5 January 2014 - seeing stars

5 January 2014 - seeing stars

“Where is the newborn king of the Jews?
We saw his star at its rising
and have come to do him homage.”

Let us journey with the Magi to find this newborn king.  He is a ruler who will shepherd his people Israel.  But he is also the promise in which we, Gentiles,  "are coheirs, members of the same body". 

As the Magi follow the star the promise of the psalm finds it first fulfillment: "every nation on earth will adore" the LORD.  Let us follow the star as well.  We are meant to walk by its light and its shining radiance.  This star is the light that pierces the darkness that covers the earth.  It is our hope in the valley of the shadow of death.  Without the light of this star we stumble.  We cannot find the path beneath our feet or discern the direction of our next steps.  But upon us the LORD shines and over us his glory appears. 

And behold, the star that they had seen at its rising preceded them,
until it came and stopped over the place where the child was.
They were overjoyed at seeing the star,
and on entering the house
they saw the child with Mary his mother.
They prostrated themselves and did him homage.

We no longer sit in in darkened world.  The light of Christ draws us on to the purpose which God has for each person.  His purpose in coming is to be God with us, Emmanuel.  His purpose for us is that we should be in his presence together with the Magi and "every nation".  We too should be "overjoyed at seeing the star" and the revelation is signifies.  We should prostrate ourselves at the feet of this king and open all of our treasures before him.  He comes to offer salvation, signified even now in that myrrh is burial ointment.  He is guiding us and freeing us to respond to him.  He is loosening our grasp on the treasures of this earth as we fix our gaze on the things of heaven. 

What is the proper response to this light that keeps us from stumbling and gives us direction and purpose?

Rise up in splendor, Jerusalem! Your light has come,
the glory of the Lord shines upon you.

We have a royal dignity which we can only see in this light.  We need to raise our eyes and look about to see the full splendor of God's kingdom in our midst.  It is veiled until now by darkness.  But in this light we see it and rejoice.

Justice shall flower in his days,
and profound peace, till the moon be no more.
May he rule from sea to sea,
and from the River to the ends of the earth.