Homily: The Feast of the Epiphany

The Feast of the Epiphany (Mt. 2:1-12)

The Feast of the Epiphany is built around a popular story line about people going on a journey. The journey is more than a trip that friends take somewhere, but the journey is a quest. The Magi are inspired to search for a newborn king, a king that will change the world.
The Magi have always been mysterious figures in the scripture as they appear and disappear in the Gospel of Matthew. Who were these men? Tradition would say that they were Persian priests who served various rulers. The Magi used their skills in astrology, knowledge of scripture from various religions, and the interpretation of dreams to advise powerful leaders.
Using these three sources of knowledge the magi determined that a new King was to be born in Israel. A major sign is that a new star appears in the sky. Whenever a new star was identified in the ancient world it was supposed to be a sign of an important person being born.
The Magi take the logical step of traveling to Jerusalem. Where else would a King of the Jews be? When they arrive, they go to King Herod’s palace. Perhaps they believed that Herod had fathered a new son, but Herod, it seems, didn’t have a new child. The people in Jerusalem react in three ways.
The first reaction is anger. King Herod and his minions are afraid that they are going to lose power. Herod had done great things as King of Israel. He had rebuilt whole cities. He had orchestrated peace in Israel by negotiating with the Romans. Herod had even built a new, magnificent temple in Jerusalem. His fatal flaw was one that many dictators have which is that he didn’t have a plan of succession. The world revolved around him, nobody else. He was a ruthless person who murdered family members who threatened him. He murdered his mother-in-law, his wife, two brothers-in-law, and three of his own children who he thought were plotting against him. Herod and his friends wanted to dispose of Jesus because he was a threat.
The second reaction to the birth of Jesus was indifference. The priests in Jerusalem that Herod consulted about a new King knew exactly where Jesus was to be born. At the conclusion of their Sabbath day prayers, these religious leaders would always pray for the speedy arrival of the Messiah. But rather than rush to Bethlehem to see what was going on they continued their religious duties in Jerusalem. The religious leaders seemed satisfied with what they had. None of them wanted anything more.
The Third reaction to the arrival of the Messiah was adoration and the desire to give Jesus gifts. We know that the two groups that took note of the arrival of Jesus were the shepherds who rushed to the stable to praise God for the newborn savior. The shepherds brought only their happiness. Perhaps they sang the child simple songs. Maybe they gave baby Jesus some woolen clothing. The second group that adored Jesus were the Magi. The wise men weren’t Jews but gentiles, yet they came to worship. As we know they also left their gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
We are left to ponder what the reaction of the world is to Jesus today. We have the same three responses. We see hostility towards the very idea of faith by many. Some would say that if we believe in Jesus it is believing in a fairy tale. Some try to throw up barriers so that religious ideas won’t grow. Maybe such people persecute those who choose to believe.
We have those people who are indifferent. Perhaps this is the largest group of people. People like this are just too busy to bother with being a disciple of Jesus. After all, there is money that needs to be made. Also, there are many types of entertainment to be enjoyed. The list of worldly distractions that can occupy our time is endless.
Finally, we have people in our world who are constantly seeking Jesus. People like this are ready to worship the Lord when they find him. Such people are always asking what gifts they can offer in service of our savior Jesus Christ.
We are left to consider what group we are a part of. Only we can answer that question.