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A Sermon on the Occasion of The Feast of the Epiphany by The Rev. Hartshorn Murphy 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 prophets: `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 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 (NRSV translation) The Feast of the Epiphany on January 6 begins the Season of Epiphany - this year a season of seven Sundays. The word Epiphany means "manifestation." It is a time in which the baby born in a stable in Bethlehem because there was no room in an Inn, grows to maturity and is "manifested" - his identity and nature revealed to many. Given the fact that Matthew's gospel ends with the Great Commission or charge to his followers from the risen Christ: "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit..." (Matthew 28:19) - Matthew crafted his story of Jesus' birth to have Gentiles in it from the very beginning. Clearly, this beautifully written story is a gift itself of wondrous creativity from Matthew to the Christ child. In it, we see reflected portions of Isaiah 60:6: "they from Sheba bring gold and incense" and from Psalm 72:10: "Kings of Sheba and Saba bring gifts." We see the star from Numbers 24:17; the story of the children of Israel entering their promised land after escaping from Egyptian slavery, the prophet Balaam tells of the King of Moab whose lands will be forfeited to Israel: "I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not near - a star shall come out of Jacob, and a scepter shall rise out of Israel." We even see reflected the historical memory of the puppet King of Judah, Herod, who was appointed King of the Judeans in 40 B.C., who in his later years developed a psychopathic fear of being assassinated or usurped. All these elements were skillfully woven together to create this unique and singular story which manifests - reveals - that Gentiles are a part of the Jewish God's plan for history. Or is something else going on? Matthew's gospel was written about 80 A.D. in Damascus, Syria. Something happened a few years earlier that may lie behind this story. But first, we need to discover the Magi. The translation we have for this word is most often "wise men." Though wise they may have been, the term is far too generic. Some think of them as Kings, possibility influenced by the well known hymn: "We three kings of orient are." Although the gifts given were kingly gifts, they were meant to signify something about the recipient (Jesus) and not about the status of the givers (the Magi). Often, they are thought of as astrologers and although technically that would be correct, in our own day and time astrology has fallen on hard times. I receive my horoscope daily by e-mail and in small print at the bottom is a disclaimer: "for entertainment purposes only." The magi were many things, but "entertainer" was not one of them. The Magi were political and religious advisors to the Kings of Median and Persia (today Iran and Iraq). Those kings were known in their language as "king of kings." These men were fiercely proud and in their prophecies - like Daniel in the Hebrew scriptures - condemned the decadent empires of the ancient world - Babylonian, Median, Persian and now Hellenistic (Greco-Roman). They yearned and agitated for a restoration of a true Eastern kingship in the Near East and resisted Roman colonialism and imperialism. In 66 A.D., during the Jewish War as the Temple in Jerusalem was being destroyed and the Jews exiled from Palestine, Rome had a change of policy and agreed to accept Tiridates as the King of Armenia rather than appoint a puppet King like Herod there. Tiridates, along with three other Eastern princes, and an entourage of servants, family and Magi, took a 9 month all expenses paid trip - paid by Rome - to Naples to be crowned by Nero. It was said that they returned home by another route than the one they came. This was big news in the latter half of the 1st century. Everyone was talking about it. It was, as we might say today, "Breaking News!!" Did Matthew in 80 A.D. take this story from the year 66 and recast it to reveal something about Jesus? If so, what we have here in the Gospels is a highly political story. The Magi, fierce defenders against Roman power, travel to a forgotten backwater of Bethlehem in Judea and do homage to a true eastern King who comes, not from the royal house of Herod, but from peasant stock. No wonder Herod is paranoid and enraged. Underlying this sweet and innocent story - at least to our ears - is a highly political and social drama of human hope for liberation and freedom, a hope met and answered in Jesus of Nazareth. Or maybe this is just a coincidence. Finally, the gifts of the Magi have no real significance except that they were worthy of a King and were suggested by passages in the Hebrew Scriptures. But over the centuries, they have taken on a symbolism of their own. Casper brings gold, a symbol of our livelihood. This gift, offered to Jesus, reminds us that our work is more than what we do to earn a living - to provide food and shelter and clothing for ourselves and those we love. Our work can be a vocation when we offer it up to God as a gift. One of our church members once told me that each day as she arrives at work, she sits for a moment in her car and prays this prayer: "God, there's nothing that will happen today that you and I can not handle. Be present with me today. Thank you for this work given to me to do. May your compassion and love be made known in what I say and do today. May these hours be consecrated time. May my office be consecrated space and may my desk be an altar for my work as an offering to you today." The biggest challenge for contemporary Christian folk is the recovery of work as God given vocation in which we become co-creators with God and as good stewards, learn to give back to God for God's work in the world, a portion of the bounty given us. That journey is a life long journey and Casper's gift reminds us of that. Melchior brings the gift of frankincense, a fragrant resin used in incense, which reminds us of the interior life; a life we often neglect. This rich gift reminds us to seek greater balance between work and leisure. God created the world in six days and presumably, because he was God, was not tired on the seventh day but rested anyway. We need rest and "leisure" in order to integrate the various realities of our complex lives. If our lives are out of balance, there is no health in us and our work and our relationships become wounded. This is not about play. Some of us make hard work of play. This is about quiet and reflection and the on-going inner conversation with the divine that we need to pay attention to and which alone leads to wisdom. Melchior's gift reminds us to be still and know that God is God. And finally, Balthazar's myrrh - used in embalming - reminds us to offer up to Christ our regret and our sorrow and our grief. It is the most costly of gifts because it is the gift we wish to hang on to. It is a selfish thing really. We all know people whose lives are destroyed by hardship, loss and disappointment and they have become bitter. They are like walking wounded; they are like the living dead - hollowed out husks of real people, empty of joy and filled with despair. We also know people who endure great struggle and sorrow and yet in offering it up, find great peace and wisdom and a spiritual maturity that reveals the great mystery of God's sustaining grace. The secret of life is to find gratitude for all life offers. When we can say in the face of disappointment and loss: "thank you God, even for this I praise you," then we have found the key to a lasting happiness and joy. The Magi brought their best. Today, the child of Bethlehem invites us to come into his presence. Today, you are invited, but do not dare come empty handed, instead come offering your vocation, your interior life and your sorrow and receive back in your now empty hands the gift of new life. For the Magi returned to their own country by a new path, a new way. In this, we ourselves become an Epiphany, a revelation, as the new life is made alive in us; as we ourselves become light and life. Amen.
Copyright © 2004 St. Augustine by-the-Sea
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