GIFTS OF GREAT JOY
Scriptures: Isaiah 60:1-6
Matthew 2:1-12
According to the United Church of Christ’s 2009 Calendar of Prayer “an epiphany is described in the Merriam-Webster dictionary as ‘a usually sudden manifestation or perception of the essential nature or meaning of something.’” Huh? Say what? Let’s try that again: ‘a usually sudden manifestation or perception of the essential nature or meaning of something.’ Doesn’t get much better the second time around, does it? No wonder the day of Epiphany is on the second level tier of important Christian holy days – even if it does come at the end of the twelve days of Christmas. But be honest now: how many of you are going to wake up next Tuesday morning and say to yourselves, “It’s the day of Epiphany! I’m going to celebrate the sudden manifestation of the essential meaning of something all day long?”
And of course, as you probably expect me to say, that’s really too bad. For what Epiphany, signaling as it does the end of the season of birth, does for us is to start helping us to experience the many ways in which Jesus the Christ is made manifest in history and in our lives. The first, and in many ways the most important, way that Jesus is made manifest to us – that is, the way he comes to us – is as light. The gospel writer John says, “The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world.” Even though Christmas and Epiphany take place in the middle of winter (though here in Las Vegas it tends to be a fairly mild and sunny winter) we as Christians are people of the light and want to help others live with the kind of brightness that shines forth from that stable. Christ comes to us as a creature of light. We see it in all kinds of ways: that rollicking song that young people like to sing, “Shine, Jesus, Shine”; the emanations from the angels as they appear before the nativity; the glow from the candles that we raise on Christmas Eve; the torch that Jeannette and Isabella bring; the lit-up Christmas trees in our homes.
But most especially, of course, we see it in the Star of Bethlehem – that star that the wise ones from the Orient – the Magi – followed. The birth of Jesus was so significant on the world’s stage that a special spotlight was required. This was no quickly shot-off fireworks, to be oohed and aahed over and then forgotten like the ones down at the Fremont Street Experience on New Year’s Eve (even if they were inside this year and shot off from parking lots at the casinos, to the dismay of many tourists). No, here was a steady, long-lasting light for the whole world. For the Magi coming to find the baby Jesus was a kind of sudden discovery, a manifestation of the essential nature of God here in this stable.
But it didn’t begin that way. First there was the journey. And every indication is that it was a long one. As the hymn says, “bearing gifts we come from afar”. Matthew’s version isn’t very specific, just saying “from the East”, although the implication in such a statement is that it marks a distant place. Nor is Matthew very specific about when the Magi arrived, just saying “after Jesus was born in Bethlehem”. Some commentators have speculated that it could have been as much as two years following the birth (though it’s hard to believe the star could have shone brightly in the heavens all that time). Sure, we like to picture the wise men there in the stable along with the shepherds, as we did with the tableau we had on our altar the past few weeks. But in all likelihood it was at the very least several weeks later.
It had been a long journey – a true star trek (I sometimes bemuse myself with speculating about how many ministers over the years since the original series was on television in the 1960’s have used the idea of “star trek” when talking about the journey of the Magi). This Christmas one of our children gave Ann a DVD set of the first season of “Star Trek: The Next Generation”, which she’s been enjoying as she works out in the morning (I, of course, being a purist, prefer the original Denny Crane…oh, excuse me, William Shatner…series). But one thing “The Next Generation” did improve upon was the signature line at the beginning of each episode: “to boldly go where no one has gone before”.
That’s what the Magi did. They took a leap of faith. No one could have predicted where that bright star would lead them. But like the adventurers in all of the various “Star Trek” series they sensed how important it would be to see where such a leap of faith would lead them. And that is why their journey in the light of that star reflects our own journey.
Rev. Richard J. Fairchild puts it this way: “Christian life, the life of God's people, is most often represented in the bible and in literature, as a journey – a journey that begins with our confession of Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, and ends when we at last meet him… face to face, in God's heavenly kingdom.
“The story of the Magi is our story for that very reason. It is also our story because the Magi were, according to tradition, the very first Gentiles to whom God revealed God’s purpose in Christ Jesus and who, in the end, not only worshipped Jesus, but met him face to face.”
