Rise and Shine!

The Rev. Kathi Johnson

Epiphany – 7 January 2018

Texts: Isaiah 60:1-6; Matthew 2:1-23

Our Redeemer Lutheran Church, Grand Prairie, Texas

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When I was a child, my Grandfather Inglis and I would sit outside and look up at the stars together. Grandpa was the one who showed me the Big Dipper, the Little Dipper, and Orion. We’d gaze at the moon and talk about its shape, and if a human-made object flew past, he’d tell me about the satellites his company built and put up into space. Every so often, we’d see a shooting star.

I still love to go outside and look up at the stars. They’re more dim than they used to be because of light pollution from the big cities, but I still find the Big Dipper, the Little Dipper, and Orion, and some others I’ve learned along the way. I gaze at the moon and think about its shape. I think about the human-made objects floating around above our heads. And every so often, I see a shooting star.

There is constancy to the stars – they are pinpricks of light in the deep darkness. Is it any wonder that it’s a star that leads the wise men to find Jesus, the Light of the World?

These wise men know their stars - better than me, better than my grandpa. They are astrologers – professional star gazers – and so to them, any change in the night sky means something. Often, the appearance of a special star means that something big is happening in the world – the death of a king, or the birth of another.

When the wise men see the star that lead them to Jesus, they pay attention. Then, they get up and they travel – how far, we do not know – but they travel to Jerusalem and then on to Bethlehem. They travel so they can worship at the feet of an infant king. They visit Jesus with gifts and they offer their devotion.

It is interesting to me that the writer of the Gospel of Matthew includes this story about the wise men in sharing the story of Jesus’ birth. As astrologers, these wise men would’ve been viewed with suspicion in the time of Jesus.  These wise men live outside the accepted norms, and so their worship of Jesus is unexpected.

So, included in this lovely story of the wise men and Jesus is the idea that God in Jesus has come for all people - not only those we accept or expect.

Also woven around this story of the wise men visiting Jesus is the story of an ugly political reality at the time. Herod the King is paranoid and fearful. He’s so fearful that he’s able to draw others along the path of fear with him. When the wise men stop in Jerusalem to ask for directions to go and visit the newborn king, Herod says he wants to worship Jesus, but really, he wants to eliminate this infant threat to his power.

After the wise men visit Jesus, they receive a warning in a dream not to return to Herod, so they bravely defy the king, change course, and go home on a different route. Then Joseph also has a dream, so he and Mary pack up Jesus and they take refuge in Egypt. The young king, Jesus, is safe. And so, at first, we think the evil king has been thwarted.

But Herod rages when he finds out that he’s been tricked by the wise men, and he brings death to the children of Bethlehem – death to the children, and weeping and loud lamentation to their families – a reminder to us of what can happen when kings are too thirsty for attention and power.

For the power found in this story is not seated with King Herod on his throne of darkness, but in the power of God residing within the baby Jesus, the Light of the World. It is Jesus who will grow up to be a wise teacher, and a great healer of people. It is Jesus who will grow up to be crucified and die. It is Jesus who will defeat death by rising again in the power of God. 

No matter the day or time or season, we trust in a God who doesn’t let the darkness of death have the last word.

This weekend, we celebrate the Epiphany – the revealing of Jesus to the world, and so we take a bit more time today to revel in the lights of Christmas. But later on, for another year, the lights are coming down and getting packed away. At our house, the tree had gotten extra crispy, so yesterday, I pulled off the ornaments and Steve put the tree outside. Then, I ran the vacuum again and again to get up all those pine needles. Soon, our big plastic bins will be full of lights and wreaths and décor.

After all the lights have been pulled down and the busy holiday season is over, it can be hard to get back to life with enthusiasm. After the sparkle of Christmas goes away, it can be difficult to rise and shine. Have you ever encountered (or been) a well-meaning morning person who starts off the day with a rousing “RISE AND SHINE!”

Yet, that’s what the prophet Isaiah says to the people of Israel who’ve returned to their homeland after being exiled: “Rise, shine; for your light has come!” cries out Isaiah, trying to encourage people, and offering them a word of hope. In their case, he’s reminding them that the light of the power of God has led them home again. He’s showing them the light that is cracking through the deep darkness that covers the earth.

To you, in this new year, I offer similar words of hope:

Rise and shine!

Get up and reflect the light that God has given to us –

            The true glory of God has risen up overhead, like the sun.

Deep shadows spread over the earth,

            and sometimes, it feels like total darkness covers the people;

But the Lord shines over us, and his glory shines like the sun!

We have the opportunity to reflect the Light of the World – Jesus - again and again. In this new year, this is the time to rise and shine. Whether it is a pinprick of light in the darkness, or as bright as the sun, this is the time to rise and shine.

Amen.

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