thing, the big deal, the perfect person, the ultimate experience, our favorite song, or the painting you have to hang on the wall.

When we say Ooohh, yes, I dig that, God says You’re getting warmer, keep coming, it’s me you’re really after.”

Have you experienced that?

Are you experiencing that now?

Is it a continual longing; a continual journey for you?

You know, when we dive into the eternal—there is way too much to absorb in just one experience—one Epiphany.

If we are seeking to walk with God on a daily basis—our lives become filled with epiphanies all over the place, nearly all the time.

When we get off course, and stop seeking, that is when life becomes drab, dark, dull.

That is one of the reasons it is so important to have a daily devotional life—whether it is reading the Upper Room every morning, the Bible, being involved in a Bible study and definitely coming to worship on a weekly basis—as well as putting our faith into action through serving others in love.