Following the Star

Matthew 2:1–12 CEB

1 After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in the territory of Judea during the rule of King Herod, magi came from the east to Jerusalem. 2 They asked, “Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We’ve seen his star in the east, and we’ve come to honor him.” 3 When King Herod heard this, he was troubled, and everyone in Jerusalem was troubled with him. 4 He gathered all the chief priests and the legal experts and asked them where the Christ was to be born. 5 They said, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for this is what the prophet wrote: 6 You, Bethlehem, land of Judah, by no means are you least among the rulers of Judah, because from you will come one who governs, who will shepherd my people Israel.” 7 Then Herod secretly called for the magi and found out from them the time when the star had first appeared. 8 He sent them to Bethlehem, saying, “Go and search carefully for the child. When you’ve found him, report to me so that I too may go and honor him.” 9 When they heard the king, they went; and look, the star they had seen in the east went ahead of them until it stood over the place where the child was. 10 When they saw the star, they were filled with joy. 11 They entered the house and saw the child with Mary his mother. Falling to their knees, they honored him. Then they opened their treasure chests and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. 12 Because they were warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they went back to their own country by another route.

Following the Star

Today is the first Sunday of a brand new year. Hard to believe it is 2024. This past week when I was completing some paperwork I was having to write 2025 for the year of when the paperwork will have to be redone.

Where are we headed? What lies ahead for us this year?

Picture yourself standing under a dark sky thousands of years ago, looking up at a sky full of twinkling lights. You're known as a Magi, or wise person, because you understand the stars. One night, something changes. A new, bright star appears, unlike any you've seen before. It's so interesting that you decide to leave everything you know to follow it, even though you don't know where it will take you.

This isn't just an old story; it's like a picture of the spiritual journey every believer goes on. Just like the Magi, we're invited to follow a sign, a call from God, that leads us not just to a place but to a deeper understanding and connection with something greater than ourselves.

The Bible, in Matthew 2:1-12, tells us about these Magi and their journey. They traveled far, driven by faith and a wish to worship the promised King, even though they didn't know what they'd find. Today, we're like the Magi of long ago, looking up at our guiding star—God's direction in our lives. It calls us to start our own journey of faith.

What does it mean to be on this journey? We'll look into the story of the Magi and learn from what they went through. We'll talk about why it's important to look for things with a purpose, how to deal with the hard stuff that gets in our way, and how to respond by worshiping and giving back.

I want you to think about your journey. What's guiding you? What are you aiming for? What challenges are you facing, and how should you respond? Let's explore together how the ancient road the Magi followed can light up our path today as we go on our own journey of faith.

Now that we've set the scene, imagining ourselves as seekers beneath the ancient night sky, let's bring that sense of wonder and purpose to our own journey. As we move from this vivid picture into the heart of the scripture, let's focus on the first critical step in any journey of faith: seeking with a purpose. Just as the Magi set out with a clear goal in mind, we too must understand what drives our spiritual journey. So, let's delve into what it means to seek intentionally and purposefully as we embark on the first point of our journey together.

Matthew 2:1–2 CEB

1 After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in the territory of Judea during the rule of King Herod, magi came from the east to Jerusalem. 2 They asked, “Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We’ve seen his star in the east, and we’ve come to honor him.”

Seeking with a Purpose

The journey of the Magi was not aimless; it was driven by a definitive purpose: to find and worship the newborn King. This purpose-driven journey is a powerful model for our own spiritual lives.

The sad thing is that many who claim the name of Christ go through life wandering aimlessly. They have no sense of purpose. The incredibly sad thing about that is that an encounter with the resurrected, living Jesus is meant to be transformative. A real encounter with Jesus will never leave us where we were.

King David in Psalm 27 wrote Psalm 27:8, “ Come, my heart says, seek God’s face. LORD, I do seek your face!”

When you read through that Psalm you encounter David’s hope and faith in God to transform his life in the midst of problems and struggles he faced.

The founder of the Methodist Church, John Wesley, reportedly stated, "God does nothing but in answer to prayer." This indicates that when we wish to connect with God, we must pray. Wesley felt that our concentrated efforts to communicate with God via prayer could result in God doing something in our lives.

Wesley was implying that prayer isn't something we do every now and then or just when we feel like it. Prayer is how God chooses to bring about change in the world. So prayer is critical in how we relate to God and comprehend what He is doing in our lives and the world.

The Value of Meaningful Prayer:

When we pray with intent, we are doing more than simply telling God what we want or need. It is about exposing our hearts to what God wants and attempting to live the way He desires.

It means that we are looking to God for who He is, rather than what He can provide us. This sort of prayer allows us to get to know God better and participate in His plans.

Wesley teaches us to view prayer as a dialogue with God. We don't just communicate; we also listen in order to comprehend and follow God's instructions.

How Prayer Influences Action:

Wesley's words imply that our prayers can elicit a response from God. This is not to say that God exclusively works when we pray, but He frequently chooses to work in answer to our petitions.

