“God’s time is always near. He set the North Star in the heavens; He gave me the strength in my limbs; He meant I should be free.”
Harriet Tubman was born a slave but after suffering from a head injury as a teenager, God gave her an Epiphany, an “aha” that changed her life. God had not made her for slavery. God meant for her to be free. And so, she followed the North Star to freedom. But that was not all that God had called her to do. God had called her to free his people – and so, risking her own life and freedom, she went back into the states of slavery 19 times to lead 300 other people to freedom, telling them to follow the North star. 1
It was a different star, a new star in the heavens that the magi followed.
Matthew tells us that they came from the East. They were astronomers – they studied the stars – and they were astrologers – they not only paid attention to the position of stars and planets, but when they saw this new star, they believed it was the indication of a new king. But they didn’t just write it down as something interesting in their books. Instead, were compelled by this vision– to go and see – and to give oblations – gifts and honor – to this new king. It was an “ah a” moment – an “epiphany. “
Matthew is the only Gospel writer who includes this story. Matthew is writing to a Jewish audience, and so it makes sense that he begins his Gospel with a long series of “begats” – identifying the history and lineage of Jesus as part of Abraham and King David’s family. But this story is different. It isn’t the leaders of each of the tribes of Israel who come to visit and honor the new King of Israel. Instead, the visitors are Magi from the East. We don’t know much about the Magi– tradition says that they were kings. They may have been Zoroastrian priests. But clearly, they were outsiders from another religion, another culture, another place.
As I said, Matthew doesn’t give us details of how or why they travelled to see the new King. Maybe they followed the star, like the slaves in the south who followed the North Star to freedom. Or maybe they took a citing of the star and plotted their course to the nearest city, Jerusalem, which is just five miles away from the town of Bethlehem. They got close – but I’ve often wondered why they stopped to ask directions? It could be that they ran into some cloudy nights and couldn’t see the star. Or maybe they assumed EVERYONE was paying attention to the star that they noticed and that everyone would be celebrating the birth of a new king. Or maybe they made an assumption that the new king would be in the palace. And that Herod would know where to find the new King of Israel who had been born.
Making assumptions is a dangerous thing to do – especially with a paranoid or brutal King. Herod was both. Scholars tell us that Herod “had one of his wives and several of his sons murdered because he thought they were plotting against him.” He spared no one. Caesar Augustus, the Roman Emperor under whom Herod ruled, is rumored to have said that it was safer to be Herod’s pig than Herod’s son. As the would-be Jewish king, Herod could not eat pork, so his pigs were safer than his sons.”2
Herod was a tyrant. And the priests and scribes who he called upon for information were complicit in his crimes. As long as they were loyal, they were treated royally. And so, even though they knew that Herod was jealous, ruthless and a murderer, they told him that the Messiah was to be born in Bethlehem. Their loyalty to him later cost the baby boys in Bethlehem their lives.
Granted, Herod was skilled at deceit. He met “secretly” with the magi. In what looks like an attempted quid pro quo, Herod tells them that the child was to be born in Bethlehem and then asked them to come back and tell him where to find the baby so that he too could worship him.
But God is still guiding the magi. The star reappears, much to their delight, and they are amazed and overjoyed when it stops over a house in Bethlehem. When they see Mary and the Christ child, they kneel in worship and adoration, offering the kingly gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. Their mission is accomplished. The prophecy from Isaiah is fulfilled, “Nations shall come to your light.” All people will be blessed by Jesus, our Savior.
But God is not done. God gives the magi another epiphany, another “aha,” warning them in a dream, not to return to Herod. And so, “they left for their own country by another road.” It’s a simple little sentence. But, realizing that Herod lied to them and his intentions are not honorable, the magi don’t return to Herod with information about the new King. They action is the equivalent of civil disobedience. If Herod had caught them, they would have been killed. But they listened to their dreams and God guided them to “another road.”
In the Scripture we see that God speaks and guides us by many ways. God guided the magi to the Christ Child by a star. God guided Paul by a revelation on Damascus road. Instead of persecuting Christians, Paul was transformed into the mouthpiece of God, sharing the Good News with all people, including gentiles, the outsiders of the day.
As we look back in history, we see God continuing to welcome in the “outsiders.” God guided Harriet Tubman and her fellow former slaves to freedom by following the North Star. Harriet always gave thanks to God for her freedom and for all the work she was able to do. Reflecting back, she is remembered as saying, “If I could have convinced more slaves that they were slaves, I could have freed thousands more.”3
God is still not done giving us little and big epiphanies, “aha” moments in which we see God at work in our lives and seeking to guide us. We need to ask ourselves: Where is God leading us?
Are we open to God’s guidance? Will we listen? Will we follow?
Following the way of Jesus is not always easy or predictable. It is sometimes costly. But we are called, by Christ, to follow where He leads and to listen to the Holy Spirit to open us up to go where God calls.
Let us close with a prayer poem by Rev. Steve Garnaas-Holmes:
“God, lead me. Your love is my morning star— awaken me;
my north star— lead me from what enslaves me.
I navigate by the star of your love. I set myself for the long journey.
Give me courage to be led, wisdom to let you lead me,
to follow and not stray, not turn back,
not go my own way…
May I see your star in my sky
and set my face toward it always.
Set my compass, God, and keep me from straying…
I give myself to follow.
Love, lead me. 3
Amen.
1http://www.harriet-tubman.org Harriet Tubman to Ednah Dow Cheney, New York City, circa 1859.
2 Elisabeth Johnson, https://www.workingpreacher.org/commentaries/revised-common-lectionary/epiphany-of-our-lord/commentary-on-matthew-21-12-11
3 http://www.harriet-tubman.org
4Steve Garnaas-Holmes Unfolding Light www.unfoldinglight.net