The Second Sunday after Christmas Day - The Rev. Colette Hammesfahr

 

Matthew2:1-12 – January 4, 2026

    The word “Magi” can refer to a number of occupations. It can refer to magicians, astrologers, or dream interpreters. In Jesus' day, many people studied the stars and planets. They believed that everything in the world was interconnected. When something happened on earth, they thought that it would also be reflected in the heavens. Likewise, if there was a remarkable event in the stars or planets, they believed it meant there was a corresponding event on earth.

    At Jesus’ birth, a great star rose in the sky. Believing that everything in the world was interconnected, the wise men sought to find the great event connected to the great star on earth. The prophets had written about the ruler, the king of the Jews, who was to be born in Bethlehem. Herod called for the wise men to find the child, and to let him know when they saw him, and where he was, so that he could pay him homage. When the wise men found the baby, they worshipped him and offered him gifts. That night, they had a dream. In that dream, they were warned not to return to Herod, as they had been ordered. They heeded the warning, and the next morning, instead of taking the road back to Herod, they left by another road. After seeing the baby, seeing Jesus, king of the Jews, they left by another road.
In another week or so, it will be the 17th anniversary of the crash of US Airways Flight 1549. It was a routine flight leaving LaGuardia Airport. The weather was clear. Captain “Sully” Sullenberger was the captain of the aircraft. Just a couple of minutes after takeoff, the plane flew into a flock of Canadian geese, and both engines lost power. Air traffic control gave the pilot options for where to land the plane – return to LaGuardia or divert to Teterboro Airport. They told him to go back. He could not continue on the path.
Sullenberger noticed the plane was quickly losing thrust and altitude. They did not have time to go back. He changed the plane's course and guided it onto the Hudson River, saving all 155 people on board. Later, flight simulations showed that if he had followed the air traffic control options and taken a route back to one of the airports, the plane would not have made it. It would have crashed.

    When the plane took off that day, Sullenberger didn’t pay any attention to the Hudson River – where it was in reference to the airplane. He only saw it and paid attention to it after everything changed for him and the passengers. Once he saw clearly what was happening on the plane, he knew he could not go back the way he came. He had to choose another way – a way that saved lives.

    The Magi did the same. They followed the star faithfully and with every intent to obey the command of Herod. After they saw Jesus, everything changed for them. The road home had to change. They could not go back the way they came. The encounter with the baby Jesus gave them new sight. It lit a different path for them. It allowed them to see that the old route they took previously was no longer faithful.

    Tuesday is Epiphany. The word “epiphany” means “appearing,” “manifestation,” or “revealing.” Epiphany isn’t the sign for us that Christmas is over, and it’s time to take down our tree. It’s not just a story about the Magi finding Jesus, worshipping him, and bringing him gifts. Epiphany is about God making Jesus known to the world for who he truly is. It’s in that manifestation that we realize that we cannot go back the way we came. We have to travel by another road.

    Once Christ is revealed to us, something must change. Remaining unchanged is no longer an option. Being Christian is not just about believing in certain doctrines or what happens to us after we die. On what it means to be a Christian, author N.T. Wright says, “That, quite simply, is what it means to be Christian: to follow Jesus Christ into the new world, God’s new world, which he has thrown open before us.” It’s not simply about our beliefs. It’s about our participation. Wright tells us that it’s about moving differently in the world.

    When Wright says, “God’s new world,” he’s not talking about heaven. God’s new world began with Jesus’ birth. “God’s new world” is God’s kingdom breaking into the present world. It’s a world centered around justice, mercy, and forgiveness. It’s a world full of love and kindness. And Wright says this new world has been “thrown open before us.” We can’t earn it. We can’t imagine it. We can’t force it into being. It’s been given to us through Jesus.
When Captain Sullenberger realized what was happening on that US Airways flight, he acted. He saw the situation differently and knew the old routes were no longer possible. His perception of the situation changed, and he acted differently. The logical answer was to try to get back to the airport. His faithfulness to his calling to keep the passengers safe, required him to take a different path. Something had to change.

    The Magi followed a star and intended to obey King Herod's orders. But upon seeing the baby Jesus, the true king was revealed to them. They didn’t go home in a new direction because they were looking to be adventurous. They changed direction because they saw that Herod’s road was not the road to a better life.

    At Epiphany, we are asked: When Christ is revealed to us, which roads can we no longer take, and do we have the courage to take a different route? A different route is not necessarily dramatic, but it’s intentional. It’s letting go of habits that don’t reflect who we are becoming, through Christ. A different route means we allow our faith, not our comfort, to shape the decisions we make. It’s living a life of forgiveness, generosity, patience, and mercy. It’s about re-ordering our priorities and acting differently today than we did yesterday.

    Taking a different route doesn’t mean we live a perfect life, and it doesn’t remove risk in our lives. When we take a different route, we may lose certainty, and our path may become unclear. But what we gain is faithfulness, and what it reveals is trust. God isn’t waiting down the road to see if we get it all right. God is on the road with us, guiding us and protecting us.

    When Christ is revealed to us, which roads can we no longer take, and do we have the courage to take a different route? Amen.