The Magi’s trek of faith began with preparation. They were skilled in philosophy and science and used these, as do modern-day philosophers and scientists, to come to the best interpretation they could of this strange phenomenon in the night sky. Next, they acted upon that interpretation. They dropped everything, made their way to Bethlehem, and, finding Jesus, were overjoyed, just as we have enjoyed and treasured the light that comes from the baby and the stable. And they leave him gifts.
But there’s a catch to this gift giving. Something is just a bit off here. John Ballenger finds a piece of cognitive dissonance in the Magi’s actions when he says, “They bowed down before him, gave him precious gifts, worshipped him, and then they left. For all their acclaimed wisdom; for all their truly impressive foresight, amazing interpretive skills, persistence, and generosity, they really didn’t get it all either. They left.
“Sure, they left gifts – gifts that don’t include the one gift Jesus desired above all others – the gift of love. The magi honored the son of God, but there is no evidence to suggest that they loved the son of God…… They gifted Jesus, but saw no need to commit to an ongoing relationship with him so that he could gift them.
“Philosophy and science and wisdom led them to follow the star, but weren’t enough to lead them to follow the light of the world. The star led them to the manger, but couldn’t make them eat of the bread of life and drink of the living water.” We will eat that bread of life and drink the cup of God’s compassion at the end of this service.
Perhaps this comment on the actions and motivations of the Magi reflects some of our own ambiguity toward gift giving. The Friday after Thanksgiving may be “Black Friday” in terms of the throngs of holiday shoppers, but the second busiest shopping day of the year is the day after Christmas with all of the gift exchanging and taking back of unwanted items which that day represents. In theory the giving of gifts at Christmas signifies how we feel about one another – a way of expressing our love for the person receiving the gift, just as gifts for the baby Jesus are supposed to be ways of expressing love toward him. But so often a gift comes to feel like an onus – something we have to do – until the joy is drained out of it. What Epiphany helps us to feel – to experience anew – is the joy of the gifts that Jesus brings to us – the manifestation of his love and peace and justice in a world that has so rarely known these gifts.
John Ballenger goes on: “You know, the character who, oddly enough, seems to get it most – what this baby means – is Herod….. Herod is terrified at this birth. It’s as if he had a premonition about the first being last and the meek inheriting the earth and knew that he wouldn’t fare well in Jesus’ system. He understood that there was no way for him to stay the way he was – on top – in control. He understood and it scared him. Deplorable as it is, his is the only reaction to Jesus that conveys an awareness of the profound effect Jesus would have on individuals and a world about to be turned upside down.”
Do we get it – what this profound effect will have on our lives? Do we continue to hear the alleluias of the angels? Do we recognize the limitations of the wise Magi who made a great leap of faith but then did not follow through with their commitment all the way? Do we find in Herod the weakness of the powerful and seek, as did the Magi, to follow another road? After all, we know in our inner hearts a profound longing for one who will establish justice and righteousness among all the nations – one who will deliver us from all oppression and fear – who will bring a viable and lasting peace. We look for one who will bestow meaning to our living – to our actions and our choices. We look for one to follow – mind, heart, body, and soul. We look for one to whom we can give ourselves.
And we have resources to aid us as we look. We have light for the journey. The light of the star cuts through all of our human darkness and despair. As the wise men looked for and found a star they could follow, so, too, can each one of us find our own star. Where is the star you will follow? What is the star you will follow? The prophet Isaiah proclaims:
Arise, shine; for your light has come,
and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you.
But Isaiah knew what it meant for that light to be coming, for in his next breath he says,
For darkness shall cover the earth,
and thick darkness the peoples
Nevertheless, he comes back to the promise:
but the Lord will arise upon you,
and his glory will appear over you.
An epiphany is an “aha” moment which some describe as having found the last piece of the puzzle and now the whole picture has become apparent. That’s much better than “a manifestation of the essential meaning of something”, isn’t it? When the star stopped over the stable and the wise men were “overwhelmed with joy” they had that kind of a moment – and it changed everything. Epiphany moments change us. The Epiphany of the Christ changes the whole world. This is the revelation we receive on this day. This is the gift of joy the Christ child brings.
Arise, shine; for your light has come,
and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you.
Amen.
Dave Pomeroy
First Congregational Church, United Church of Christ
Las Vegas, NV
January 4, 2009