аЯрЁБс>ўџ <>ўџџџ;џџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџьЅСq` №П#bjbjqPqP .,::џџџџџџЄЄЄЄЄЄЄЄИ        Ќ И”ЖЬ Ь Ь Ь Ь Ь Ь Ь $JhВ\9Є%Ь Ь %%9ЄЄЬ Ь NЙЙЙ%ЄЬ ЄЬ Й%ЙЙЄЄЙЬ Р €№№l2NШ  ;4Йd0”Йo4ЙЙ6Єя$Ь ’^ hЙЦ T Ь Ь Ь 99ЃЬ Ь Ь ”%%%%ИИИЄ\DИИИ\ИИИЄЄЄЄЄЄџџџџ Genuine Seekers Matthew 2.1-12   Christmas is over now, and so it's time to send Jesus away - Egypt ought to be far enough to ensure that he doesn't disturb us for another eleven months.  As soon as the Magi had left, Joseph had to take his family away to ensure their safety - people were out to silence the baby.  Even on his return Jesus was unwanted (Joseph ended up having to go to Galilee) and the experience of rejection carried on being a large part of his life.   I want to talk about the visit of the wise men, the Magi, in relation to our acceptance or rejection of the Christmas hope born in Jesus Christ.  So much of the gospel story is about life and death, success and failure, hanging in the balance - will Jesus be accepted, will he survive, will the message be understood?  It's all so fragile.   The Magi just got it right - despite coming from so far away, and despite being such unlikely participants in the story.  And it just tilted the right way because of two things about these men - they were genuine seekers of the truth, and they were able to recognise God when they saw him.   "After Jesus was born Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, 'Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him.'" (Matt 2:1-2).  They came looking.  In Jeremiah, God says (29:13), "You will find me when you seek me with all your heart."   There is no good news without a little bit of hunger and searching.  I have always tried to say to people that I am a Christian because I am first and foremost a seeker of the truth - Christianity holds no attraction for me if it's not true.  I'm not here because I like the idea of God, or because I enjoy the various activities that go with being a member of the church.  I'm only here because it's in Christ that I have found more truth and sense and wisdom than anywhere else.   If you want to find God, you must be a seeker - and if you are a seeker, you will find God.  But beware the difference between genuine and false searching.  It doesn't work if you're someone who says, 'Well, I think God is like...  If I was God I would....'  As we all know perfectly well, thinking something doesn't make it true.  These people guess, conjecture and suppose - but your guess is as good as mine.  The real thing, genuine searching, is marked by three characteristics...   First of all, genuine seekers watch what's happening in the world - Jesus said that the disciples were to be in the world, though not of it; we are to be wise as serpents and yet gentle as doves.  Naivety won't serve us well.  Genuine seekers are alert, observant - the Magi saw a star in the sky that was different, they noticed what was going on.   Since the Church of England was founded, and even before that, since the very first churches started up in New Testament times, things have changed - just a bit.  In the fifteen years I've been a vicar they have changed - and it won't do to pretend otherwise.  If we can't see how society works today, we won't be able to address the needs of others and we won't be able to speak of Christ in a way that makes any sense.  I don't know what changes are in store for the church during 2008, but I hope we will all be observant enough to read the signs and make the right choices.   The secondly characteristic of genuine seekers is that they ask questions.  The Magi wanted to know, 'What do you think this means?'  The hymn, 'God moves in a mysterious way,' has a line in it, 'blind unbelief is sure to err,' - but so is blind belief.  We can't know everything, but we mustn't go so far down that road that we don't bother making any inquiries.  People were always asking Jesus questions, and he spent a huge amount of his time teaching.   Related to what I've just said about watching the world and recognising the changes... a century ago, it was probably enough for the vicar to tell you what to believe.  Today, people are very different and the present generation challenges authority more readily, people want to ask more questions before they accept.  It's been quite hard for the church to adjust to that new approach from folk, but honest searching should always involve questioning and, whilst it might be a little uncomfortable for us, it is a good thing.   But one more thing... genuine seekers do whatever it takes to find the answers to the questions they're asking.  If you think about the Christmas story from start to finish, there's a huge amount of travelling involved - the story doesn't unravel in one easy scene, there's a lot of hard work.  Mary goes to visit Elizabeth, then she comes home, travels to Bethlehem, then on to Egypt - after the Magi have travelled a long way themselves.  And then Mary and Joseph return, and finally settle in Galilee.   In sharp contrast, when Jesus was born, the religious centre of the universe was just six miles away.  All of the religious scholarship in the world at that time was concentrated in Jerusalem, and yet not one religious leader went six miles to search for the truth.   Even Herod simply told the Magi to do his searching for him and come and tell him when they'd found the what he was also looking for - and afterwards he could only be bothered to issue a blanket command to kill all the babies in Bethlehem rather than try and find the right one.  Revelation takes effort.  The writers of the gospels are at pains to point out that much of the Christmas story was there in the Old Testament for the religious experts to read about, and yet they just weren't inclined, they didn't make the effort to read the texts or make the journey.   The Bible says Jesus was no ordinary baby - he was God.  God came to earth in human form so that we can know him better.  St Paul says in Romans (1:20), "since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities - his eternal power and divine nature - have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made."  He says that you can know something of God from nature, from creation, but not everything.  From just looking around you, you can see that God is powerful, he's creative, he enjoys variety.  But there's more.  The letter to the Hebrews starts, "In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son. The Son is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of his being."   In Jesus we need to recognise God in all his fullness.  The wise men saw it - even the gifts they brought showed how much they recognised in him.   I don't rate New Year's resolutions very highly, but if you're going to make one, let it be that you will watch the world and seek God more honestly and wholeheartedly.  Look out for what God is doing in the world, in your life, and in the church, and join in with his mission.  There's no better star to follow. 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