Sermons

Epiphany

Sunday 6th January at 10am

Kathryn Elliott
Readings: Isaiah 60.1-6; Matthew 2.1-12

Have you ever received star treatment?
It's a trick question really; at first sight, I could be asking you if you've ever received top class treatment at an hotel or restaurant, but I do actually mean the star as in the Epiphany story in Matthew's gospel.

Today is in fact the feast of Epiphany. The Christmas season finishes today and the season of Epiphany begins; it lasts until we celebrate the Presentation of Christ in the temple on 3rd February. Epiphany means to show, reveal, shine forth.

Here in the West, Epiphany is symbolic of God's incarnation in Jesus; we recall the star that led the Magi to Jesus. We recall the three gifts which they presented to Jesus: gold, frankincense and myrrh - each symbolic of Jesus' kingship and of different facets of his life on earth.
Where is he that is born King of the Jews?
We saw his star in the East and have come to worship him.
The Magi certainly had 'star' treatment - not just any star, but his star, a star without any doubt linked to the importance of the person
whose birth it was heralding.

Magi, or 'wise men' were widely associated with astrology and knowledge of the stars, as they are in Matthew's Gospel. They came from the East - probably from over a thousand miles away, from Persia or Arabia. Matthew depicts them as foreigners who recognise Jesus as a king through their interpretation of the stars - and indeed through that star of wonder, the star of Bethlehem, which some have attempted to link with a rare configuration of planets around 7 BC in order to prove the Bible.

But the point is that the star acted as a pointer to the importance of Jesus and as an invitation to find out and see Jesus for themselves.

And you, have you ever received star treatment as the Magi did? In the course of their everyday vocation, they were confronted
with the reality of the star's meaning - the existence of someone very special.

Perhaps music stirs you up to think of God: George Frederick Handel, on hearing the performance of his great oratorio, Messiah, said, 'I did think I did see all heaven before me and the great God himself!'

Perhaps the patterns, colours and textures of science and creation are signposts to God for you - they were for the psalmist:
'The heavens declare the glory of God
The skies proclaim the work of his hands.'

It is worth recalling and sharing the incidents in our own lives which initially pointed us towards God, and the stirring we felt within us to know more.

Notice that it wasn't only the star which led the Wise Men to Jesus; if the star itself had been a sufficient guide, there would have been no need for the Wise Men to have made inquiries in Jerusalem at Herod's palace. They explained that they had seen a star, not that they were following it, and were now asking for direction - for that, the scriptures had to be consulted and Herod's own wise men shared the verse from Micah, And you, Bethlehem in the land of Judah …from you shall come a ruler who is to shepherd my people Israel. The Wise Men went on their way and the star identified the actual house where Jesus was.

So, the Star and Scripture played a part.

How do we meet Jesus for ourselves? For the Wise Men the process was something like this: first, they were significantly touched by seeing a particular star in the course of their usual routine; second, they did something about it - for them, that meant giving time for a journey; then they asked others; finally, they met Jesus for themselves.

Possibly you too were touched by something over Christmas. Follow it up; let it lead you into a new meeting with Christ.

It is significant in the Epiphany story that the Wise Men were not Jewish; the Good News of God's Love shown in Jesus' birth
is that all people are welcomed into God's love: God invites everyone.

The New Year is often a time of reflection and new resolution. Let's take time to reflect on our faith journeys, to give thanks for the first stirrings of the awareness of God and for those who supported us in our inquiries. Let's resolve to continue on, energised by God's touch on our lives.

What happened to the Wise Men after their visit to Jesus? We surmise that they returned to their own country. There is an ancient tradition which tells of them continuing on in their faith and some years later, when S Thomas came to their country, they assisted him in bearing witness to their own people in the East. Traditional stories may or may not be true; even so, an important point can be made: they shared their experience; they told others of Jesus.

Have you noticed the statement in the church magazine? 'Saint Edmund's seeks to be a welcoming Christian community,
committed to exploring our faith in Jesus Christ and sharing it with the wider world.'

Let's give thanks for the star treatment we've had individually and together, and let's be the star light for others.

© St Edmund's Church, Roundhay