Homily for Epiphany
This Monday afternoon we are transitioning into another season in the Christian year. We wrapped up the Christmas season last night with a small celebration of Twelfth Night, the final day of Christmas. Christmas is about the reality that Christ has come in the flesh. The heart of Epiphany season is found in its longer and more expressive name - “The Manifestation of Christ to the Gentiles. We, who were outsiders to the Abrahamic covenant, have been brought into the family through adoption. Today, we have the first Gentiles who come to worship the King of the Jews; showing that this Child was born to the King of Kings for all people, not just to the tribe of Israel. It is most fitting that the Feast of the Conversion of St. Paul is normally in the Epiphany season for he was the great expositor of the Gospel of Jesus Christ - salvation for all people.
The Gospel appointed for today is found in St. Matthew Chapter 2 where we read of the visit from the wise men or the Magi to see the Christ child. The Magi were astrologers from the East, probably from Babylon or Persia. They spent their time worshipping the movement of the stars so as to determine future events. They were involved in divination and many practices that God told the Jews to avoid. But God gives testimony of his truth even when men are looking for the wrong things, with the wrong intentions. He makes the stars to bear witness so that these men may find their way to the Christ child. He makes the pagan star worshipper to long for the truth that is manifested in the Child born to be the King of all nations. They are called wise men in the Gospel because they would not let any obstacle keep them from coming and worshipping the True King. They would not allow the coldness of winter, the dryness of the desert, the threat of robbers, or the great exertion of travel keep them away.
They would not be thwarted by human obstacles of rival Kings - like Herod or obstinate court theologians who knew the particulars of Christ’s birth but would not trouble themselves to travel half a dozen miles to Bethlehem. They would carry on - searching, longing, until God directed them particularly to the lowly shed where the King of Kings was resting in his mother’s lap.
And when they found him - St. Matthew says - they “fell down and worshipped him” These men, whom traditions say were kings, bowed themselves low to the earth to worship an infant that, from the world’s perspective, warranted pity not worship. There was nothing in his appearance that indicated his royalty. The abode of the Holy Family was small, His mother poor, Joseph’s hands rough; these pagans, these wizards offered him worship for they believed God and worshipped his Son. Their faith will take Jesus as they find him, and the testimony of God through the Star will outweigh the apparent poverty and dejection of his circumstances.
Then, these wise men offered him gifts. Gold as tribute fit for the King of Kings; frankincense because they honored him as God for this fragrant resin was used in the sacrifices at the Law; myrrh - a gift acknowledging him as the Man who should die for sins, for myrrh was used for embalming dead bodies.
Today, as we enter a new year, let us consider the eagerness and commitment of the Magi - those pagan astrologers who came to Jesus and worshipped him. It is noteworthy that these Gentiles labored to find any sign that would lead them to the truth. They traveled hundreds of miles to seek out this star while the people of God had centuries of prophecy related to the Messiah; these Jews had considerably more clarity, more specificity; they knew that he would be born in Bethlehem and yet the pagan star-watchers shamed them in their zeal to seek out the Christ child and the time and place of his appearing.
Dear Christians, let us consider that we have an even greater light than the Jews. We have the fullest record of Holy Scripture, we have the testimony of Church history, we have the Bible in our language, we have freedom of religion, we have a society that has been shaped by Christianity and despite its imperfections and atrophy, it still bears the marks of its Christian influences. Do we appreciate and utilize the resources with which we have been blessed? Do we avail ourselves of the power of God’s word and the work of his Holy Spirit.
The magi brought gifts. May we daily bring gifts of our gold, the frankincense of our prayers and worship will ascend as a sweet smell to our Lord. Let us bring the myrrh of encouragement to this world as we die to self-will and embrace our callings as living sacrifices so that we might fully gain Jesus Christ. Christ.
Let the Magi be an encouragement to us to put Christ at the center of our desire - to commit ourselves not to let any distraction of this mortal life - be it pleasure or anxiety or pain - distract us from our one goal, our quest of singular devotion to find for ourselves the King of Kings. Amen.