HOME BY ANOTHER ROAD

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.

[matthew 2:11-12 nrsv]

A quick note before I launch into my post for today. My plan for 2026 is to post, as much as possible, on Tuesdays and Fridays. There will be times when the situation warrants that I skip a day or so. I will try to give you advance notice when I know I won’t be posting. Also, when the joy of writing regularly becomes drudgery, I will stop, and I will also let you know.

I haven’t yet decided whether I will post daily during the Lenten season as I have sometimes done in years past. I will also announce that when I’ve made a decision.

Why am I telling you all this?

Because a friend cautioned me after my previous post of what James wrote in his letter in verse 5:12:

Above all, brothers and sisters, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or by any other oath, but let your “Yes” be yes and your “No” be no, so that you may not fall under condemnation.

So, I’m challenging myself to keep commitments. I know that some of you will keep me accountable.

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Today, January 6, is the Feast of the Epiphany.

The Epiphany of Our Lord is one of my favorite Feast Days.  For me, in my infancy, this was Christmas.  This day is when I received my presents.  I have shared this story so often that I will skip it on this day, but here is a link to a piece I wrote at length several years ago in my Monday Musings column that appears elsewhere on this website in case you want to learn more about my childhood.

Two years ago, at this time, my wife and I were in Madrid, Spain, where I got to witness their annual Cavalcade of Kings on Epiphany Eve. An estimated 300-thousand people lined the main streets of Madrid to get a glimpse of the Three Kings. Best of all, the parade processed right in front of our hotel!

Parents, with their children in tow, were just as giddy as the kids. And I was a little child again, if only for one night. Below is a slide show of photos from that magical evening.

Obviously, I can’t ignore the fact that just five years ago, January 6, 2021, became known for something else – the horrific act that took place in our nation’s capital, which came remarkably close to changing the course of history in this country and overshadow the significance of this day for us as the people of God.

The story of the Wise Men’s visit to Bethlehem that we read in Matthew is perhaps one of the most powerful stories in the gospel. 

And we can draw some parallels between our gospel reading and what took place in Washington in 2021, as well as several incidents over the past year.

Even in infancy the Christ child stirred up a capital city, disturbed a reigning king, and attracted foreigners to come and worship. 

We need look no further than Herod. Though he was called the King, Herod was really no more than a Roman puppet.  He perceived himself as powerful and important but really served at the pleasure of the Roman government.

Political power is fragile, much more so to a person as insecure as Herod.

So when these wise men from the east show up at his doorstep looking for another king, Herod has every right to be scared. When he heard this, visions of insurrection danced in his head, because his very seat of power, slippery as it was, was being threatened. 

And by a child, no less! 

We also know these wise men that come to Herod were not Jews. They were foreigners who did not believe in God, but rather, put their faith in magic, astrology, numerology, tea leaves, tarot cards, hocus pocus.

In the Jewish world, they represent gentile idolatry.  Pagans.  Wrong race, wrong religion, wrong language.  Yet they were drawn to God in the person of this child, by a star that led them to him.

And the fact that they knew about this king and Herod didn’t, had to be more than a little unsettling to him.

The good news of the Gospel can be frightening to the Herod’s of the world – those in seats of power, the rich and the famous, those who have put their trust in material wealth.

In our age and time those who live in a relative degree of comfort may find the message of Jesus rather troubling, because the gospel is disruptive.

Yes, it is good news. But at the same time, it also exposes our sinfulness, our preference for the darkness.

The good news of the gospel reaches out to anyone, not just those of a certain denomination, or a certain race or color or a political party. 

The final phrase in our reading states that the wise men left for their own country by another road. You’ll note I took my post title from that phrase. I was also inspired by Barbara Brown Taylor, who compiled a collection of sermons in a book with a similar title, Home by Another Way, as well as James Taylor, who wrote a song with the same title.

The Wise Men avoided going back to Herod after they were warned in a dream.

But even more than that, they would no longer act or believe the same way they did before. The lives of the wise men were changed forever as a result of coming face to face with Jesus.

God created a transformation within them, as God also can do with us.

And when we allow the light of Christ to fully shine on us, then we go home by another road, to become a light for others. 

Let us pray:
O God, by the leading of a star you manifested your only Son to the Peoples of the earth: Lead us, who know you now by faith, to your presence, where we may see your glory face to face; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
(Book of Common Prayer p. 214)

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Photo credits

Featured Image: Visit of the Three Wise Men, Jesus Mafa Community, Cameroon, Africa

Slide Show: Personal photos from my visit to Spain in January of 2024

January 6: courtesy Washington Post