Matthew 2:1-12 

After Jesus had been born at Bethlehem in Judaea during the reign of King Herod, some wise men came to Jerusalem from the east. ‘Where is the infant king of the Jews?’ they asked. ‘We saw his star as it rose and have come to do him homage’.  When King Herod heard this he was perturbed and so was the whole of Jerusalem. He called together all the chief priests and the scribes of the people, and enquired of them where Christ was to be born. ‘At Bethlehem in Judaea,’ they told him ‘for this is what the prophet wrote:‘And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judahyou are by no means least among the leaders of Judah,for out of you will come a leaderwho will shepherd my people Israel.’ 

Then Herod summoned the wise men to see him privately. He asked them the exact date on which the star had appeared, and sent them on to Bethlehem. ‘Go ahead and find out all about the child,’ he said ‘and when you have found him let me know, so that I too may go and do him homage.’ Having listened to what the king had to say, they set out. And there in front of them was the star they had seen rising; it went forward and halted over the place where the child was. The sight of the star filled them with delight, and going into the house they saw the child with his mother Mary, and falling to their knees they did him homage. Then opening their treasures, they offered him gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. But they were warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, and returned to their own country by a different way.

 Reflection

The wise men set out on a journey into the unknown. No Google maps or GPS, just navigation by the stars as their forbears had always done, but guided this time by a heavenly body which they had not seen before.  Although they were not sure of exactly where their journey would take them geographically, the wise men did know that it would take them to the infant king of the Jews. They travelled through the unknown to a meeting with Jesus, trusting that along the way they would find the sustenance and guidance they needed to complete the journey. 

In a physical sense we don’t often journey into the unknown. The internet allows us to do everything from working out a route to booking the shuttle that will meet us at the airport.  Planning reduces risk, and there is certainly benefit in doing that when travelling. But planning can also be about being in control of our lives and even the lives of others. Sometimes our mania for planning can prevent us from hearing the voice of God in our lives. 

As we stand on the threshold of 2014 we each face a journey into the unknown. Each of us in our own way will try to prepare and plan for what we think this journey of 365 days will bring.  We may be unhappy in our work and considering launching out into the unknown of a new job. A partner, child or parent may have just died or be about to die, and living without them may be an unbearable journey into the unknown. We may be on the brink of retirement, facing a new way of living. Or deep down we may know that 2014 needs to bring change to our lives but cannot see how that can happen. 

The wise men set out in faith and hope to find Jesus, relying upon God to bring them safely to their unknown destination. In trying to cope with the unknown it is very human to consider all the eventualities and how we might respond, particularly to those things that might be harmful or painful.  If we contemplate the example of the wise men our prayer as we embark upon the journey into the unknown of a new year can be very simple:  ‘Lead me to Jesus”. It is a prayer which God delights in answering. 

And for those of us who can become so immersed in our plans and goals that we fail to look for heavenly guidance, sometimes a second prayer is necessary: “Holy Spirit, help me to recognize and respond to your guidance as I seek Jesus”.   

The star is always present in our lives but we do need to learn to look for it.