Ephipany Part 1: The Star

Matthew 2:1-12     Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the reign of King Herod. About that time some wise men from eastern lands arrived in Jerusalem, asking, “Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We saw his star as it rose, and we have come to worship him.”  King Herod was deeply disturbed when he heard this, as was everyone in Jerusalem.  He called a meeting of the leading priests and teachers of religious law and asked, “Where is the Messiah supposed to be born?”   “In Bethlehem in Judea,” they said, “for this is what the prophet wrote:  
      ‘And you, O Bethlehem in the land of Judah,
      are not least among the ruling cities of Judah, 
      for a ruler will come from you
      who will be the shepherd for my people Israel.’”
Then Herod called for a private meeting with the wise men, and he learned from them the time when the star first appeared.  Then he told them, “Go to Bethlehem and search carefully for the child. And when you find him, come back and tell me so that I can go and worship him, too!”   After this interview the wise men went their way. And the star they had seen in the east guided them to Bethlehem. It went ahead of them and stopped 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 his mother, Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasure chests and gave him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.  When it was time to leave, they returned to their own country by another route, for God had warned them in a dream not to return to Herod.

Context:  The main characters in the Epiphany story are "some wise men from eastern lands."  Matthew calls them magoi, which can mean "magicians" or a certain type of "priests."  Yet most scholars believe these wise men were "astrologers" made most probable by the reference to the stars.  They appear to be Gentile pagans because they do not seem to know the prophetic writings as do the "priests and teachers of religious law."  These men get on the wrong side of both the political authorities (Herod) and the religious authorities.  When they receive a warning from God to flee and not to return to Herod with information about the baby, they do so without hesitation. 

The witness of Matthew seems to have arisen in a Jewish community in post-70 CE which locates the writing of the gospel after the destruction of the temple. With the collapse of Jerusalem and the temple, the community endured an identity crisis.  Into this Jewish identity crisis walks these three Gentiles, bearing gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.  Although much has been made of these gifts, they were probably only symbolic in the sense that they were gifts fit for a king ... the King of the Jews.  That the text mentions three gifts is the only reason we count the number of wise men as three.  Tradition also gives them the title of Kings ... Have you sung We Three Kings yet this Christmas season?  Yet this is nothing in the text that indicates they were anything more than ordinary spiritual seekers from a distant land.    

Going Deeper:  The word epiphany means "revelation."  God was revealed in the baby Jesus ... Emmanuel ... God with us!  We don't know how this is so.  It's a mystery.  The spiritual seekers we know as the wise men knew the revelation of God through nature.  They made it their life's work to study the stars and they must have lived in great wonder ... after all they didn't know about the vast universe we know about today. 

The Light of the Shining Star illuminated the Christ Child.  The Light of Christ guided the wise men so they could give gifts and glorify the one sent to reveal the realm of God.   Not one of these men was forced to follow ... in their passion for spiritual knowledge they were willing to follow the Light into the unknown. 

Pondering: 
Image from NASA, ESA, and the Hubble Heritage (STScl/AURA)-ESA/Hubble Collaboration. Follow Link for more images at National Geographic News.


The wise men were spiritual seekers ... what a Star it must have been for them to set out for an unknown land with only this glimmer of light!  Have you ever taken a journey into the unknown?  Why did you begin your journey?  What were you seeking?  Have you ever gazed at the stars and wondered about the God who made such beauty?  How do the stars speak to you of God?  What is it that you know about God through the vast expanse of our universe?   We all know spiritual seekers ... people who have a deep desire for a connection with ... Perhaps the seekers in our lives can help us to honor the mystery of the spiritual life. 


A Prayer for Epiphany:   Take a moment to quiet your mind after night has fallen.  Close your eyes and visualize the stars.  If  the night is clear and the air is not too cold for you ... wander out and gaze at the stars in the silence.  Or glance through the online pictures.  Before you lay your head down to sleep tonight pray this prayer for the God who is revealed in babies and stars! 

God with us,
God revealed in us,
God come to us, Emmanuel:
Long hidden within our heart's barren womb;
Too often explained away by our mind's idol of reason;
and so many moments kept captive in our soul's chains of doubt.
Show forth among us,
Bread of Life!
Be manifest here this day,
Cup of Salvation!
Great God of the Epiphany,
this day reveal your salvation
to the poor who hunger for your nourishment,
to the seekers who travel across deserts for your drink,
to us gathered here, who desire you.
Great God of the Epiphany,
this day reveal your salvation
Through the one who saves us, Jesus Christ, Amen.