Christmas is over, the decorations have come down, we've had our gatherings, celebrated the New Year... now it's time to get back to the real business of life - making a living, maintaining our health - or trying to regain it, if we've been unwell... taking care of our families, doing our various duties, pursuing the entertainment we like.
But here, with Christmas already 2 weeks in the past, the Gospel reading for today takes us back there. Wise men have travelled from the East , to seek the baby born to be the king of the Jews...and born to be their king, as well!
As we fix our minds back on those wise men, we are called back to focus again on Christmas. Because it's not finished yet. You can finish sending and receiving cards, and gifts; you can return to the everyday diet, and go back to the beaten paths of your everyday life, but Christmas isn't over.
Because it's not just an event.
It's a person:The person of Jesus.
It was probably some time after Jesus was born, that the wise men got there. It doesn't matter, when. What matters is that they did get there. They had travelled a long way. But they kept going, until they found what they were looking for.
How about us?
What are we looking for?
Have we travelled far, too?
Yes, some of us have travelled through life for many years. Some have been seeking the Lord all these years.
I urge you: don't stop now. There will come a time when you will be able to see the one you seek, the one you serve. You will be able to offer the gifts of your love and worship at his feet, and you will see those feet. And you will see his face. Not a baby's face any more, but the face of a man... and the face of God. But a face that remains just as gracious and accepting as a baby's - a contented baby's face, that is!
What are we looking for, in life, this year?
'Wise men still seek him' - I always enjoy quoting this little saying. Because it's so true.
It's good to be reminded, at the start of this new year, that Christmas isn't over. The celebration of the day, the festivities may be finished, but the One who was to come, remains with us.
Now we are called to seek him in meditation on His Word, at His table - the Lord's Supper, in prayer, and in fellowship with his people.
The keynote of the Wise men was joy!
Contrast this with Herod's reaction, and the reaction of 'all Jerusalem' with him, it says, when they are confronted with the search of the wise men for the new King, the Messiah.
What will be the reaction of people around us, as we make it our business to seek the Lord this year? It may be confronting. It may be upsetting. Their reactions may upset us. But as we find Christ - that is, as He makes himself available to us,- we will also find true joy.
And maybe some who at first are upset, when confronted - (lovingly, gently) with the supreme importance of seeking Christ and following Him, maybe by God's grace they too will become wise, and bow with us in worship, and join us in the life of joy, a journey of joy, really, that God has called us too.
May God bless you, and guide you always, as you seek Christ in your hearts, as we gather regularly for worship, and as you live your lives in this world. The journey to finally seeing the Lord may be short, or it may be long. Let us always keep our focus, for then we will always have joy. And the Scripture says, 'the joy of the Lord is your strength.' Amen.
May the peace of God, which is beyond our human understanding, keep our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus, Amen.