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“Getting Directions”: Sermon by the Rev. Deborah Hawkins 1/4/2026

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Sermon on January 4, 2026
“Getting Directions“
By: The Rev. Deboarah Hawkins
2 Jeremiah 31:7-14, Psalm 84, Ephesians 1:1-6,15-19a, Matthew 2:1-12; 15B

https://churchofstmartin.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/2026_01_04_Xmas2sermon.mp3

A life of faith, walking “the pilgrims’ way” as the psalmist puts it, is a life dedicated to walking ever more deeply into the mystery of the Divine. Figuring out the direction to walk isn’t always easy or obvious. We are given glimpses of where and how we are to go but there is often a lot of confusion and uncertainty. One thing that is certain, when we think we have everything all figured out and know what we are doing, watch out. As St. Augustine said, “If you think you comprehend God, then it isn’t God.” When you notice you are feeling certain, that is a clue to begin to pay attention and to wonder.

There is an ancient spiritual practice that helps us feel a bit more comfortable with this. Here is how it goes. Whenever you think or hear or read something that says God is good or merciful or whatever, think about that for a minute and then say God is not good or merciful or whatever. After a few bits sitting with that then say God is not, not good or whatever. It works well with ‘God wants me to do …,’ Also, the practice helps train us to hold what we think we know about God and the way we should go lightly, with an open hand rather than a closed fist. It helps loosen of our definitions of God. “Definition” means to put limits on, to constrain. Once we do that to our image of God and then hold that image in a tight grip what we have done is created an idol. And that is not good.

In the gospel story, Herod is the one who thinks he understands all he needs to know about God and about the path he, Herod, should be walking. Strangers from a strange land have shown up in Jerusalem.  They have seen a new star rising in the east. They know about stars and they know this one is calling them on a journey to something important. They know where they are going but they don’t really have a clear idea. If they had a clear idea they would have gone straight to Bethlehem rather than wasting their time in Jerusalem and they never would have gone to Herod to ask for directions. Herod was just not that kind of king. The wise ones are sure and they are not sure and they are not-not sure about what they are being called to. They are seeking and open to discovering something new. Herod, however, is sure. And he is not about to consider something new. That is why he tells the wise men to come back and tell him what they find … so he can end it.

It is interesting that apparently this star, shining in the heavens, is not visible to everyone. Herod’s court had astrologers, too, but they didn’t see it. They knew about it, but they couldn’t see it. What kind of star is that? You would think the wise men could have pointed it out to them. Maybe it is not a star. Matthew calls it a sign. Maybe some people are shown a particular sign and other people are shown a different sign. Herod didn’t see the star, this sign from heaven which is a star and not a star and not-not a star, but he is sure he knows what it means and he knows how he is going to respond.

Herod and his court have some nicely constructed, well tried idols, thank you very much, and they are not wildly unpredictable, do not suggest realignment of the social order, and have nothing to do with seen or unseen or unnoticed lights shining in the darkness. They say, ‘not on your life, we are staying closed up here in the dark where we know how things are.’ But the wise ones, they are willing to look up and see the light and they are sure and they are not sure and they are not-not sure and so they keep going. They get to Bethlehem, to a stable, and they are overwhelmed with joy.

They could not possibly have fully understood all that stable held for them and for the world, but I think they knew in some mysterious way that God, in consenting to be born in human form, opened up the treasure chest in God’s heart and presented to the world a great gift of love. In response, the wise ones, too, opened up their treasure chests. Perhaps wooden ones containing gold, frankincense, and myrrh, but also the treasure chests in their hearts, opening up what was most precious to them and laying it before the Christ child. It couldn’t have been easy, all that wondering and unknowing and the giving their deepest treasures. Still, I imagine they would have said the journey was worth it and that in giving they received so much more. We know nothing more about them but that they did not go back to Herod’s court. They had received enough signs on their journeys to know to go home a different way.

Of course, as with all scripture stories, the Magi’s stories can be our own. A friend told me a about a road she was being shown. She gave me permission to share it as long as names and some details were changed to protect the innocent, or the not so innocent, or the not-not so innocent. We will call her Denise. 

Denise and her mother and Denise’s grown daughter were going to go Christmas shopping together. They had planned it for a while but at the last minute her daughter called and said she wouldn’t be able to make it. She was going to spend time with friends instead. But the next day she would like to have lunch with them, would that be okay? Denise was livid. She was so upset at her daughter for flaking and for expecting others to adjust their schedules to match hers. She thought about it some more and she realized what she was really upset about was she knew her mother would be upset and hurt. That embarrassed Denise. Thinking some more she became angry with her mother for possibly being so sensitive.  She also wanted to yell at her daughter which made Denise angry with her daughter for maybe taking offense if Denise did yell. Nothing has been said to anybody yet, but in her own mind it was all getting bigger and worse and suddenly, she said, she felt like Jesus was standing in front of her saying, “let it go, forgive them and forgive yourself.”

People had giving Denise this advice in these kinds of circumstances for years and she had never liked it, but suddenly she had a glimpse of what it could really mean and how she would feel if she could live that way, the way Jesus was showing her. She couldn’t quite describe it but said it was strangely peaceful. The problem was she wasn’t use to feeling peaceful. It made her nervous. So instead of feeling peaceful she felt not peaceful and then she started to laugh as she realized how ridiculous that was because she was perfectly capable of feeling not-not peaceful, she just wasn’t sure she wanted to.

I’m not going to tell you whether or not Denise did decide to follow this star she was being shown, to accept her daughter and mother as they are rather than the way she has decided they should be, to fully receive the gift of forgiveness from Jesus to use in her life and to follow a new light shining in the darkness, to take a different road home instead of the one back through Herod’s court. I’ll leave you to think about what you would do … and not do … and not, not do.

As we walk the path of life, as we live a life of faith, we receive treasures untold from the heart of God. We are shown stars that can lead us down strange paths to places where we find ourselves called to bring forth treasures from our own hearts some of which were buried so deep we didn’t even know they were there a moment before. And always there are questions and always there are boundaries to be pushed a little wider if we accept the mysterious directions we receive to help us on our way.     
Thanks be to God.

This is a prayer for Christmas and Epiphany.
Radiant Morning Star,
you are both guidance and mystery,
Visit our rest with disturbing dreams,
and our journeys with strange companions.

Grace us with the hospitality 
to open our hearts and homes
to visitors filled with unfamiliar wisdom
bearing profound and unusual gifts. Amen

Prayer From:
https://re-worship.blogspot.com/2016/12/epiphany-prayer-morning-star.html

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