Saturday, January 5, 2013

My Epiphany

" After Jesus was born in Bethlehem, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, ' Where is the One who has been born king of the Jews? We saw His star in the east and have come to worship Him.' When King Herod heard this, he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. Then Herod called the Magi secretly and sent them to Bethlehem and said, ' Go and make a careful search for the child. As soon as you find Him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship Him.'  After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen in the east went ahead of them, until it stopped over the place where the child was.  When they saw the star, they were overjoyed.  On coming to the house, they saw the child with His mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped Him. Then they opened their treasures and presented Him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrhh.

Having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route.  When they had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. 'Get up', he said, 'take the child and His mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill Him.'  When Herod realized that he had been outwitted by the Magi, he was furious, and he gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and vicinity who were two years old and under."  [ Matthew 2: 1- 16.]

This Sunday, we celebrate the Epiphany of the Lord.  We all remember the story, told countless times, of how wise men from the East came, following the star to the east, to seek the new King. In a humble manger, they found a lowly babe, wrapped in swaddling clothes and laying in a manger.

This is a sweet, awe-inspiring image: the wisest men of the time, journeying for days, to seek the heavenly King. We have all seen sacred art depicting these "Three Kings" [there is no evidence that they were kings, nor that there were exactly three of them]. They bring glittering gold, and the costliest oils and tinctures.

The Magi are overjoyed to see the star in the east, and are in awe before the baby Jesus, with His mother Mary. But there is a darker side to this joyous tale.

King Herod, the earthly King at the time, is insanely jealous over the prospect of another King -- Jesus -- who is said to have come to rule all nations. Herod is power-hungry, and he orders that Jesus be killed. In fact, he does not mind if, in the process, countless young male babies are killed, in his quest for power.

Sometimes, I think we view this story as a 'fairy tale.'  But, I am beginning to see that there are some very real elements to this story.

How real is it, that human rulers are power- hungry, and are threatened by anyone else who claims a greater influence than theirs?

And how real is Herod's violence, in reaction to this perceived threat to his power? How often today do nations go to war; or do dictators bomb and kill even their own people, in order to prove their own strength of leadership?

I think often of the Magi's well-intentioned impulse, to shower costly gifts on the baby Jesus. They really do regard the tiny baby Jesus as a King! But, I wonder why the Magi thought that would impress God? Sometimes, we think that, in amassing troves of expensive things, we will prove our worth to God. But, all of the most valuable stuff on earth is worth nothing, compared to the awe and wonder in our seeing God, through the life of His Son.

This story also reminds me to consider how we treat the children in our world. The Magi traveled for days, with only a bright star as their compass, all for the simple goal of seeing a humble child. Since all babies are children of God, does this not make ALL children in the world so very precious? And yet, how does our world treat its children?

And finally, I give tremendous credit to the Magi for their long, faith-filled and dangerous journey. What if Herod had been able to uncover the Magi's scheme to outwit him? Could Herod not have  tortured and persecuted the Magi, until they broke down and revealed where to find Jesus?

An Epiphany is a sudden revelation of the Divine. An Epiphany is, in modern terms, a "wake-up call."

Even today, we are all on a long, faith-filled and dangerous journey towards Jesus. We can only trust, even in the darkest of nights, that we WILL find Him. Our life is not meant to be a long, dangerous journey to hoarding as much wealth as we can, while on the way, we step over anyone in our way to fame and fortune.

So, I wonder, what am I willing to do in my own life, right here and now, in this age, to follow the Heavens to find Jesus? What am I willing to do to protect Jesus in my heart? How far would I travel, to see Him? What kind of persecution or violence would I risk for Him? What kind of secular authority would I defy, to find Him?

This is my Epiphany:  that Jesus is King of the Universe-- no one else. And that His Peace, His Love, His Hope, His Joy, and the awe that He brings, are ALL worth far more than all of the material treasures that I could ever possess.

And, despite what anyone would say today:    Jesus is STILL worth journeying far for, still worth seeking despite an uncertain path, still worth fighting for. . . .

[Related Postings:  "King of the Universe", Nov. 26, 2012;  " The Magi", Jan. 9, 2012; "Epiphany", January 6, 2011.]












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