Following the Light

Introduction

It may seem strange to read and hear about a Christmas passage after Christmas and think the timing is off. When we usually read the familiar stories, we have all of them happening together or on the same night perhaps. Yet, this is not accurate. Here in this passage, the first verse points out that this is after Jesus is born. Also notice in verse 11 they are in a house, not a barn.

It is funny how our minds work in linking things together that are actually separate. What is a few verses in the bible may be days or week or perhaps months. We do well to be careful what we fill in the gaps with or what we assume about different passages and linking them together. It all comes down to carefully examining and following the light of Christ to guide our path just like the wise men.

Trouble in the text

What I find fascinating about this passage is the amount of focus on the people of Jerusalem and Herod. They are worried and frightened. Why was that? Why were they not excited about a prophecy being fulfilled and Jesus being born?

It comes down to being afraid of the light of God and the change that kind of light brings. Take Herod for example. He has spent years as ruler as well as his father. Each of them had spent much time, effort, and wealth securing their rule. They had rebuilt the temple. They had proved themselves to the Romans as capable rulers. They had taken care of any threats from any potential political enemies. They thought their rule was secure until God said differently.

What about the people of Jerusalem? Why were they worried? Perhaps similar to Herod, they feared what change may come with a different ruler. Maybe for them, it was easier to deal with the known life they had then under Herod versus what changes may come when the political upheaval occured from ruler turnovers.

In some sense they settled for following the wrong light in their lives. They had accepted living in the darkness without God’s rule. They needed to see and experience God’s light in their lives.

Trouble in the world

In some ways we still struggle today with this same dilemma. What is God going to ask me to give up? What is this giving my life to Christ going to cost me? How is my life going to be different? Change is always uncomfortable and gives us anxiety.

I was thinking the past couple of weeks about how much has changed these past two years. We are coming up on two years of the pandemic. From a community sense, we are in a different place now than we were two years ago. Much good has come but also much trouble has also come.

We argue and fight about who is right about this issue or that issue and portray those who don’t agree with us as villains. They are what is wrong with the world. We fear listening to others because we think it will poison our minds or corrupt us into thinking differently.

I admit we are at a juncture here in our world where we have accepted living in darkness rather than accepting changes that need to be made in our lives to live in God’s light.

Grace in the text

In our passage for today, King Herod and the people of Jerusalem tried to interfere with God’s plans of bringing in the light of Christ to the world and their plans failed. God’s change is inevitable. What plans God sets in motion, they will not be stopped.

I am always curious each time I read this passage why only the wise men recognized the star. Why did Herod not ask for this? Why could nobody but these three people see this special star? Here is another way in which God uniquely equips the person for the job. These three people were on a special mission of God to find Jesus the new King of the Jews. They were to give Jesus gifts worthy of a king and also significant to foreshadowing his future rule.

God’s guiding light brought them through distant lands and dangers to worship the newborn King. God’s light brought them to an unknown place and revealed who Jesus is as King of the Jews. Following the light of God brought them to their destination and even kept them from trouble by not returning to Herod as requested. They did not fear King Herod but rather feared God and continued following God’s guidance home by another path.

Grace in the world

Would it not be so much simpler if life were this way? Simply look up in the sky and follow God’s start to guide you. Yet when we look up there are hundred if not thousands if not innumerable stars in the sky. Which one to follow is impossible to figure out. Yet, just like the Magi, we are not left alone to figure it out. God sent the Holy Spirit as our internal guiding light.

Think back on the last time you disagreed with someone on an issue. Did you feel at peace about it? Did you feel good about looking down on someone or belittling them as beneath you? I am sure somewhere in your heart there was some level of discomfort. Some people may say it is a guilty conscience or something hard wired in us to think and act a certain way. However, I am challenged by that assumption that we somehow we don’t feel at peace by doing the normal things of this world. We don’t feel good about rejecting our neighbor because inside our hearts, we know we must love instead of hate.

What I challenge us in this new year is to find ways of loving not just those who believe as us or think alive but try to see someone who does not fit that mold of being just like you and see if you can love them. I don’t know about you but I grow weary of a world that spews hate and deception and lies in order to convince others they have the truth. Jesus is the only truth you need to live your live by. When someone else is trying to belittle another person in order to convince you they have the truth then be on guard for what light they are following.

Look for that light of Christ in your life, guiding you on the right path. There may be may stars in the night sky but look for that one bright shining one that you can see. This is how our lives are today. Many claims are made to the truth that should be adhered to and followed but folks, don’t be deceived. Christ came to save the world, not destroy it. Make sure the truth you follow is the same truth found in Christ. Pray today that the Holy Spirit be that bright shining light to guide you. Pray today that Christ light within you shine brightly.