Resolutions?

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.

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Each year I sit down and follow the same old exercise millions of other Americans do, which is to write a resolution for the new year. I find each year that I end up writing the same thing: I want to lose weight, get in better shape, read more, meet new people, and travel, but by the time I checked off one or two things, the year had ended. Maybe you've had better success at following through, but statistics would show that I'm not in the minority when it comes to not making a dent in what we say we want to accomplish in the new year. Perhaps our chance of success is low because following our goals is not a good thing. Goals are good, but they shouldn't be our guiding light. What will guide you this year? 

This morning we are presented with the opportunity to travel with the Magi as they searched for the Christ-child. One can only imagine what drove three individuals to leave their home countries to pay homage to someone who might not even have existed. Scripture doesn't give much information about their journey or the number of Magi who made the trip (there could have been more). We could imagine that their pilgrimage was not as smooth as we might imagine. They were searching for something, something immaterial, and nothing would stop them from seeking out the treasure that would fill their hearts and souls. And in many ways, we are still searching, still following the light that guided the early Magi, as we look for the place where our emptiness can be filled and made complete.

We all need a star to follow, a marker that orients us and points us in the right direction. I guess that is why I have never been keen on resolutions that people make at the beginning of the year. The intentions might be good, but if the cause, if the guiding principle, isn't pure, the end motive becomes corrupt. Jesus wouldn't have cared that the Magi brought gifts if they were only so they could earn favor. Jesus cared about the heart, the reason why the Magi made the journey in the first place. What is it that we are offering Jesus this year as we set out on another quest together with one another? What is it that we want to change the core of in order to improve our spirits and temper them with the Advent gifts of hope, peace, joy, and love? 

One of my favorite contemporary pastors, Nadia Boltz-Weber reminds us that resolutions are probably not the soundest star for us to follow. She says, " there is no resolution that, if kept, will make you more worthy of love." And that's true, there is no resolution, no goal, which will make us more worthy of love. Because you, you as yourself are what is loved, what has been loved by God from the beginning. The voices that tell us we aren't loved, try to have us follow the empty pathways that lead to hurt and pain as desired by people like King Herod. This year may we not follow a resolution, a vain or shallow goal, but commit ourselves to be vessels and followers of the divine love of God. That way we may not only grow more deeply in our relationship with God but in our relations with the entirety of creation as well. 

We can work on healing the created world that we have poisoned, we can help lift up and speak for the poor and the oppressed, and we can do much more, much more, if we travel together following the star that still guides us to this day. So get ready as we head out together. You might want to take some time to nap and rest, which is okay, but this is one thing that we have to do together. And together we will follow the star that guides us and offer the gifts of our hearts, hands, and minds. We can love each other in the midst of our imperfections, knowing that Jesus, the Christ-child, cares not for the gifts we bring, but the intention that dwells in our hearts and the actions of our hands. Amen.