Another Way Entirely

Matthew 2:1-12

In the time of King Herod, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, asking, “Where is the child who has been born king of the Jews? For we observed his star at its rising, and have come to pay him homage.” When King Herod heard this, he was frightened, and all Jerusalem with him; and calling together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born. They told him, “In Bethlehem of Judea; for so it has been written by the prophet: ‘And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for from you shall come a ruler who is to shepherd my people Israel.’” Then Herod secretly called for the wise men and learned from them the exact time when the star had appeared. Then he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, “Go and search diligently for the child; and when you have found him, bring me word so that I may also go and pay him homage.”

When they had heard the king, they set out; and there, ahead of them, went the star that they had seen at its rising, until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw that the star had stopped, they were overwhelmed with joy. On entering the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother; and they knelt down and paid him homage. Then, opening their treasure chests, they offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they left for their own country by another road.

 

My psychology guru, Kevin Polk, sends out a very short, daily email.  It’s sort of a thought for the day that gets the reader thinking.  If you’re a regular reader or have been to his trainings or read one of his books, you can easily see how these little daily blurbs utilize his particular psychology school of thought, but they’re written in such a way that everyone can get something out of them, even if you haven’t been to a seminar or read a book.  One this past week went like this:  “Imagine whatever you are struggling with in your mind as a rope.  You have a tight grip on that rope. There’s no way you are letting go.  Go ahead and tighten your hand on that imaginary rope, and notice how long you can keep that tight grip.  That “rope” in your mind is not going anywhere.  How long can you keep that tight grip on it?  Maybe you could let it go.  You can always pick it up later.”

In today’s Gospel we know the Wise Men had a genuine Epiphany, not because we saw a cartoon lightbulb go off over their heads, but because we could see that they suddenly gave up the previous way they HAD BEEN walking in the world and instead started home by ANOTHER WAY.  They saw Jesus.  They grasped, in some way beyond regular human understanding that… THIS WAS GOD.  Then after that, they went home by another way.  

What I wondered about this week is what happened IN-BETWEEN seeing Jesus, the sudden realization that went with that, AND their first steps on their new way home?  Maybe what happened in between those things took only a split second.  Maybe it was an hour or maybe it took as long as a dream.  However long it took, I think what happened in between first seeing Jesus and tying the last piece of luggage on the camel, was that they let go of the ropes they had always held onto with an iron grip developed over a lifetime.  They let go of the rope labeled proper political statecraft.  They let go of the rope labeled deference for royalty.  They let go of the rope labeled academic accountability.  They let go of all the ropes that had tied them to their previous Way and then… only then… after letting go of all those ropes… they could go home by another way.  

What are the ropes you’re holding onto right now?  Have you noticed how tight your grip is on them?  Have you noticed how your powerful grip makes the rope burn your hands?  Have you noticed how the muscles you use to hold that rope so tightly have become incredibly sore?  Have you noticed how the need to maintain that unrelenting grip has left you physically, emotionally, and mentally exhausted?  Have you noticed that all preachers preach to themselves?  Have you noticed that a few preachers will even admit it?  

What are the ropes you’re holding right now?  I know the ropes I’ve been holding onto.  All of you (as far as I know) are fellow humans so it's a sure bet you too have ropes you’re holding onto with a death grip as well.  I suspect there are actually a few ropes that we’re holding onto together!  That rope labeled “the future of our country”… who has a death grip on that one right now?  Have you noticed how holding onto it so tightly has started digging deeply into our hands?  Have you noticed that no matter how tightly you hold that rope, it doesn't change the country?  Yeah, me too.  

I think THIS Epiphany, you and I are being invited to follow the lead of those Wise Ones, let go of all our ropes, and head toward home a different Way.  Those things our ropes are tied to won’t all just magically disappear when we let go, that is true.  But it's also true that continuing to hold onto those ropes with an iron-death-grip won’t change any of the things we worry about one way or another either!  Holding onto those ropes will only leave us with rope-burnt hands, tired muscles, and an exhausted mind.  So this Epiphany, what do you say we just let ‘em go.
 

I know… I know… easier said than done.  But remember, you CAN ask for help letting go of the ropes you have trouble putting down.  The original Wise Ones didn’t do it alone after all… there were three of them who did it together!  And the last thing for us to remember this morning is that Epiphany is a season, not just a day.  Letting go of our ropes is something we can work on together over the whole of this season.  Don't you think Epiphany would be a good season to let go of the ropes we’ve been holding?  Ease our grips, open our hands, and just set them down?  The promise of Epiphany is, that if we do that… loosen our grip, open our hands, and set down those ropes... the promise is that another way home will absolutely present itself…  a way toward the ones we love… a way toward the things we value… another Way entirely.  Amen.