Feast of the Epiphany
2015
According to one legend, when the
Holy Family left Bethlehem to go to Egypt, to flee King Herod, Jesus was given
a t-shirt, which read: “Three Wise Kings came to my birth from the Far East,
and all I got was gold, frankincense, myrrh and this lousy t-shirt.”
Well, even if it’s not true, I
suppose this is how rumors, not legends, get started…
Anyway, we begin the Epiphany
season with the arrival of these Three Wise Men—Kings from the Far East who
have followed a star to bring gifts to the newborn king of Israel. This is, of
course, after an awkward detour to visit King Herod, the vassal king of Israel.
(That’s vassal king, spelled
V-A-S-S-A-L, in case you might have misheard me.) And it means that Herod was a
king only by the authority of Rome.
Well, the Wise Men, who are a
little surprised that Herod doesn’t know about Jesus, sort of wise-up (the pun was intended), and even
though Herod says he wants them to come back and let him know where to find the
newborn king (so he can also pay homage); the Wise Men realize he’s not to be
trusted. So, after finding the infant Jesus and family, they return to the East
by a different way.
As to the gifts they brought to
Jesus—the gold would be helpful, but we might wonder why in the world they
would bring frankincense and myrrh (items used to prepare people for burial).
(Perhaps for effective foreshadowing…) But, then, that’s to say that the whole
story is a bit odd. I mean, what would bring three, apparently important guys
from the Far East (wherever that is) to greet a baby?
Newborn king or not, these guys
were kings themselves—and I can’t imagine why they’d have any interest in the
political (let alone religious) climate of Israel. It’s possible that where
they came from, the Roman Empire hadn’t spread…so, what would make them travel
all that way?
We’re told they followed a
star—sure. This could have been a really important astrological sign to them.
But we have no indication that after they visited Jesus that they converted, or
suddenly took any more interest in him. We’re told that this was to fulfil
prophecy, which is a common theme in Matthew’s Gospel…but, still, I can’t help
but wonder , “why?” What was it that made these Three Kings travel to see the
newborn Jesus? What did they hope to find?
Jesus, later on in Matthew’s
Gospel, asks a similar question of the people after John the Baptist’s
disciples had come to him. He asks the crowd about John. He says:
‘What
did you go out into the wilderness to look at? A reed shaken by the wind? What then did you go out to see? Someone
dressed in soft robes? Look, those who wear soft robes are in royal palaces. What then did you go out to
see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and
more than a prophet.
He says; "Truly, I tell you, among those born
of women no one has arisen greater than John
the Baptist; yet the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than
he. From the days of
John the
Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven has suffered violence, and the violent
take it by force. For all the
prophets and the law prophesied until John came; and if you are willing to accept it, he is Elijah who
is to come. Let anyone with ears listen!"
Jesus basically forces the people
to think honestly about why so many people went out to see John baptizing and
preaching. See, Jesus knew by the way they had refused to accept his
ministry—even though he had performed miracles—that these were people looking for
a spectacle, not a Savior.
Nothing Jesus (or John before him—Moses
and the Prophets for that matter) was offering was getting enough into the
heads, hearts and bones of these people that they might receive the hope,
health and healing that they needed for their weary souls.
But, then we know that church can
be the same experience for some people. There are some who might attend church
their entire life—and assuming the church is relatively healthy—these people
never experience some amendment of life… It’s really too bad, and it might not
always be hard-heartedness that makes it happen.
Then again, what about those who are changed? What about those people who
did go out to the banks of the Jordan to see and hear John, only to have their
lives altered forever—St. Paul even met some of John’s disciples in the Acts of
the Apostles (well after Jesus had Ascended, and the Day of Pentecost had come
and gone). What about them? What spurred them on to go out to hear someone who
may just as well have come off as a madman?
As to those in the Gospels whose
lives were changed by meeting Jesus, we know there were a number of them beyond
even his closest disciples. But even those people—the disciples
included—stepped away from what they knew and what was familiar to them to see,
and meet Jesus. What roused them (?), sometimes at great risk, to make their
way to this radical teacher from Nazareth? For some, it was desperation,
sure—but for others it was a choice. So, what about them?
And, what can we say about these
Three Wise Men? Were their lives changed by having set out to find the newborn
King of Israel? I don’t know. But, if their experience with King Herod is just
a sampling of what they were willing to face to follow the star…well, I think
we can at least say that it was important to them.
Maybe the Buddhist saying is right,
“First the intention, then comes Enlightenment…”
In other words, maybe our lives of
faith aren’t always about knowing and calculating what waits for us ahead.
Perhaps there are times in life when it really is best just to set out, and
know that God is calling us—and the way ahead becomes clear only
little-by-little.
It’s a bit like Abraham packing up and leaving
for Cana; or Moses leading the People of Israel to the Promised Land. True,
there were some difficulties along the way, but most of those came up when they
tried to meddle too much with God’s process. But, in the end, they came to the
places where they needed to be—and God led them the whole way.
As we begin this Epiphany Season,
and even this New Year, I think this story of the Wise Men is appropriate. And,
likewise, this question: “What could make someone leave what they know, where
they’re comfortable?” is also appropriate; because I think as a church we’re
being asked this question. I also think as individuals who are trying to live
more fully into an integrated faith are asking it of ourselves—“what could make
me leave what I know, what keeps me comfortable?”
I think part of the answer comes
when we realize that what we consider “comfortable” is really just the illusion
of security. But, once we realize that it’s only an illusion, and is more about
being able to anticipate everything that happens to us in life—well, we know that
being able to anticipate everything is no way to live a life…
But this isn’t all, because while we may not
always be able to articulate what it is that motivates us to leave the places
where we’re comfortable; we still trust that in leaving, we may find something
wonderful.
This is especially true if the
story of the Wise Men is any kind of allegory, because we know that what we
find by setting out is Jesus…which really is
wonderful.
So where will our star lead us as a
church, as individuals? Well…simply put, to Jesus. But, that’s to say, we can’t
account for what we’ll find along the way. It could be dangerous,
uncomfortable, and we may even lose our luggage. But, if we can trust that what
awaits us is worth the journey, then we can’t afford to wait idly for fear of
what we imagine the road ahead might hold for us.
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