Become the Way

Being a model for others to follow

01/03/2021

Matthew 2:1-12 When Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, in the days of King Herod, behold, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying, "Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We saw his star at its rising and have come to do him homage." When King Herod heard this, he was greatly troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. Then Herod called the magi secretly and ascertained from them the time of the star's appearance. He sent them to Bethlehem and said, "Go and search diligently for the child. When you have found him, bring me word, that I too may go and do him homage." After their audience with the king they set out. They were overjoyed at seeing the star, and on entering the house they saw the child with Mary his mother. They prostrated themselves and did him homage. Then they opened their treasures and offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed for their country by another way.

We have all had the experience of asking for directions or giving directions to others. On second thought, if you are a man maybe you have never asked for directions, because we men love to just drive around in circles till we get where we’re going. Now, there are two ways of helping others find their way when they are lost. You can either describe the way to them, saying, “go two miles and it will be on your right.” Or, you can “become the way” itself. What do I mean? Sometimes when I asked for directions, a person has said to me: “I tell you what, let me just take you there; just follow me.” Rather than explain the route to me, that person got in their car, drove ahead, and I followed behind. Instead of a map to follow, I had a model to follow because that person “became the way.”

In the gospel today, the Magi from the east need directions to find the newborn King of the Jews, and they find a map and a model. First they ask for directions from King Herod. Finally three men who stopped to ask directions! And that is why they are called the “Wise Men.” Do you remember which kind of directions Herod gave them? We read: “Then Herod called the Magi secretly and ascertained from them the time of the star’s appearance. He sent them to Bethlehem and said, ‘go and search diligently for the child.” Now, Bethlehem is about 6 miles from Jerusalem, but instead of personally taking them to Bethlehem, Herod “sent them to Bethlehem.” He gave them a map to follow.

The Magi, however, are also given directions by a star. Matthew records in his gospel: “The star they had seen at its rising preceded them, until it came and stopped over the place where the child was.” The star was saying in effect, “Let me just take you there; follow me.” In other words, the star provided a model for the Magi to follow and that is exactly why “they were overjoyed at seeing the star.” I am overjoyed when someone shows me personally how to get I am going.

When we give others directions by modeling the way to live, we can hear the heartbeat of the Christian faith. I don’t mean giving others directions on how to get to Fort Smith (your GPS can do that), but rather giving people directions on how to get to heaven (you GPS cannot do that). For instance, this is the advice I give to parents who have trouble with their teens: don’t wage a war of words, but lead by example. That is don’t hand them a map and tell them what to do, but be a model of humility and holiness like the father in the parable of the Prodigal Son. Don’t be like Herod, but be like the star.

The same goes for spouses. When there are marital problems, one spouse pulls out the roadmap of their relationship (their history) and shows the other person all the ways they he or she has “veered off course,” pointing out all the mistakes they have made. It is much harder, but eminently more effective, to model the kind of spouse a Christian should be. That is how you "become the way."

I have always learned a lot from the associate priests that I live with. Each one has modeled priestly zeal, joy and holiness in his own way. Recently, I have learned a lot from Fr. Daniel. Sometimes, I get up late in the morning and stumble downstairs looking for coffee, and I find him already praying in the chapel. I think: “Dang, I need to pray more!” He has the habit of walking on the treadmill or playing tennis daily, which makes me think: “Dang, I need to exercise more!” Or, Fr. Daniel writes his homilies a week in advance, while I get up at 4 a.m. and scribble something I hope makes sense before 7 a.m. Mass. And I think: “Dang, I need to plan my preaching better!” But notice how he gave me all those “directions” without ever whispering a word. Wise priests know they should model the life of Christ - practice what you preach - and thus, they “become the way.”

Every Christmas we celebrate how Jesus himself became the way for us. Think about it: Instead of staying at home in heaven and mailing us a map for how to get there, the Second Person of the Holy Trinity was born a Baby in Bethlehem so he could lead us home to heaven. In John 14:6, Jesus explained this explicitly to Thomas, saying: “I am the way, the truth and the life; no one comes to the Father except through me.” Jesus is the star that leads us home to heaven. Like someone once said to me: “I tell you what, let me just take you there. Follow me.”

Praised be Jesus Christ!