This exemplifies how God and believers collaborate. God, in His infinite wisdom, chooses to include us in His plans through our prayers. As a result, our prayers are critical in connecting what we need with what God does.

Understanding this changes our perspective on prayer. It's not merely something we do when we have no other choice. It is a method for us to actively demonstrate our faith, connecting ourselves with God's purposes and power.

So, prayer is essential in seeking God. It is how we communicate with and listen to God, and it plays a significant role in how God decides to act in our lives and the world.

Phineas Bresee, one of the first General Superintendents of the Church of the Nazarene, shared a perspective on prayer that aligns closely with John Wesley's emphasis on its importance. Bresee's words, “The Christian life is not a constant high. I have my moments of deep discouragement. I have to go to God in prayer with tears in my eyes, and say, 'O God, forgive me,' or 'Help me,'" offer a candid and relatable view of the Christian journey and the role of prayer within it.

Bresee acknowledges that the Christian life involves highs and lows, moments of joy and times of deep discouragement. His honesty here is refreshing and speaks to the reality of many believers' experiences.His response to these moments is key: he turns to God in prayer. This act demonstrates a profound reliance on God, not only in times of joy but crucially, in times of distress.Bresee's prayers during these challenging times are simple yet profound: seeking forgiveness or help. This simplicity reflects the heart of a believer earnestly seeking God with a specific purpose in mind.

Just as the Magi sought the Christ child with a specific goal, Bresee’s approach to prayer is driven by clear and immediate needs, forgiveness and divine assistance. This mirrors the biblical pattern where many figures turned to God in their moments of need. For instance, King David often cried out to God for help and forgiveness in the Psalms. Bresee’s example encourages believers to seek God openly and honestly. It shows that God is not just a god to be worshipped in good times but a source of comfort and strength in times of trouble.

While seeking with purpose sets our direction, it's inevitable that this path will be marked by various challenges and obstacles. How we navigate these hurdles is crucial to our spiritual growth. This brings us to our second point: overcoming challenges and obstacles.

Matthew 2:3–9 CEB

3 When King Herod heard this, he was troubled, and everyone in Jerusalem was troubled with him. 4 He gathered all the chief priests and the legal experts and asked them where the Christ was to be born. 5 They said, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for this is what the prophet wrote: 6 You, Bethlehem, land of Judah, by no means are you least among the rulers of Judah, because from you will come one who governs, who will shepherd my people Israel.” 7 Then Herod secretly called for the magi and found out from them the time when the star had first appeared. 8 He sent them to Bethlehem, saying, “Go and search carefully for the child. When you’ve found him, report to me so that I too may go and honor him.” 9 When they heard the king, they went; and look, the star they had seen in the east went ahead of them until it stood over the place where the child was.

Overcoming Challenges and Obstacles

The journey of faith is rarely smooth or straightforward. Just like the Magi who faced uncertainties and challenges on their way to finding Jesus, we too encounter various difficulties in our spiritual walk.

There are numerous examples in the Bible about the challenges and obstacles that people faced in their pursuit of God.

After their exodus from Egypt, the Israelites faced numerous challenges in the wilderness, including scarcity of food and water (Exodus 16). Despite these hardships, their journey taught them reliance on God and His provision, as He miraculously provided manna and quail for them.

The Apostle Paul faced immense hardships in his mission to spread the Gospel, including shipwrecks, imprisonment, and beatings (2 Corinthians 11:23-28). Through all these, Paul remained steadfast, his faith unwavering, showing us the power of resilience in faith.

Challenges in our faith journey are not mere hurdles to clear; they are valuable lessons in disguise, offering us a deeper understanding of faith and reliance on God.

James wrote in James 1:2-4 , “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” This passage encourages us to view challenges as catalysts for spiritual growth, leading to maturity in faith.

Challenges force us to rely on God's strength and wisdom in ways we never have before. They remind us that while our understanding is limited, God's wisdom is limitless.

Difficulties teach us patience, perseverance, and endurance, all of which are necessary for a mature faith. Just as resistance strengthens a muscle, so does testing our faith.

These experiences teach us empathy and compassion. We become more sensitive to the problems of others after experiencing our own difficulties, increasing in compassion and kindness.

Consider the Magi's journey as a powerful example of learning from challenges. Their journey to discover the newborn King was not an easy one; it was filled with uncertainty and hardships, each of which offered teachings that relate with our own spiritual journeys.

The Magi set out on a journey with no idea where they were going or what awaited them. This mirrors our faith journey, where we often step forward in faith without knowing all the details, learning to trust in God's guidance, as stated in Proverbs 3:5-6: "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to Him, and He will make your paths straight."

The Magi had to navigate King Herod's deception. As illustrated in Matthew 10:16, this incident teaches us judgment and reliance on God's wisdom to guide us through false or difficult situations. "Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves."

