What Are We Seeking?
A Short Reflect on Matthew 2.1-12
RCL Epiphany C
6 January 2019
Holy Trinity Cathedral
Matthew 2.1-12
2.1In the time of King Herod, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem,2asking, “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.” 3When King Herod heard this, he was frightened, and all Jerusalem with him; 4and calling together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born. 5They told him, “In Bethlehem of Judea; for so it has been written by the prophet: 6‘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.’”
7Then Herod secretly called for the wise men and learned from them the exact time when the star had appeared. 8Then 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.” 9When 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. 10When they saw that the star had stopped, they were overwhelmed with joy. 11On 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. 12And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they left for their own country by another road.
When I first came to Canada, I quickly became intrigued by the system of public honours, especially the Order of Canada. My interest in the Order of Canada was piqued initially by the motto of the Order: desiderantes meliorem patriam--- ‘They desire a better country’. It’s a Latin translation of Hebrews 11.16. Let me give you the whole paragraph.
11.13All of these died in faith without having received the promises, but from a distance they saw and greeted them. They confessed that they were strangers and foreigners on the earth, 14for people who speak in this way make it clear that they are seeking a homeland. 15If they had been thinking of the land that they had left behind, they would have had opportunity to return. 16But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God; indeed, he has prepared a city for them. [1]
The writer of the Letter to the Hebrews is speaking about the prophets, martyrs and other faithful people who lived out their lives before the coming of Christ. He recognizes that our life on earth is always a journey towards God’s future that always lies just over the horizon of the present and that beckons us to leave the past behind in order to find that ‘homeland’ we seek. It’s a fit motto for the Order and for Canada, I think. It is an affirmation that we are not yet who we would like to be and that the Companions, Officers and Members of the Order are or, at least, ought to be people who are showing us a way towards that ‘better country’, that homeland, that ‘peaceable kingdom’ God is at work establishing for all of humanity.
Epiphany, it seems to me, is a feast that celebrates this journey of faith that is never finished in our lifetimes and the questions that faithful people ask as we travel our lives’ path. The three wise ones who followed the star to Bethlehem and brought their gifts to the new-born Child saw embodied in him the promise of the journey’s end. They knew that there was still a long road before them, but they could continue their journey in hope for having seen the promise born in that Child. I believe that the gifts they brought are symbols of what every human being seeks.
I believe that every human being seeks the gold of some control over the direction of one’s life. Deeply embedded in the soul of every human being is a desire to be more than a leaf blown about by the wind. We seek to act more than we desire to be acted upon. Circumstances may push us down and our life situations may lead us to believe that we are powerless to act, but there is a healthy spirit of rebellion that smoulders within each one of us. But who will show us the direction towards where we ought to be going?
I believe that every human being seeks the frankincense of wisdom that delves beneath the surface of everyday life to find truth. There is more going on in our lives and in the life of the whole of creation than is visible to the naked eye and to our everyday intellect. Why is it that we have the capacity to create things of great beauty and to offer others love as well as the capacity to destroy on a massive scale that same beauty and to spill hate out onto the streets and byways of our communities? Even the least observant human being tries to comprehend this mystery and to determine how best to live with the paradox. But who will help us find the truth that shall set us free?
I believe that every human being seeks the myrrh of authentic humanity rather than the many counterfeits and illusions that are offered to us. I confess that I find the noise of our culture’s attempt to shout out the angels’ message and to convince us that we’ll become ‘real’ by purchasing this commodity or this consumer good at times almost physically oppressive. Perhaps that’s what I was feeling on Christmas Eve when I ended up in Surrey Memorial for eight hours! I admit that I am tempted by all the hype and drawn towards some of what is on offer in the stores and on-line. But who will help me, help us, know what it means to be truly human?
When I was in my third year of university, I was honoured by an invitation to become a member of Phi Beta Kappa, one of the oldest academic societies in North America. Phi Beta Kappa (ΦΒΚ) stands for Φιλοσοφία Βίου Κυβερνήτης (Philosophia Biou Kybernētēs), which means "Love of wisdom is the guide of life" or "Philosophy is the governor of one's life." Another meaning of Kybernētēsis ‘steersman’ or ‘helmsman’. To be a member of the Society means to be a person who is committed to being guided by or governed by the love of wisdom.
To be a Christian is to choose to be a living member of a community that finds its mentor, its guide, its standard in Jesus of Nazareth. We believe that when we encounter Jesus of Nazareth, whether in the stories of the gospels or in the life of his disciples, we meet God, the Holy One of Israel, the Creator of all things, seen and unseen, known and unknown, present and yet to be. We come face to face with the one who can steer us towards that ‘better country’ God holds out before us.
If we want to know in what direction to turn my life, it is Jesus who shows us the golden way. If we want to know what lies beneath the surface of everyday life, it is Jesus who shows us the fragrant truth. If we want to know what it means to be fully and more authentically human, it is Jesus who shows us the anointed life.
We are strangers and foreigners on the earth, for we are seeking a homeland, a better country, a heavenly. God is not ashamed to be called our God nor to dwell among us in human form. For we know that God is preparing a city for us and for all our sisters and brothers. So we draw near in faith and offer our lives just as the three wise ones offered their lives to the Child of Bethlehem. Behold the gift of God made known in the Child. Let us become what we see.
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