Matthew 2, Isaiah 60:1-6
Today is Epiphany.1
Epiphany is a prominent feature on the Christian calendar, marking the end of Christmas, the story of the Magi-Astrologers who visited the Christ child, and a time to remember God’s revealing of himself to the whole world.
Sometimes the word epiphany is used to describe when someone “sees the light” or comes to a fuller understanding of an idea or realization. The notion at Epiphany - as some people from a distant land with little knowledge of Israel come to pay homage to the little toddler Jesus - is that God has given himself not just to the OG people of God (Israel), but now to the whole of the human populace. The Magi were not Jewish. They were foreigners. They did not become Jewish. They returned to their distant homeland. And soon enough, the story tells us that Christ himself became the foreigner in a distant land, his family themselves refugees seeking safety from threats made upon their lives.
The message, way, and mission of Christ is the same today: for all people. No one group of people own Jesus’ story, be it Israel, America, Roman Catholics, evangelicals, the wealthy, the educated. He is from the very beginning for all people. As we will read in the story of the Magi below, some people react against such a king. But that does not change God’s intention:
The light of Christ is for all people.
Matthew 2
After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in the territory of Judea during the rule of King Herod, magi came from the east to Jerusalem. They asked, “Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We’ve seen his star in the east, and we’ve come to honor him.”
When King Herod heard this, he was troubled, and everyone in Jerusalem was troubled with him. He gathered all the chief priests and the legal experts and asked them where the Christ was to be born. They said, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for this is what the prophet wrote:
You, Bethlehem, land of Judah,
by no means are you least among the rulers of Judah,
because from you will come one who governs,
who will shepherd my people Israel.”
Then Herod secretly called for the magi and found out from them the time when the star had first appeared. He sent them to Bethlehem, saying, “Go and search carefully for the child. When you’ve found him, report to me so that I too may go and honor him.” When they heard the king, they went; and look, the star they had seen in the east went ahead of them until it stood over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they were filled with joy. They entered the house and saw the child with Mary his mother. Falling to their knees, they honored him. Then they opened their treasure chests and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Because they were warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they went back to their own country by another route.
When the magi had departed, an angel from the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Get up. Take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod will soon search for the child in order to kill him.” Joseph got up and, during the night, took the child and his mother to Egypt. He stayed there until Herod died. This fulfilled what the Lord had spoken through the prophet: I have called my son out of Egypt.
When Herod knew the magi had fooled him, he grew very angry. He sent soldiers to kill all the children in Bethlehem and in all the surrounding territory who were two years old and younger, according to the time that he had learned from the magi. This fulfilled the word spoken through Jeremiah the prophet:
A voice was heard in Ramah,
weeping and much grieving.
Rachel weeping for her children,
and she did not want to be comforted,
because they were no more.
After King Herod died, an angel from the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt. “Get up,” the angel said, “and take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel. Those who were trying to kill the child are dead.” Joseph got up, took the child and his mother, and went to the land of Israel. But when he heard that Archelaus ruled over Judea in place of his father Herod, Joseph was afraid to go there. Having been warned in a dream, he went to the area of Galilee. He settled in a city called Nazareth so that what was spoken through the prophets might be fulfilled: He will be called a Nazarene.
Isaiah 60:1-6
Arise! Shine! Your light has come;
the Lord’s glory has shone upon you.
Though darkness covers the earth
and gloom the nations,
the Lord will shine upon you;
God’s glory will appear over you.
Nations will come to your light
and kings to your dawning radiance.
Lift up your eyes and look all around:
they are all gathered; they have come to you.
Your sons will come from far away,
and your daughters on caregivers’ hips.
Then you will see and be radiant;
your heart will tremble and open wide,
because the sea’s abundance will be turned over to you;
the nations’ wealth will come to you.
Countless camels will cover your land,
young camels from Midian and Ephah.
They will all come from Sheba,
carrying gold and incense,
proclaiming the Lord’s praises.
Prayer:
God of Light:
Arise and shine, indeed! Lord…don’t you know about early mornings? They can be a bummer. And right now, the earth is off-kilter such that we aren’t getting much daylight and we the people are acting out in resulting form.
We’re grumpy.
We’re depressed.
We’re unsure.
We’re confused.
If there ever has been a time in which we need your light, today would be a good one.
Give us your epiphany. Show us hope. Give us the hope of the wanderers who dared to travel hundreds of miles to find a supposed child-king in a foreign and unknown land. Reveal to us who you are in innocence, lack of presumption, and possibilities.
We give you this day. Make us your people, no matter how foreign the notion makes us feel.
By your Spirit and in Christ, Amen.