Wise Men Still Seek Him
Epiphany Sunday
January 1, 2006
Matthew 2:1-12

Happy New Year!

A new year's poem by B. Prater:

'Twas the month after Christmas, and all through the house, nothing would fit me, not even a blouse.
The cookies I'd nibbled, the fudge I did taste, all the holiday parties had gone to my waist.
When I got on the scales there arose such a number! When I walked to the store, 'twas less a walk than a lumber.
I remembered the marvelous meals I'd prepared, the gravies and sauces and beef nicely rare.
The pies and the cakes, the bread and the cheese, and the way I never said, "No thank you please."
As I dressed myself in my husband's old shirt, and prepared once again to do battle with dirt---
I said to myself, as I only can "You can't spend the winter disguised as a man!"

So away with the last of the sour cream dip, get rid of the fruit cake, every cracker and chip.
Every last bit of food that I like must be banished, 'till all the additional ounces have vanished.
I won't have a cookie, not even a lick, I'll want only to chew on a long celery stick.
I won't have hot biscuits, or corn bread, or pie, I'll munch on a carrot and quietly cry.
I'm hungry, I'm lonesome, and life is a bore --- But isn't that what January is for?
Unable to giggle, no longer a riot ... Happy New Year to all and to all a good diet!

Today is uniquely both a beginning and an end: the beginning of the new year as well as the end of the Christmas season, a day which we call Epiphany Sunday.

The Book of Worship describes the Epiphany (or Manifestation) of the Lord to be an even more ancient celebration among Christians than Christmas. Today we celebrate it as the coming of the magi, who brought gifts to the Christ child.

The question has been posed, and you most likely have heard it before: "What would have happened if there had been Three Wise Women instead of Three Wise Men?" The answer: They would have asked directions immediately upon commencing their trip, which would have allowed them to arrive on time; they would have helped deliver the baby, cleaned the stable, made a casserole and brought cute little outfits that baby Jesus could have worn on his trip home.

As it happened, they were wise men (not wise women) - and while we think of these men as part of the Christmas story, they were not present on that first Christmas. They didn't arrive on the scene until well over a year later. In fact, there is much that we don't know about the wise men.

We assume that there are three wise men because there were three gifts - but there may have been more. We don't know, because the Bible doesn't tell us.

Some have suggested that they were from Arabia - Babylon - Persia - but we really don't know.

In the sixth century someone decided that their names were Melchior, Baltazar and Gaspar. And so operas have been written ascribing these names to them. But no one really knows what their names were.

But the lack of facts and details has not deterred the manufacturers of nativity scenes, and so in every nativity scene you see three kings or wise men.

The question I would like to pose this morning is what makes these wise men so wise? They Were Wise In Their Decision To Search For Jesus.

The wise men, "magi", these men of science and the stars were brought to a decision to seek out and find "the King of the Jews". Like us, they didn't have all the facts when they started, but they had enough to know that they needed to search.

As the magi applied themselves to observing the heavens, their attention was drawn to one particular star, as they were familiar with what we call the Old Testament. We have no way of knowing just how much of the Word they had actually read; but one thing we know - they had to have enough knowledge of scripture to know that a "Messiah" was coming. They didn't have all the answers, but they had enough to give their souls a hunger for more. They had enough to decide to begin their search.

It's interesting, and you may or may not admit it to yourself, but we are all searching, seeking something to fulfill our lives.

The wise men were also determined in their search. It is possible these men may have traveled up to 1000 miles on their trek. Imagine traveling that far on the back of a camel. And it was a long and difficult trip across the desert. Give these men credit. They really wanted to come and worship Jesus. This wasn't a fad. Nor was it a whim of the moment. They were serious seekers.

They would see their search through to the end.

You see, searching and seeking a deeper relationship with Jesus is a lifelong journey, one which we embark on every day in order to draw nearer to the Truth. Are you determined like that in your spiritual search?

I mean, when I am hungry…I look in the cookie jar - refrigerator - cabinet - freezer. I just keep looking until I find something good to eat. Matthew 5:6 reads "Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be filled". Let me ask you this morning -- How hungry are you in your search for God?

When at last they had found the Christ, they bowed down and worshipped him. They presented him with gifts. Listen, it is not enough to discover who Christ is or even what he had done - we fall short if we only discover certain truths about him without also giving ourselves to him in faith and worship. We must live our lives in Christ.

And so the challenge for us today, is whether we will be wise men and women.

I believe that wise men still seek him. Wise men still serve him and wise men still worship him.

It took the wise men over a year to find the baby Jesus. They could have said that was too late for them, that they shouldn't eve bother to go. But my friends, let me tell you that it is never too late to begin the journey.

"Yesterday is not ours to recover, but tomorrow is ours to win or lose."
- Lyndon B. Johnson

Wise men and women still seek him. What about you? These men teach us that perfect theology is not required to come to the conclusion that Jesus is God's son who came to earth for you. Our timing-or lack thereof-is not a hindrance to seeking him. But it is up to you to seek him and then to receive him.

Are you seeking for something to fill the void in your life this morning, or for this new year? Let me suggest to you that there are a lot of ways to fill that feeling of emptiness, at least temporarily. But there's only one way to fill it in a way that will last. That is to realize that the emptiness is caused by God in order to bring you to himself. God sent Jesus to fill that void. He came to earth as a man, lived a perfect life, died for our sins and rose from the dead. He offers you forgiveness, fulfillment and peace happiness. What you have to do is first to recognize that you have sinned against him. Ask him to forgive you for your sins and be the lord of your life. Your life will never be the same and you will be on the road to being a wise woman or man.

For many of us, we've made that commitment. But it's important that we continue to seek him, to know him each day and to know his word. Realizing that all of us need help in this, we need to begin each year with a special emphasis on seeking to know God in a greater way.

Why not begin in January emphasizing daily Bible reading and prayer. Commit to reading through the Bible this year. We can even put together a small group to read through the Bible together. Commit to attending an adult education, or "growth group" beginning next week with Methodism 101.

The magi really were wise men. And today, wise men (and women) still seek him. My prayer for us in this new year is that we will be a church of wise men and women, seeking him, serving him and worshipping him as he leads us every day to become more and more a growing family of believers being transformed to wholeness and joy.

I AM THE NEW YEAR
I am the new year. I am an unspoiled page in your book of time.
I am your next chance at the art of living.
I am your opportunity to practice what you have learned about life during the last twelve months.
All that you sought and didn't find is hidden in me, waiting for you to search it but with more determination.
All the good that you tried for and didn't achieve is mine to grant when you have fewer conflicting desires.
All that you dreamed but didn't dare to do, all that you hoped but did not will, all the faith that you claimed but did not have -- these slumber lightly, waiting to be awakened by the touch of a strong purpose.
I am your opportunity to renew you allegiance to Him who said, "Behold, I make all things new."

SOURCE: Jeffery Anselmi A New You For a New Year.