Setting the Stage
Who was it who came to pay homage to the baby Jesus?
In the time of King Herod, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, asking, "Where is the child who has been born king of the Jews? For we observed his star at its rising, and have come to pay him homage." When King Herod heard this, he was frightened, and all Jerusalem with him; and calling together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born. They told him, "In Bethlehem of Judea; for so it has been written by the prophet: `And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for from you shall come a ruler who is to shepherd my people Israel.'" Then Herod secretly called for the wise men and learned from them the exact time when the star had appeared. Then he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, "Go and search diligently for the child; and when you have found him, bring me word so that I may also go and pay him homage." When they had heard the king, they set out; and there, ahead of them, went the star that they had seen at its rising, until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw that the star had stopped, they were overwhelmed with joy. On entering the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother; and they knelt down and paid him homage. Then, opening their treasure chests, they offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they left for their own country by another road. - Matthew 2:1-12
We may remember more of this story from the song about the three kings, than we do from Matthew's account in today's Gospel, and that's ok.
Whether they were kings of wise men, and whether there were three or a dozen, what does it matter? The fact is that we believe someone came to pay homage to him and that someone may have encountered Herod or his people who wanted to know how to find this baby and do him harm.
Matthew has set the stage for a drama that will play out over the life of this newborn babe. He will be a threat to those in power and they will stop at nothing to stop him.
If we stop for a moment and look at the symbolism of the Epiphany, we see that the star that guided the men from the East is the light of Christ, the light that God is bringing into the world. And only those who seek it will find it.
Those who wish to blot it out will be thwarted, for once it comes into the world, the world will never be dark again.
The gifts of the magi are symbols of Christ's presence, life, death and resurrection, so even through death, the light will continue to shine.
It is a beautiful story and one we enjoy reading and singing about.
So, on this day, let us rejoice in the knowledge that God chose to become defenseless in our hands to show us how much He loves us and trusts us. It is up to us to keep the light shining.
More to come...