Epiphany!

Matthew 2:1-12 

After Jesus had been born at Bethlehem in Judaea during the reign of King Herod, some wise men came to Jerusalem from the east. ‘Where is the infant king of the Jews?’ they asked. ‘We saw his star as it rose and have come to do him homage.’ When King Herod heard this he was perturbed, and so was the whole of Jerusalem. He called together all the chief priests and the scribes of the people, and enquired of them where the Christ was to be born. ‘At Bethlehem in Judaea,’ they told him ‘for this is what the prophet wrote: And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, you are by no means least among the leaders of Judah, for out of you will come a leader who will shepherd my people Israel.’

Then Herod summoned the wise men to see him privately. He asked them the exact date on which the star had appeared, and sent them on to Bethlehem. ‘Go and find out all about the child,’ he said ‘and when you have found him, let me know, so that I too may go and do him homage.’ Having listened to what the king had to say, they set out. And there in front of them was the star they had seen rising; it went forward, and halted over the place where the child was. The sight of the star filled them with delight, and going into the house they saw the child with his mother Mary, and falling to their knees they did him homage. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts of gold and frankincense and myrrh. But they were warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, and returned to their own country by a different way.

Food for thought!

In the stories of Jesus’ birth, three groups of people came to know of the new-born babe: the shepherds, the magi and the priests and scribes.The shepherds learnt of the birth of Jesus through a direct revelation from angels appearing in the midnight sky. This is direct and supernatural revelation.  

The magi, on the other hand, learnt of the birth of Jesus from observing a star. The star did not say anything to them. They had to interpret this natural sign of the star to know what it meant and where it led. 

The third group is of the priests and scribes. The gospel says that king Herod called together all the chief priests and the scribes of the people, and enquired of them where the Christ was to be born. ‘At Bethlehem in Judaea,’ they told him ‘for this is what the prophet wrote: And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, you are by no means least among the leaders of Judah, for out of you will come a leader who will shepherd my people Israel.’ So, these learnt of the birth of Jesus from Scriptures.

All this means that visions (shepherds), stars (magi), scriptures (Jews and Herod), served to lead people to the same truth: the birth of Jesus. Of course this does not mean that any religious tradition is just as good as the other; this does not mean that any church is as good as the other. Notice how the gospel indicates that when the guiding star got to Jerusalem its light failed and the magi had to have the help of Herod, who in turn heard the help of those who consulted Scriptures. Over and above the natural light of the star the magi still needed the supernatural light of scripture to finally get to Jesus.

Yet the crucial question in the story remains: Who actually got to find Jesus? Herod, the priests and scribes who had the Bible (scriptures) did not follow through to find Jesus (yes, the priests and scribes didn't), but the magi who followed the natural light of the stars were able to find him. Why? Because the religious authorities, even though they possessed and read the Bible, did not follow it; just as many baptized Christians do possess and read the Bible and do go to church every Sunday (others everyday), yet do not walk in the light of the Bible. 

The magi, on the other hand, who enjoyed only a star light followed its guidance. It is not the possession of the Bible that matters, it is not having been once baptized that will save us; it is not belonging to some church that matters; it is not going to church that matters; it is whether we walk the talk and talk the walk that matters. It is better to have the dim light of the stars and follow it through than to have the bright light of the holy scriptures and neglect it.

As Christians, we believe that our religion possesses the fullness of truth. But what does that benefit us if we do not walk in the biblical truth? Non-Christians or non-Catholics who are sincerely committed to following the little they know may arrive at Jesus before you and me. The feast of Epiphany is a wake up call for us Christians, in general, and Catholics, in particular, not to take things for granted.