Introduction:  Read Poem “The Road Not Taken” by Robert Frost
 “…Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
   I took the one less traveled by,
 And that has made all the difference.”

Have you ever taken “another road” on your travels? And did you end up where you had first planned? Maybe and maybe not. Our story today tells of taking another road, and that made all the difference.

The wise men or Magi came from the East to Jerusalem asking for directions. Someone has said “that’s the first and last time men stopped and asked for directions.” In any event, the wise men said, “Where is the child who has been born, for we saw his star and we wish to visit him and pay our respects?”

Now the Christmas story in Matthew is quite different from the Christmas story told in Luke. In today’s reading there are no shepherds, but there are magi. Magi are probably not kings, but rather a priestly group in ancient Persia and Babylon. They did work with elements of astrology, astronomy and dreams. They were wise ones. We are not sure who these men really were, where they really came from, or how many of wise ones there were. We are not really sure how long it took them to travel to Bethlehem or even how old Jesus might have been by the time they arrived. And we are not in agreement on the star that guided them. It’s not that certain facts don’t matter to us, because they do. As Barbara Brown Taylor says, “It is just that they don’t matter as much as the stories do, and stories can be true whether they happen or not.” You just listen to the story or read it yourself and then you decide how it speaks to you. (Home By Another Way)

Here’s an example: Once upon a time there were three wise men who were all sitting in their own countries doing their job, bothering no one, when a bright star began shining so bright, nothing they had ever seen before. This star was so powerful they wanted to follow it. And so they set out, believing this would lead them to something or someone important. They left their country to set out on a long, hard journey, guided by a bright star. William R. Herzog has said that the star “was not necessarily an extraordinary celestial event, but an ordinary star seen through the extraordinary eyes of the magi.”

Like Matthew, the wise men are aware of the prophecy from Isaiah 60. Theologian Walter Brueggemann says “They know they are to go to Jerusalem and to take rare spices, gold and frankincense and myrrh.” They are seekers of an important mission and very serious about it.  They seek the new king who will bring peace to all. (Off By Nine Miles – Isaiah 60:1-7; Matthew 2:1-12 Religion Online)

“But when Herod, the current king in Jerusalem hears of these visitors and their plans, he is frightened. Then a strange thing happens. In his panic, Herod arranges a consultation with the leading Old Testament scholars” (Brueggemann). This includes “the chief  priests and scribes, the religious establishment, to help him figure out where this dangerous little baby is.” (Kate Huey – Weekly Seeds – Seasons of the Spirit)

So they all meet, Thomas Long says, and “do a major Bible study.” Herod might have said, “Tell me about Isaiah 60. What is all this business about camels and gold and frankincense and myrrh? Theologian, Walter Brueggemann says that the scholars might tell him, “You have the wrong text.” (Weekly Seeds)

 “You will find an answer in the words of the prophet Micah (5:2) and in 2 Samuel (5:2), pointing to Bethlehem, the hometown of David, the shepherd king, as the birthplace of the Messiah who would be the greatest shepherd of all.” (Weekly Seeds)

“King Herod now turns to secrecy and deception, too, calling the strangers in behind closed doors and pretends to be on the same page with them. He tells them what they need to know and then makes a request: ‘Go to Bethlehem and search diligently for the child, and when you have found him, bring me word so that I too might go and pay him homage.’ Wow. What a guy. All the right things coming out of his mouth, but we know the real Herod and the rest of the story.” (Weekly Seeds)

Bethlehem is about nine miles south of Jerusalem. The wise men had a long and difficult journey. They made their trip to Bethlehem, and found the child and were filled with joy. The men fell down on their knees and offered their gifts to the Christ-child.

 Then, being warned in a dream the magi disobeyed King Herod and then returned home by a different road. And that made all the difference. 

Brueggemann says “It is mind boggling to think how the story might have gone had Herod’s interpreters not remembered Micah 2.” When Matthew told this story, one author says “he placed it in this big picture, and also referred to what had gone before in the life of Israel so that those who heard the story were able to connect with the ancient story of God’s marvelous work.” (Weekly Seeds)

It’s a new year and a new season – the season of Epiphany which means to show or to manifest. But Epiphany this year comes at a time of anxiety and of hope. How will we deal with the anxiety and fear of the unknown? How will we offer hope to ourselves and to others on the way? Where will we show goodness and kindness and love?

One of my daughter’s friend lives outside the Chicago area and gets in touch with me if she ever needs help. When Sue’s mother came for a visit to Chicago, she became very ill and the doctors reported she would not have long to live. The mother was Korean and spoke little English. Sue called me and wondered what to do next. I called my ministerial friends and we found connections with Hospice and also a Korean church in the area. One of us called the Korean pastor, asking if he might visit Sue’s mother, not knowing how long she would live. Now we also didn’t know what kind of church or minister this might turn out to be. But we chose the path of who we thought might be the most caring, from our conversations.

Sue’s mother hung on for almost two months. The Korean pastor visited the same day we called and prayed with the mother in her native language. He continued to visit each week. We didn’t think much about it until Sue called one day and said how much her mother had enjoyed this church choir before she died. I said, “What church choir?” Sue said, “Oh the pastor brought his choir from church to sing Korean hymns together twice a week. She was thrilled.”

What a blessing. What a surprise. The church did this act of love out of the goodness of their hearts. They got nothing in return. Nothing. Oh, except a little joy in making someone’s last days some of her best… 

The wise men had the courage to seek. They had the love to give and they had the wisdom to change their plans on where they were going. Do we have that kind of courage and wisdom to travel “another road?” How will we handle the obstacles in our path? Who will we invite to walk with us? What new truth might we uncover?

Perhaps this year, we will take another road. Let’s unfold a new map and discover an alternate path. It just might make all the difference. Amen.