Jeremiah 31:7-14; Psalm 84; Ephesians 1:3-6, 15-19a; Luke 2:41-52
The Rev. Candice B. Frazer
Today is the twelfth day of Christmas, the last day of the Christmas season, often associated with the three wise men who have followed a star from its rising to seek the Messiah. These wise men from the Far East speak of a prophesy that reads:
And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah
Are in no means least among the rulers of Judah;
For from you shall come a ruler
Who is to shepherd my people Israel.
These wise men, though they are searching for a newborn, seek to pay homage to the Messiah.
They are not the only ones searching for the child. Angels appeared to shepherds in a field, keeping watch over their flocks by night, when the glory of the Lord shone around them. A multitude of the heavenly hosts sang “Glory to God in the highest and peace to his people on earth!” When the angels left, the shepherds immediately went to Bethlehem to see this thing that had taken place.
Eight days after this miraculous event of Jesus’ birth, Mary and Joseph took the baby Jesus up to Jerusalem to be circumcised. Upon arrival, they are met first by Simeon and then Anna—both of whom offered a prophetic word about Jesus. Simeon declared that the Holy Spirit had told him he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Messiah. He the sang the Song of Simeon, proclaiming that he could now go in peace for he had seen the salvation of God in this tiny babe. Anna also praised God, declaring the child to be the redemption of Israel.
Fast forward twelve years, and we find the child Jesus, now an adolescent, who has grown up making an annual pilgrimage to the temple. On this particular trip, he stays behind when his family begins their journey home. When Mary and Joseph realize he is missing, they return to Jerusalem to search for him. After three days, they find him in the temple.
Shepherds, wise men, prophets, and parents all search for this Messiah and the search continues today. We, too, search for Jesus. I wonder if he would ask us the same question he asks his parents, “Why were you searching for me?” I wonder if we ever stop and ask ourselves that question in our own faith journeys.
The shepherds search for him out of amazement. They have experienced a theophany—a divine being among them, speaking to them, and revealing something unimaginable. Naturally, they seek the object of the angels’ praise, the child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger. Their amazement at the sight of the heavenly host must have created a sense of expectation, and their search yields a story that they eagerly share with the Holy Family, which Mary treasures in her heart.
The wise men from the East are searching for a king. I wonder how many other kings these three sought. The star they observed at its rising was significant enough for them to assign value and leave everything behind to follow it. Their search is driven by divine curiosity, sparked by something so phenomenal in nature that they cannot ignore it. The rising of a star to navigate a world of darkness, leading them to the Messiah—that is why they are searching. In response to their discovery, they leave treasures of frankincense, gold, and myrrh.
Simeon and Anna spent their lives dedicated to God and the temple. Simeon, an old man, and Anna, 84, who never left the temple but worshiped, fasted, and prayed there night and day, would have witnessed many false messiahs and self-proclaimed saviors of Jerusalem. Yet it is not until the baby Jesus is brought by his parents that the vision God shared with them is realized. They had spent their lives searching for the Messiah and discovered not a warrior king to lead them in uprising and resistance of foreign enemies, but a child meek and mild and lying in his mother’s arms. They were searching for hope and peace, and that is what they found—a peace beyond all human understanding. Their God was not a warrior but humble, and the redemption he brings would come through his own blood, not that of others.
Mary and Joseph are searching for their child—not their God. They search out of responsibility and concern for his safety and welfare. They have yet to fully understand who this child is or what their responsibility to him might be. They act as any human parents would—concerned for his security as they try to navigate society’s expectations and the divinity of Jesus. Again, Mary treasures all these things in her heart.
Why are we searching for Jesus? Are we searching for a divine being to solve our problems as the shepherds did? Or for a king that the wise men sought? Perhaps we search for a Messiah who brings peace like Simeon and Anna were promised. Or maybe we seek security as Jesus’ parents did. Do we search out of curiosity, a need for answers, a belief in promises made, or a sense of responsibility? Whatever the reason, if we are searching for Jesus, it is good. We each search for Jesus because we are looking for something more, for something that inspires our hope. God is all around us—he is in the lowly places of the world and the lofty ones. He is in stables and churches, surrounded by beasts and heavenly beings. But we can only find him if we go looking for him.
When we find him, we find treasure—not the treasure that will fill the coffers of our bank accounts—but the treasure that will fill our lives and give us meaning just as it did for Mary. Like the shepherds, wise men, Anna and Simeon, even Joseph and Mary, we search for Jesus together. Week after week, we come to this place, searching for something, and we discover that hope and peace in one another. The God we worship is a God of community. His very nature as the Trinity reveals this communal aspect of God. God will spend eternity calling us into relationship with him and one another, and we will spend a lifetime seeking that relationship.
We begin that journey in baptism. This morning, we celebrate our journey of baptism, reminding ourselves of the covenant we make with God and humanity, and promising to support another of God’s children as they join us in our walk of faith. Avry Zimmerman will be sealed as Christ’s own forever as we receive him into the household of God. His search will begin—a treasure hunt not unlike Mary’s—that will last a lifetime.
“Why were you searching for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?”
Parents will always seek their children.
Prophets will always seek hope.
Shepherds will always seek wonder.
And wise men still seek Him. Amen.