And so, just like that! - we come to Epiphany, the familiar part of the Christmas story where we celebrate the Magi visiting the Messiah.
I say familiar, but in the case of the Magi there are a lot of assumptions. Firstly, we assume there were 3 of them as there were 3 gifts – gold, frankincense and myrrh, but nowhere in the bible does it say there were 3. We sing the carol We Three Kings, but they weren’t kings, they certainly were wise men who studied the night sky and the positioning of the stars and planets. And of course, in our minds they visited 12 days after the birth but again we don’t know this for certain. But actually, all these uncertainties don’t matter – the important thing is that Jesus was born, the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us, a light has come into the world and the darkness cannot overcome it - Jesus has moved into the neighbourhood!
So how do we react to this good news? What do we do with this knowledge? Our journey of faith is much like that of the wise men, they studied the facts and asked questions, just as we must to learn and draw closer to God. Their journey involved risk, and for many Christians this is the reality of their faith in the world today. And when they meet with Jesus, they bring gifts and worship Him, through this act of worship they give and receive. Finally, they make their way home by a different route having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod. So, it is for us, when we meet with Jesus our lives take a different route, things are never quite the same again, God chooses a path for us. And although there are situations that happen in life that make you question this (I know I have questioned God’s plan for me, more than once!), but we have to trust. With hindsight I can always see that it is part of God’s plan and actually God does know best!
Throughout Advent, in the weeks before Christmas, we talked a lot about waiting and preparing for the birth of Jesus, a time to acknowledge our sins, to repent and prepare our hearts. We now have the opportunity to start again, to live differently, to change those things that need changing and to walk in the light of Christ. When we walk in God’s light we reflect His glory to the rest of the world, and I think the world could certainly do with that right now! With all the uncertainties and devastation throughout the world, the Word of God is a constant in our lives. We are God’s representatives here on earth and it is down to us to show God’s love in the world, to be the Good Samaritan, to help those in need, to stand up for the rights of the oppressed and to live in truth.
And so, once the decorations are packed away again for another year (remembering to put the tree lights away tidily so they are not in a tangle next year!).
- How will meeting with Jesus have changed us?
- What will we do differently in 2024?
- How far will we travel on our journey of faith?
- And how will we draw closer to God?
I pray that we will all step out in faith and show the world that God’s love is not just for Christmas, it’s there for all of us, all year round.
Every blessing,
Julie