The Magi's willingness to embark on a journey without knowing all of the answers inspires us to accept the unknowns in our faith journey, trusting that God will lead us as He guided them.

Their meeting with Herod reminds us of the value of discernment in the face of deceptive temptations and adversities. It emphasizes the importance of seeking God's aid in distinguishing between truth and deceit.

Consider how the Magi's journey matches the difficulties we endure in our spiritual life. What challenges are we facing? Where do we require wisdom?

Take a look at how you, like the Magi, might stay focused in your quest of Christ in the face of adversity.

Our journey of faith is filled with trials that teach and refine us, just as the Magi's journey to Bethlehem was a physical embodiment of their spiritual search.

We gain insight into how to navigate our own journey with faith, endurance, and discernment by meditating on the Magi's experience, learning significant lessons from each obstacle we conquer.

Having explored how the Magi, and indeed all of us, face and learn from challenges on our spiritual journey, we now turn to the culminating aspect of their journey, which is equally vital in our faith journey. This brings us to our third point: worship and sacrificial giving. The Magi’s journey culminated in a moment of profound worship and the offering of precious gifts. This act of worship was not just a ritual; it was an expression of deep reverence and commitment. Similarly, our journey of faith leads us to moments of worship and opportunities to offer our best to God.

Matthew 2:10–11 CEB

10 When they saw the star, they were filled with joy. 11 They entered the house and saw the child with Mary his mother. Falling to their knees, they honored him. Then they opened their treasure chests and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

Worship and Sacrificial Giving

The climax of the Magi's journey was their arrival at the place where Jesus lay. Here, they presented their gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh, each carrying deep symbolic meaning.

“Consider the Magi's visit to Jesus. They weren't coming to receive anything from Him; after all, He was just a child, a toddler in Bethlehem. They didn't come because of what He had already done for them, as He hadn’t performed any miracles yet. Their sole reason for visiting was to worship Him for who He was.

Think about why you go to church. Do you ever think, "Lord, I'm here to worship You because I need help with a business deal next week," or, "I'm feeling down, and worshiping will lift my spirits"? Yes, worship brings blessings, but these benefits shouldn’t be why we worship.

So why should we worship the Lord? We worship Him because He is the King of kings, the Creator of everything, the essence and purpose of life. He is the Rock that was struck for us, the Beginning and the End, the Lily of the Valley, the Most Beautiful Among Thousands, the Bright Morning Star. Our worship should be driven by our understanding of who Jesus is. He deserves our worship simply because of His identity. As Revelation 4:11 says, “Thou art worthy O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power.”” [my paraphrase of Jon Courson]

Worship, in the context of the Magi’s journey, is more than singing praises; it's a lifestyle of revering and honoring God in all that we do.Sacrificial giving goes beyond financial contributions. It's about giving of ourselves – our time, abilities, and even our struggles – as acts of worship and devotion to God. This aspect of our faith journey is about acknowledging God’s supreme worth and our complete dependence on Him, mirroring the devotion shown by the Magi.

Romans 12:1 urges us to “present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.” This verse encapsulates the idea of offering our whole selves to God as an act of worship.

What is your 'gold, frankincense, and myrrh' might be. What are you called to offer to God in your worship and service?

Just as the Magi’s journey led them to a place of worship and sacrificial offering, our spiritual journey should continually draw us into deeper acts of worship and giving. By willingly offering our best to God, just as the Magi did, we not only honor Him, but we also align ourselves more closely with His purposes and heart.

As we reflect on the Magi’s journey and their act of worship and sacrificial giving, we can draw profound lessons for our own spiritual journey. Just like the Magi, our journey of faith is not about what we can get from God, but rather about honoring and worshipping Him for who He is. Their journey, filled with purpose, challenges, and culminating in worship, mirrors our own spiritual journeys.

In our contemporary lives, it’s easy to fall into the mindset of approaching God with a transactional attitude, seeking His blessings or help in our times of need. While it’s natural to turn to God for support and He indeed cares for our needs, the essence of true worship lies in recognizing God’s inherent worthiness, irrespective of our circumstances or desires.

The Magi worshipped Jesus not for what He could do for them but for who He was – the promised King, the Messiah. In the same way, our worship should stem from an awe-inspired recognition of who Jesus is: the King of Kings, the Creator of the Universe, the Alpha and Omega, and our Savior. This understanding elevates our worship from mere ritual or a means to an end, transforming it into a genuine expression of reverence and love for God.

As Revelation 4:11 declares, “Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power.” This verse encapsulates the heart of worship. It’s about giving God the glory, honor, and power He rightly deserves. Our worship and sacrifices are responses to His majesty and love, a recognition of His sovereignty over our lives.

Let’s commit to embrace the journey of faith, inspired by the Magi, with a heart set on seeking God intentionally, overcoming challenges through His strength, and entering into worship and sacrificial giving that truly honors Him. Let our lives be a continuous expression of worship, rooted in a deep understanding and appreciation of who God is and His immeasurable love for us.