Read Matthew 2:1-3
Remember the classic animated cartoon The Roadrunner? He couldn’t be caught. Wile E. Coyote would be chasing the Roadrunner and he would pass by a sign. The signs might say “Road Closed” or “Watch out for falling rock” or my favorite “US Army minefield—KEEP OUT!” Well, you know what happens. He never pays attention to the sign. The roadrunner speeds through unharmed, but Wile E. Coyote crashes, blows up, or falls off a cliff. All because he missed seeing the sign.
Paying attention to signs of God’s presence is one of life’s great challenges. Our culture provides us with vast amounts of information, an abundance of entertainment, a multitude of time-wasting, mind-numbing diversions, and a boatload of stresses, worries, and challenges. In our very noisy, busy, violent, crazy-paced world it is often very difficult to tell if God is present or active in our lives. Even in church, it is hard to shift our focus from ourselves and our stuff to giving God attention. The common result being that we miss signs of God’s appearing.
The magi were scholars and priests from a far-away land. Their journey would bring them several hundred miles to Bethlehem. They studied the movement of the planets and stars and other celestial events. The ancients believed there were meanings behind these celestial movements and events. They understood that the special star they saw signified the birth of an important king. In all likelihood they had studied the Jewish Scriptures and, as they saw where the star was leading them, they began to understand its significance. The King of the Jews was born!
Compare them with Herod. He lived at the center of this great event. But he did not see the signs. He had chief priests and scholars to advise him…they missed the signs, too. They were so wrapped up in their own stuff that they missed the signs of God’s appearing. When Herod heard the news he was disturbed. He was focused on his own stuff—his status, his power, and the trouble such a person would give him. He missed the exciting possibilities of God’s appearing.
Herod’s world had little room for God. On the other hand, the Magi dedicated their lives to looking for signs of the Divine. That made all the difference in receiving the Good News of Jesus’ birth.
In this Christmas season I invite you to look for God’s presence in the people, places and circumstances of your life. The proclamation of Christmas is that, in Jesus, God is with us. Don’t miss the signs!
