One Day at a Time

PHILIPPINES 1:3-6

I thank my God for every remembrance of you, 4 always in  every one of my prayers for all of you, praying with joy 5 for your partnership in  the gospel from the first day until now. 6 I am confident of this, that the one who  began a good work in you will continue to complete[c] it until the day of Jesus  Christ.

MATTHEW 2:1-12 

In the time of King Herod, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem  of Judea, magi from the east came to Jerusalem, 2 asking, “Where is the child  who has been born king of the Jews? For we observed his star in the east and  have come to pay him homage.” 3 When King Herod heard this, he was  frightened, and all Jerusalem with him, 4 and calling together all the chief priests  and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be  born. 5 They told him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for so it has been written by the  prophet: 

‘And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, 

    are by no means least among the rulers of Judah, 

for from you shall come a ruler 

    who is to shepherd my people Israel.’  

7 Then Herod secretly called for the magi and learned from them the exact time  when the star had appeared. 8 Then he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, “Go  and search diligently for the child, and when you have found him, bring me word  so that I may also go and pay him homage.” 9 When they had heard the king,  they set out, and there, ahead of them, went the star that they had seen in the  east, until it stopped over the place where the child was. 10 When they saw that  the star had stopped, they were overwhelmed with joy. 11 On entering the  house, they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they knelt down and paid him homage. Then, opening their treasure chests, they offered him gifts of gold,  frankincense, and myrrh. 12 And having been warned in a dream not to return to  Herod, they left for their own country by another road.

HOMILY

Epiphany is the season of revelation. It is the celebration of God’s light breaking into the  world. That light does not come all at once—but it does come. It comes decisively and  faithfully. 

On this Sunday we hear again the story of the Magi—those men from the East who took  note of a star in the sky and chose to follow where it led them. 

What is striking is not simply that they saw the star, but that they moved because of it.  The star did not flood the sky with daylight. It did not hand them a map or explain the  journey in advance. But it did give them enough light for the next step. 

We do not know the nature of the star. It may have been like the pillar of light that led the  children of Israel through the wilderness on their way to the Promised Land. What we do  know is this: the star was moving—and they followed it. 

Like the headlights of a car on a dark country road, the star illuminated only what lay  immediately ahead. But that was enough for the Magi. 

This is often how God works. 

Epiphany does not promise full clarity—only faithful guidance. 

God’s Epiphany is not a spotlight into the distant future. 

But God does give us sufficient light to follow Him—one day at a time. The Magi trusted  the light they had, and step by step it carried them closer to Christ. 

If we follow their example, God will lead us closer and closer to Jesus. 

I am reminded of a song I heard Christy Lane sing years ago. I think the chorus went  something like this: 

“One day at a time, sweet Jesus,

That’s all I’m asking of You. 

Just give me the strength 

To do every day what I have to do. 

Yesterday’s gone, sweet Jesus, 

And tomorrow may never be mine. 

Lord, help me today. 

Show me the way—one day at a time.” 

That’s all we need—light enough for one day at a time. 

Back to the story. 

According to Matthew, the journey of the Magi takes an unexpected turn. When they  arrive in Jerusalem, they assume—as many of us would—that a newborn king would be  known in the halls of power. Surely revelation belongs in palaces, among scholars,  among those who already know the Scriptures. 

But that was not the case. The scholars knew the Scriptures well enough to point toward  Bethlehem, but not well enough to walk the road themselves. So once again, the Magi  followed God’s light. 

Here Epiphany teaches us a second truth: we often look for light in the wrong places. 

We expect God to reveal Himself where authority resides, where success is visible. 

But the star does not rest over a throne room. It stops over a house in Bethlehem. God’s  greatest revelation comes not wrapped in splendor, but in humility. Not in a palace, but  in the ordinary spaces of family life. 

In America, there is a lot of drama in religion. Many think we can best find Christ with a  full orchestra, flashing lights, and thousands in attendance. But just as the Magi found  Christ in a humble house near the little town of Bethlehem, I am finding Christ in this  small 180-year-old church on the edge of a sheep field. 

And I believe you are finding Him here as well. 

Back to the story once more. When the Magi enter that humble house, they do not stop to 

analyze the surroundings. They kneel. Their revelation leads them to worship. 

And a part of worship is giving. So the Magi offer Jesus gold, frankincense, and myrrh.  Like the widow Jesus praised for giving all she had, the Magi give freely, without regard  for the cost. Their gifts are acts of surrender to the One they came to worship. 

In that moment, Epiphany reaches its essential meaning: God is not simply showing us  something—God is drawing us into a meaningful and awesome relationship with Himself  and with others. 

At this point, the words of the Apostle Paul to the church in Philippi deepen the message.  Writing to believers he loves, Paul says: 

“I thank my God every time I remember you… because of your partnership in the  gospel from the first day until now. Being confident of this, that the one who began a  good work among you will bring it to completion by the day of Jesus Christ.” 

With these words, Paul reminds us that faith is not a single moment of illumination, but a  journey of unfolding light. God begins a work—step by step—and remains faithful to  complete it. Epiphany is not only about Christ being revealed to us; it is also about God  continuing His revealing work within us throughout all the days of our lives. 

The Magi did not understand everything when they first followed the star. And neither  do we. But God is faithful—faithful to guide, faithful to complete what He has begun,  faithful to give enough light for each step ahead. 

The story ends with a quiet but powerful detail: “The Magi left for their own country by  another road.” An encounter with Christ always changes our direction. We do not return  the same way we came. Epiphany light does not merely inform us—it transforms us. 

So Epiphany asks us today: Are we following the light God has already given us, or are  we directing our attention elsewhere? 

Are we looking for revelation across the bay or in distant cities, when God is showing us  the way right here in the rural communities of the Eastern Shore where we live? 

The good news is this: The God who placed the star in the sky is the same God who has  begun a good work in us right here at Holmes Presbyterian Church. 

He will CONTINUE leading us down the paths He has prepared. NO. He will not reveal  the end of the journey. But He will lead us—one step at a time. 

So what do we do until we arrive? Let me answer by quoting another song from years 

ago: 

“Brighten the corner where you are. 

Brighten the corner where you are. 

Someone far from harbor you may guide across the bar. 

Brighten the corner where you are.” 

When we truly encounter Jesus, we are changed: our priorities shift, our generosity  deepens, and we find ourselves returning home by another road. We don’t know the end  of our journey through this life. We don’t even know the end of our journey for the year  2026. But we do know the beginning.  

God has begun a good work in us. And we know whatever the end, He will complete it  according to His love and His ultimate glory in which we will all share. So take heart,  God is good and God is Sovereign. All will end well. Praise to the Father, the Son, and to  the Holy Ghost. Amen.