Sermon: Epiphany - The Journey of Faith

Imagine yourself to be directing a film on one of the books of the Bible.  How would you cast the characters?   You would probably give the principal parts to the best actors, assuming you consider the principal characters as those who appear most frequently and have the most to say.   This would not mean, however, that the other characters are of little or no significance, or are, as the film industry calls them, “extras”. 

I have always been fascinated by many of the biblical characters who appear on just one occasion.  Usually we are told little or nothing about them. Often they do not say anything or what they do say is just a few words.  There are Simoen and Anna who greet Mary and Joseph when they bring Jesus to the Temple.  There is  Simon of Cyrene, who carries our Lord’s Cross;  There is Ananias who introduces the newly converted Paul into the Christian community. 

Today we read of more characters who appear in the narrative just once.  We usually know them as the wise man, or kings, or astrologers, or simply as Magi.  We are told they came from the east but we are not told how many of them there were and certainly not their names. They did not say anything apart from asking one question.  However, these magi, although they are somewhat mysterious, have in our minds and in popular tradition a significant place in the Gospel story. 

In telling the story of the visitors to Bethlehem, Matthew chooses to tell of the magi, and Luke of the shepherds.   The shepherds, who represent poor people are given a message from God through angels. They just travel a short distance to visit the new born baby. There is much of a religious context in their story. They return praising God for what they had seen. Their story is a simple one.  Matthew’s story is more complicated and invites us to think more deeply about the significance.  To begin with, it appears they are astrologers (whether astrologers in today’s terms is doubtful). They travel from some distance to Jerusalem because their studies have led them to believe a new king is about to be born, but why do they think this has any importance for them or their culture?  What makes them travel such a long distance?   Clearly they must have seen some significance and even the possibility that this new “king” would be likely to make a difference to their lives.  After all,  you don’t make such a long journey for no reason, especially a journey to a small insignificant country which has lost its sovereignty to the might of imperial Rome.   Their first port of call is to Herod, the puppet king of that province. This is the one occasion in the story when they speak.  “Where is the one born King of Jews?”  “We have come to worship him.”   Herod is worried and calls a meeting of the officials who know their bibles well. They search the scriptures and find that the Messiah will be born in Bethlehem.   Herod then dismisses the biblical scholars and meets with the magi alone to ask for more information about the star.  He sends them on their way, and expects them to follow his instructions and search for the new born king and then report back to him.  This story has politics and religion weaved in to one. 

So there was not much of a welcome from Herod and by this time they must have wondered if they were mistaken, and if their journey was a waste of time. As T.S.EIlliot puts it, 

“A hard time we had of it.
At the end we preferred to travel all night,
Sleeping in snatches,
With the voices singing in our ears, saying
That this was all folly”. 

But  there were stronger voices, or someone or something stronger urging them to continue their journey.  They present three gifts. The text does not tell us their significance, but tradition tells us they represent royalty, divinity and death.   

So after such a long journey they return and are not seen again in the story.  Notice for the first time we are told God speaks to them.  He warns them not to return to Herod, so they make the journey back to their country by another way. 

Above all else, this story is about a journey, a journey of discovery to God.  For the shepherds, it is a simple journey just a few miles down the hillside  into the town. For them, the meaning is simple and they understand it immediately.  For the magi, it is a more complicated journey, crossing boundaries and cultures, but they feel called to make the journey. They must have done and must have seen it is of major importance to their lives.  They were seeking for something.  They followed a star. They asked questions of bible scholars. They persevered on a difficult journey. 

It is said that travel broadens the mind. I am sure this is true as travel leads us to experience other cultures and hopefully to understand and respect them.  This was certainly the experience of the magi.  In telling us that they returned home another way means more than simply taking a  different road for a change of scenery.  They went home another way to avoid Herod who in the story symbolises evil.  When they returned home, they found the journey had changed them.  Once again I quote from T.S.Elliot  

“We returned to our places, these Kingdoms,
But no longer at ease here, in the old dispensation,
With an alien people clutching their gods.” 

For us too, our faith is a journey – a journey to God that changes us.   Notice that the journey of the magi is so different from that of the shepherds.  This shows how one person’s journey to God is not necessarily the same as another person’s.  It means too that we are all on a journey of faith, and that we are all at different stages on that journey. We do well not to expect others to be at the same stage as we are. Some will be ahead of us, some will be behind us.  We do well also to remember there are many ways to God.   At the festival of the Epiphany we are called to think of the making known of Christ to all peoples.  We are all on this faith journey together. The process of discovery of God goes on. We never have full knowledge of God in this life.  This stories leads us like the magi do remember three things on our journey of faith.  Firstly, to follow the lead that God gives us in prayer; secondly to study the Scriptures; and thirdly to persevere even when the journey gets tough.  

Let us encourage one another as we travel on this journey of faith, and encourage others to join us in our discovery by whatever route we take. So, as we pray in the Epiphany collect, that when we reach the end of the journey we may enjoy the vision of God in fullness.  Amen.