Gospel Reflection Sunday January 7th 2024 – Feast of The Epiphany of the Lord By Fr Brian Maher OMI
Gospel Reflection for Sunday January 7th 2024 – Feast of The Epiphany of the Lord
The very early communities of Christians had very little interest in the birth and childhood of Jesus. Their starting point was the Resurrection on Easter Sunday morning – an event which shocked and overwhelmed them, leaving them struggling to understand what it all might mean. The urgent and immediate question asked by the followers of Jesus was this: “Who was this man?…” and leading from that question, “…did he give us clues or hints while he was with us that this might happen?”
The Apostles had been with him since his Baptism by John in the Jordan, so it was logical that this was where they would begin to search for answers. The first Gospel to be written – that of Mark – begins with Jesus’ baptism and makes no mention at all of his birth or early life. It was later, when the idea that he might actually be God took root that the nature of his conception and birth became important. It fell to Matthew and Luke to search out and include accounts of his birth and family life.
Through the ages, the birth of Great Kings was accompanied by cosmic events like the appearance of a new star in the heavens, eclipses, comets, and such like. For example, the birth of Alexander the Great was said to be heralded by the appearance of a ‘new’ star and I’m sure we are all aware how the appearance of Halley’s comet in 1066 was seen by William I of Normandy as a Heavenly sign that God was on his side. He went on to defeat the English King Harold at Hastings.
It makes sense, then, that once the Resurrection of Jesus and the coming of the Kingdom of God became established as core beliefs for Christians, they would begin to search for accounts of his birth that included Heavenly signs that he was King of the Jews.
The appearance of the star, the angelic hosts singing from the Heavens and the coming of the Wise-Men were seen as important signs that Jesus, from his very conception, was ‘King of the Jews’ and would usher in the eternal Kingdom of God.
Some people fear that saying this is the same as saying that these stories are not historically accurate or that they did not happen. This fear has no foundation and simply throws us into a literalist and fundamental interpretation of the Bible, which the original authors never intended.
Everything we read in the Gospels comes from the incredible truth that Jesus rose from the dead and was God. Understanding this truth was not instant and required many years of reflection, discussion, prayer and questioning before the truth became evident. The accounts of Jesus’ birth that we find in Matthew and Luke are not, in themselves, vital to what the early Christians believed. Rather, they place the birth of Jesus in the context of Kingship and throw light on the events of his later life.
That is not to say that they are not historically accurate, but more to say that the birth stories are small parts of a much bigger and magnificent story – The story of our God loving us so much that he came among us, lived and died with us, and rose again from the dead to show us that God’s love is always victorious.
“The Greatest Story Ever Told” was a 1965 epic film about the life of Jesus. Most people remember it because of the appearance of a very young John Wayne as the Roman centurion. Whatever we may think about the quality of the movie itself, its title is, I think, wonderfully true. The life of Jesus of Nazareth is ‘The Greatest Story Ever Told’, and we are all part of that story.
Today’s Feast of the Epiphany (the coming of the Wise Men) forms part of this story and, indeed, a very important part of the story.
The Wise-Men are found only in Matthew’s Gospel, which is important. Matthew was writing to a Jewish audience and, in particular, to those Jews who also considered themselves followers of Jesus. He was also writing at the time when there was a crisis in the Church.
All of the first followers of Jesus were themselves Jews, as was Jesus himself. The question that arose then was whether Jesus intended his message only for Jews or for a wider audience of pagans. There was a strong faction based in Jerusalem who believed that to be a Christian; one had first to be a Jew. They decreed that all non-Jews had to be circumcised and accept Jewish food laws before they could be baptised as Christians.
Another faction, led by St. Paul, strongly opposed this, saying that Jesus intended his message to be for all people, without conditions or restrictions. This was more than a simple disagreement. It threatened to split the Church, causing huge tension and conflict within the early Christian communities.
It is in this crisis that Matthew brings the Wise Men. They appear in the court of King Herod as if from nowhere. Matthew tells us only that they are “from the East” and that they are “following a star” in search of a “new King”.
The are, of course, non-Jews, pagans, not part of God’s ‘Chosen People’.
But what happens? These pagans are led by a star to the place where Jesus is …” and going into the house they saw the child with Mary his mother…” They immediately recognise him as the King they are looking for and, with new faith, “they fall on their knees and worship him.”
If you were a Jew reading Matthews story, you would notice that these pagans were privileged to be among the very first people to see and recognise Jesus as a King. Most importantly, recognition of Jesus as King is granted to them without any restrictions or rules. They see him and believe. Then, they return to their own country without revisiting Herod. They are now believers themselves.
In a time of tension and conflict in the early Church, Matthew, through the Wise Men, seems to be saying: “The arguments are over. The Kingdom of God, brought by Jesus, is open to all peoples of the world. All are welcome without restrictions or reservations.”
When we open ourselves to what the arrival of the Wise-Men actually means, we discover that we are not talking just about some men from a foreign country following a star in search of a new King. The story’s meaning is far more wonderful than that: All peoples share God’s Kingdom. The coming of the Wise-Men opens the Church to the entire world and to all peoples. All are welcome and there are no restrictions.
For us today, that message is no less important. So easily, we make our Church into something more like an exclusive club than a welcoming Church. We can be seen as rigid and stern, more inclined to reject than to welcome, insisting on adherence to rules rather than being open to the Spirit who is always bringing something new to the Church. The Wise-Men call us to
The gifts the Wise-Men brought also have a deeper meaning than we might think.
Gold – is a gift given to a King. Presenting gold to Jesus clearly indicates that he is indeed a King.
Frankincense – is an aromatic resin which, when burned, produces a sweet and beautiful aroma. Its main use was in the Temple and in worship of God. As a gift brought to Jesus, it could be seen as a recognition of his Divinity as Son of God.
Myrrh – comes from Arabia and was rare and expensive in Jesus’ time. In Jewish culture, myrrh was used when preparing a body for burial. Presentation of this gift to Jesus might well foreshadow the sacrifice of his life for us.
Isn’t this wonderful? In the gifts they bring, they recognise Jesus’s Kingship (Gold), his divinity (Frankincense), and his dying for us (Myrrh).
The Gospels are living and working texts. They were never intended to be the biography of a man who lived two thousand years ago. Through them, each Sunday, Jesus calls us to “come, follow me.” In today’s Gospel, the Wise-Men reach out to us from the crib, challenging us to be open and welcoming to all people. They point us to a Church which is tolerant and compassionate, a Church that does not judge others but is open to all. They call us to kneel with them before the Lord, recognising in him our King, our God, our Saviour.
Many thanks,
Brian.
