I have an interest in the depiction of the Nativity in art and in my pursuit of that interest which has been stimulated by the collections in the Metropolitan Museum and at the Cloisters I have noted the recurrent features of the various depictions of the Coming of the Magi or Kings. Always the Star; always the camel or camels; always Three Kings (the King association came very early on with the link with the Psalms, Isaiah and the political needs of Byzantium); always three gifts, the first being gold for a king; and above all the radiance of light surrounding the child (sometimes in fact radiating from the child). Our crčche stands in the classic tradition: Mary, Joseph and the baby; the ox and the ass; the shepherds and the sheep; the angels; the three kings; the gifts; but no camels and especially no star.

This morning I want to begin with the star which was what brought the Magi from the East in the first place. It was the star they observed at its rising which had led them to journey from far away to Bethlehem. But it was not any old star but Matthew says it was “his star”, the star of Jesus which led them all the way. Note also that Herod takes the star very seriously and quizzes the Magi about it and that eventually the star leads the Magi on until it stopped over the place where the child was. Astrology was big time in the ancient world. It was then that they rejoiced. There has been much discussion about the star and what was going in the heavens at that time. All that is interesting but what is most important for us is that the text says it was “his star”, the star of Jesus, a star which caused the Magi to journey and to seek out and to find the Christ child. The star also represents the whole cosmos: the “very heavens are telling the glory of God”; they point to the Christ child who is the Creator of the heavens and the earth.

Today as we think of the star we can say to ourselves “follow that star” or even more importantly “don’t settle for less than the star”. It speaks to us of our sense of vision and promise and keeping going in our search and quest.

Then there is Herod. This person as unattractive as he may be is there for a purpose. The Magi coming from afar seeking a king naturally sought out the local king to further their enquiry. We are told Herod was frightened; he was a man threatened in his rule, suspicious of challenges to his authority. So Herod took counsel with the local Jewish authorities for some enlightenment in the matter. Only then did he hold private meetings with the Magi, this group of foreigners who had arrived with such disturbing news. He sought their help in finding the child so that “I may also go and pay him homage.” Later having visited the Christ child we are told that the Magi were warned not to return to Herod. The Magi’s quest could all too easily have been derailed by Herod and all his scheming politics and deceit. But they were not distracted; they kept going and found their goal and then continued on their journey.

All of us know how easily it is to get distracted from our journeys, our goals,and our dreams. It is easy to be put off by the politics of the church or of any human organization; it is easy to be fussed by the folly and deceit of other human beings. But the Magi kept going on their quest for the Christ child and so ought we. Keep your eye on the Big Picture, your visions and goals and don’t get too easily distracted by the inevitable messiness of life on the way.

The centerpiece of the Epiphany narrative is the scene at the manger. “When they saw that the star had stopped, they were overwhelmed with joy”. They knew in their hearts that they had arrived; that they had reached their destination; that they were at the heart of the mystery. “On entering the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother; and they knelt down and paid him homage. Then opening their treasure chests, they offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.” Joy, worship and gifts. These were their responses to the Christ as they are ours. We rejoice in the Christ child who is Emmanuel, God with us; we worship with our bodies and souls and voices; we offer our gifts, gifts of ourselves, our time, our talents be they artistic or whatever and our treasure, our love and our service.

Last but not least the Magi never stopped journeying. Having journeyed to the Christ child and succeeded in their quest they didn’t hang around as if that were the end. Rather “they left for their own country by another road.” In other words they kept journeying as people transformed by this new experience and so should we. It is too easy to think at some stage in our life, in our thinking, in our faith, that we have arrived, that that is all there is. Rather the Spirit of God calls us on to keep journeying, to discover more, to go deeper, not to settle for less.

So at this Epiphany our prayer is that we may follow our star; that we may not be distracted in our quest; and that we may respond on our arrivals; and also that we may keep journeying in the Spirit.  Amen

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