Going Home Another Way

​Epiphany Sunday – Rev. Linda Dolby
Matthew 2:1-12

In the time of King Herod, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, asking, “Where is the child who has been born king of the Jews? For we observed his star at its rising, and have come to pay him homage.” When King Herod heard this, he was frightened, and all Jerusalem with him; and calling together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born. They told him, “In Bethlehem of Judea; for so it has been written by the prophet: ‘And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for from you shall come a ruler who is to shepherd my people Israel.’” Then Herod secretly called for the wise men and learned from them the exact time when the star had appeared. Then he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, “Go and search diligently for the child; and when you have found him, bring me word so that I may also go and pay him homage.”
 
When they had heard the king, they set out; and there, ahead of them, went the star that they had seen at its rising, until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw that the star had stopped, they were overwhelmed with joy. 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. And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they left for their own country by another road.
 
The season of Epiphany started Friday, January 6, ending the season of Christmas.  Before we put Christmas completely away, though, let’s hear this one story of a children’s Christmas pageant:
It begins, “a mother of four young children learned something about common sense one Christmas.  The mother says, “My proudest moment came during the children's Christmas pageant. My daughter was playing Mary, two of my sons were shepherds and my youngest son was a wise man. This was their moment to shine. My five- year-old Shepherd had practiced his line, "We found the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes." But he was nervous and said, "The baby was wrapped in wrinkled clothes."

My four-year-old "Mary" said, "That's not 'wrinkled clothes,' silly. That's dirty, rotten clothes." A wrestling match broke out between Mary and the shepherd and was stopped by an angel, who bent her halo and lost her left wing.
I slouched a little lower in my seat when Mary dropped the doll representing Baby Jesus, and it bounced down the aisle crying, "Mama- mama." Mary grabbed the doll, wrapped it back up and held it tightly as the wise men arrived. My other son stepped forward wearing a bathrobe and a paper crown, knelt at the manger and announced, "We are the three wise men, and we are bringing gifts of gold, common sense and fur."

The congregation dissolved into laughter, and the pageant got a standing ovation. "I've never enjoyed a Christmas program as much as this one," Pastor Brian laughed, wiping tears from his eyes. "For the rest of my life, I'll never hear the Christmas story without thinking of gold, common sense and fur."

Christmas has come and gone this year.  The question is this:  what difference did Christmas make this year for you?  Is Christmas something that can be put up with the garlands and then go away to the attic?  Or, is the birth of the Christ-child something that makes a difference in each of our lives, this year, and all the way through this new year?
We spend the first 4 Sundays of December searching for hope, peace, joy, and love.  We lit Advent candles and prayed there would be room in the inn of our hearts for a baby.  We sat in silence Christmas eve and were touched by the wonder that God loved the world so much that God gave his only son, for us.

What difference does a baby make?

As an aside, let me tell you that our 3rd grandchild, a little boy named Rami, was born last Sunday at 8:03 a.m.  It’s a good thing I didn’t learn of this birth until after our service was over last week, or I would have been a complete mess of excitement and pride and would not have led our worship well.

Because that’s what happens when babies are born, isn’t it?  Our whole worlds are turned upside down.  I remember when my husband and I had our first child.  Everything revolved around that beautiful baby.  We were no longer our own.  Trips once taken at a drop of a hat now had to be carefully planned.  Did she eat?  Did she sleep?  Will we ever eat?  Will we ever sleep?  Her cries captured our attention.  The baby came first.

When Jesus was born, the world was turned upside down.  When Jesus is born in our hearts, our worlds are turned upside down.  Jesus becomes Lord of our lives.  Priorities get shifted.

The verse of our scripture lesson that caught my heart is the last: the wise men returned home another way.  After greeting Jesus and presenting their gifts, they went home differently.  By another route.  Not the way they came.

Do you ever wonder about what happened to the Wise Men when they went back home?  Did they live happily ever after?  Were their lives changed as a result of their journey?

After the shimmering splendor the star’s light and the mystery of having looked into that baby’s eyes, did it make a difference when they went back to the mundane Monday of driving the carpool, figuring out what to have for dinner, balancing the checkbook, paying those Christmas bills, attending meetings, calling on clients, getting their teeth filled, planning the birthday party – and all the thousand and one things that it takes to live?

After all, the Wise Men had followed a star and were exceedingly joyful in their journey’s end.  But was it really their journey’s end, since it was necessary for them to return to their own country?  They did not remain in the midst of the “royal beauty bright” of the star, but, they went to their homes by another way.  But what was life like for them afterwards?  After the star, in the cold light of day, did it all really matter?

How about us?  After the anticipation and the celebration and wonder of that most holiest of night with candles flickering and the songs of the angels, what then?  Does the spirit of Christmas simply get stowed away?

Or, is life somehow different?  We really don't know what it was like for the wise men when they arrived back home. We can only imagine. But their message at Epiphany is about going home another way.  It is not about certainties given, but about journeying with joy and wonder in all creation. It is about dreaming of new futures; it is about following the star of Christ. "O, star of wonder, star of night, star with royal beauty bright; westward leading, still proceeding, guide us to thy perfect light."

I learned this week of a song by James Taylor that I’ve never heard before. It’s called “Home By Another Way.”

Those magic men the Magi
Some people call them wise
Or oriental, even kings
Well anyway, those guys
They visited with Jesus
They sure enjoyed their stay
Then warned in a dream of king Herod's scheme
They went home by another way
Yes they went home by another way
Home by another way
Maybe me and you can be wise guys too
And go home by another way
We can make it another way
Safe home as they used to say
Keep a weather eye to the chart on high
​And go home another way