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| Dr. Andy Cullen January 6, 2008 Rolling Hills Presbyterian Church Matthew 2: 1-12 |
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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. Matthew 2: 1-12
A New Year….another birthday, by God’s grace! I’m a “baby boomer” – born in 1948 – and it’s true, baby boomers refuse to admit that they are growing older. We are searching for ways to stay young!
Will Rogers had some great sayings about getting older:
"Eventually you will reach a point when you stop lying about your age and start bragging about it."
"The older we get, the fewer things seem worth waiting in line for."
"Some people try to turn back their odometers. Not me, I want people to know 'why' I look this way. I've traveled a long way and some of the roads weren't paved."
"When you are dissatisfied and would like to go back to youth, think of Algebra."
"You know you are getting old when everything either dries up or leaks."
"One of the many things no one tells you about aging is that it is such a nice change from being young."
"One must wait until evening to see how splendid the day has been."
"Being young is beautiful, but being old is comfortable."
"If you don't learn to laugh at trouble, you won't have anything to laugh at when you are old."
So much for the eternal search for youth! What we search for makes a difference in our lives!
Now the Internet has changed the way we search for things. This week I searched for “Jesus Christ” on the internet. There were 28 million, 900 thousand matches….let me read them to you….! The first 10 matches were:
10. EWTN Catholic website
These websites present a wide variety of viewpoints and interpretations about Jesus Christ. We must careful what we search for!
People are searching for many things in life: happiness, success, financial gain, fame, fulfillment in life…
In No Shortcuts to the Top: Climbing the World’s 14 Highest Peaks written by Ed Viesturs, the only American to have reached the summit of all 14 of the world’s highest mountains—all without the aid of bottled oxygen. Viesturs dedicated eighteen years of his life to climbing all of the world’s 8,000 meter peaks—the 14 mountains whose altitudes exceed 26,000 feet. At the end of the book he wrote: “No matter what the future holds in store, I can say now – out loud, without hesitation—I have lived my dream.” Viesturs was searching for fulfillment by climbing.
I ask myself the questions, “What am I searching for in life? Have I lived my dream?” What we are searching for reveals a great deal about who we are and what we value. What we are searching for reveals our priorities in life.
On this Epiphany Sunday we celebrate the spiritual significance of the occasion when the Gentile Magi came from the East searching for the infant Messiah. The emphasis here is that the birth of Christ, the epiphany or appearance of Christ, is for the whole world.
In Luke we find the only account in the Gospels of Jesus’ boyhood.1
Mary and Joseph have lost Jesus! Joseph probably said to Mary, “I thought YOU were watching him…!” And Mary to Joseph… “I thought YOU were watching him…!” They returned to Jerusalem to search for Jesus…And when they find him Mary says, “Look, your father and I have been searching for you in great anxiety!!!!!” The boy Jesus replies, “Why were you searching for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?”
People today continue searching for Jesus: Who is Jesus? What did Jesus really do? How is Jesus alive today?
How we see and understand Jesus affects how we see other people and how we act towards them. In Marcus Borg’s book Jesus: Uncovering the Life, Teachings, and Relevance of a Religious Revolutionary, he notes that there are some encouraging developments for those of us in mainline denominations. These developments are centered on a recovery, or “seeing again” of the most central elements of the Christian faith:
There is an open door for a vibrant, spiritually alive faith centered in love of God and others. I see all of these elements in the life of this church. I see them growing. I see the opportunities: a new pastor, a growing, positive spirit…providing a fresh beginning for this congregation. Thanks be to God. We continue the search…together!
1 The themes of searching and find occur numerous times in Luke’s Gospel: A lost sheep, a lost coin, a lost child…
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