01/05/2025
Please enjoy these devotional thoughts from Pastor Tom, and we look forward to seeing you you all next Sunday at 9:45am!
Dear Caledonia Family & friends: Here are some thoughts for today since we’re unable to see each other’s face. If I would give these thoughts a title, it would be “Prelude to Epiphany.” I intend to develop this message even further next Sunday, January 12.
Please read Matthew 2:1-12.
Today, January 5, completes the 12 days of Christmas. Tomorrow is celebrated as Epiphany in the Christian Church in the Western World. It is significant, because it acknowledges the manifestation of Jesus Christ, the Messiah, to the Gentiles. In the Orthodox tradition, January 6 is set aside to commemorate Jesus’ baptism by John the Baptist. Epiphany comes from a Greek word which means to “reveal” or “to be made manifest.”
We are probably familiar with the journey of the wise men/magi that includes following the star until it stopped over the place where the Christ child was. Today, let’s focus on the end of the story, the part where the magi decided to return home by a different way, a way that led them away from Herod & not back through the way they had come.
Herod was the one who was the symbol of power, authority, & control. He struck fear in the lives of his "constituents." If you didn't do what he said, you'd regret crossing him. He would make your life miserable...or worse. But the magi were courageous enough to defy Herod's order for them to come back his way. The scriptures don't mention it, but I wonder if Herod sent out an all-points-bulletin to find them? In the old Western movies, sometimes the High Sheriff would send out a posse to track down those who had broken the law.
Having discovered the Christ, the magi were willing to put their lives on the line so that the Good News could be furthered. Their priorities had shifted. They no longer needed to follow a celestial star. They no longer needed to bow down to the political star named Herod. They had worshiped the Bright Morning Star named Jesus, the messiah.
For thought: Who is it we ultimately worship, even if it is counter to the prevailing culture? What are we willing to risk in order for the Good News to be furthered? What are the ways that we are intentionally sharing the Good News of Christ?
Prayer: Gracious & giving God, thank you for the witness of the magi. Their experience has transcended time & place. We are heirs of their message & experience. Help me to share the Good News with boldness, tempered with the power of Your love. Amen.
Thanks!
Tom T. Ballard, Jr.
