January 4, 2026

Second Sunday of Christmas, Year A

Matthew 2:1-12

(Oxford Annotated Bible w Apocrypha, 5^th ed.) (NRSV)

I’m going to continue with the theme of light I touched on last week. We know that Jesus is Logos, the Word, and the light, and in this morning’s Gospel, we have another example of divine light.

A star.

A star that shone in the sky, not only at night, but most likely during the day.

A star that guided three wise men, known to us as The Magi, from the East to Bethlehem in search of an infant king.

That star became the one that sits atop our Christmas trees, or in my household, a star and an angel, and subsequently packed away carefully, wrapped in quilt batting, stored out in the garage for another twelve months. That is the star of Christmas Present.

I believe in the Star of Christmas Past – this star was real.

Was it a conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn, and that alignment gave the wise men a guide to the place in Bethlehem where the newborn Jesus slept?

Or maybe it was a supernova?

Halley’s Comet? It passed by in 12 BCE.

Or is it a symbol the author of Matthew’s gospel devised to catch the attention of the early Christians – perhaps the author was saying, “This is what you need to see the Messiah!”

Is it something we need to see past the tinsel, the gaudiness, the commercialism, that has become Christmas in a post-modern age, in order to focus completely on the meaning and reason for the season?

We might do ourselves a favor if we also pay attention to what the Magi did. They had one job, and they did it. They asked for directions and followed the star to a cave or manger in Bethlehem, and as soon as the star held its position, they found who they were looking for. 

The Christ Child.

They paid homage, offered gifts, gave some advice to the new, most likely awestruck, parents, and returned to their homes, no doubt with the memory of their visit burned into their hearts and memory with the Star burning brightly within them.

We need to follow the Star so that we can see the Messiah.

I used to call the weeks after Christmas ‘the dark ages’ because of the commercial retail buildup to Christmas Day from the last week in October to December 25, and how quickly it went away; a crash landing. Gone were the holiday cheer and greetings, the decorations, the clothing and toy drives, the feasts for the hungry, and goodwill towards all for another twelve months. All packed up neatly in quilt batting.

Why should that have to be the norm?      

Indeed, why is it? I take that back, we know why. The commercial retail industrial complex tells us to spend, spend, and then spend some more, so we can feel good about ourselves.

Once in a while, someone dares to speak out – remember a “Charlie Brown Christmas” and the sad little tree in a lot full of over-the-top decorated trees? I read that the airing of that TV special contributed to the death of the artificial tree craze. The Christmas Decoration Competitions in suburban neighborhoods eventually fell by the wayside.

Despite the bad news that is thrown at us every day, it is not dark outside. God has not abandoned us, for the light is with us.  Christ is with us.

This Tuesday is the Feast of the Epiphany, when the light is revealed to the Magi, and we are invited to take that moment into our hearts and minds, seal it in our memory.  The Star shines for us, too, we children of God.

This Tuesday is also our next national day of protest. I made a promise to God that I would wean myself off of doom scrolling, no matter how bad the news is, but I would not allow my voice to be silenced by the Herods of the world or this nation. I promised to keep looking for the Star and following it in order that I may see Christ, who is our light.

My friends, I invite you to look up.

C 2026, Rev’d Dn. Ellen L. Ekstrom