The Psalm: Psalm 72:1-7, 10-14
This psalm is a prayer for the king, possibly written for a coronation. Vv. 2-4 pray that the king may be guarantor for the poor, and all those who are oppressed. It looks forward to an age of righteousness.
Give the king your justice, O God, and your righteousness to a king's son. May he judge your people with righteousness, and your poor with justice. May the mountains yield prosperity for the people, and the hills, in righteousness. May he defend the cause of the poor of the people, give deliverance to the needy, and crush the oppressor. May he live while the sun endures, and as long as the moon, throughout all generations. May he be like rain that falls on the mown grass, like showers that water the earth. In his days may righteousness flourish and peace abound, until the moon is no more. May the kings of Tarshish and of the isles render him tribute, may the kings of Sheba and Seba bring gifts. May all kings fall down before him, all nations give him service. For he delivers the needy when they call, the poor and those who have no helper. He has pity on the weak and the needy, and saves the lives of the needy. From oppression and violence he redeems their life; and precious is their blood in his sight.
The Old Testament Lesson: Isaiah 60:1-6
In the Middle East, dawn comes suddenly: dark almost instantly becomes day. Many peoples will live in "darkness" (v. 3, gloom, oppression) but Israel will be different: God will come to them, be present with them and act for them.
Arise, shine; for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you. For darkness shall cover the earth, and thick darkness the peoples; but the Lord will arise upon you, and his glory will appear over you. Nations shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn. Lift up your eyes and look around; they all gather together, they come to you; your sons shall come from far away, and your daughters shall be carried on their nurses' arms. Then you shall see and be radiant; your heart shall thrill and rejoice, because the abundance of the sea shall be brought to you, the wealth of the nations shall come to you. A multitude of camels shall cover you, the young camels of Midian and Ephah; all those from Sheba shall come. They shall bring gold and frankincense, and shall proclaim the praise of the Lord.
The Epistle Lesson: Ephesians 3:1-12
The Old Testament lesson included "in former generations", ( v. 5) which mentions the salvation of other nations, but this was not understood. Now, from "apostles and prophets" through the Holy Spirit, we do understand (v. 5). The sense of v. 6 is that the Gentiles have become co-heirs, co-members and co-partners: in Greek each word begins with syn (as in synchronous.) These are the new and inexhaustible riches of the Church.
This is the reason that I Paul am a prisoner for Christ Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles-- for surely you have already heard of the commission of God's grace that was given me for you, and how the mystery was made known to me by revelation, as I wrote above in a few words, a reading of which will enable you to perceive my understanding of the mystery of Christ. In former generations this mystery was not made known to humankind, as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit: that is, the Gentiles have become fellow heirs, members of the same body, and sharers in the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel. Of this gospel I have become a servant according to the gift of God's grace that was given me by the working of his power. Although I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given to me to bring to the Gentiles the news of the boundless riches of Christ, and to make everyone see what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God who created all things; so that through the church the wisdom of God in its rich variety might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. This was in accordance with the eternal purpose that he has carried out in Christ Jesus our Lord, in whom we have access to God in boldness and confidence through faith in him.
The Gospel Lesson: Matthew 2:1-12
Numbers 24:17-24 prophesies that "... a star shall come out of Jacob, a sceptre shall rise out of Israel", and that this ruler will conquer surrounding nations. Herod's fears are aroused because his dynasty may be ended. A later church tradition called the wise men kings, based on v. 10 of today's psalm, and still later the Church said that there were three of them. The Western church gave them names.
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.
"Home By Another Way"
Among the many characters that make up the cast of the Christmas story none have held more fascination for people then the wise men from the east. A few years ago James Taylor had a hit song about them entitled "Home By Another Way." The song began:
Those magic men the Magi
Some people call them wise
Or Oriental, even kings
Well anyway, those guys
They visited with Jesus
They sure enjoyed their stay
Then warned in a dream of King Herod's scheme
They went home by another way
Yes they went home by another way
Home by another way
Maybe me and you can be wise guys too
And go home by another way
We can make it another way
Safe home as they used to say
Keep a weather eye to the chart on high
And go home another way.
The Gospel of Matthew, written in the same time period as the Gospel of Luke, and both using Mark’s work as their model chose "another way" to approach the story of Jesus’ birth, and it is because of Matthew we have these very different visitors as a part of the nativity story.
Luke gives us shepherds, the common folk of the field, but Matthew invites the exotic outside world to show interest in the great changes that are taking place in Israel. In actuality he tells us very little about them, which is perhaps one reason why so many traditions later developed, in much the same way that fascination about Jesus as a child caused whole books of tradition to come into being about that time period in his life.
Tradition, for example not scripture, says that they were actually "kings," and the hymn most of us know by heart, "We Three Kings" is based on that later spin added to the story. It places them on camels, and is probably an attempt to reconcile the predictions of Psalm 72 and Isaiah 60 with Jesus’ birth.
Another tradition gives us their names, Balthasar, with dark skin a King from Arabia, Melchoir, elderly with gray hair a King of Persia, and Caspar, young and beardless, a King of India. Of course, the actual text says nothing.
The Eastern Orthodox Church maintains that there were twelve foreign visitors, and the western church says only three based on the number of their gifts.
And whereas Luke ends his story with his shepherd visitors filled with wonder, and "returning praising God for all that they had seen and heard," Matthew’s story ends with suspicion about the motives of those in positions of power, impending violence and a need for a flight through the wilderness, back to Egypt as a means of protection.
His mysterious figures from the east reflect the aspirations of Israel that one day the wise and the powerful would come to Zion to acknowledge Yahweh. They also foreshadow the expansion of the mission from Israel to the Gentiles, which will later be announced in Matthew 28:18-20. And it is very likely that the image of Gentiles bringing gifts was actually a contemporary event, happening at the time of the gospel’s writing, since Paul was at that very moment making a collection among his gentile converts for relief from the famine that was taking place in Jerusalem.
In some sense then the magi like Mary and the shepherds before them are also representatives of all of us, non-Jews in particular, who are seeking the path of enlightenment.
Today is Epiphany Sunday, the Sunday closest to the Epiphany which actually occurred yesterday, twelfth night, the occasion of the Wise Men’s arrival in Bethlehem. "Epiphany" actually means a bright shining revelation - and while it first referred to the revelation of the Christ Child to the Wise Men, it can also mean any new revelation that points out the glory of God in our midst. It is also the name of the season of revelations that points the way to Lent and the revealing of Jesus as the long anticipated Messiah.
So, what does this first revelation mean for us? Perhaps that:
scripture has always been contemporary,
concerned with outsiders,
and pushing on after a dream.
It recognizes the danger and violence often associated with change,
and it takes into account the suffering brought about by those who are afraid of losing their power.
The Bible says that these "seekers" were wise, full of wisdom and learning, with open minds and hearts. When they saw and heard of the great light in the sky, they wanted to find out more. They went first to the place where it would be expected that they could gain understanding…from the principalities and powers that be, but they were also forced to strike out on their own, into unknown territory, and trust their God given instincts.
The more we learn about the path of faith the more obvious it becomes how little we know. Faith is a trusting in things unseen.
Already at his birth, Jesus was attracting persons to him - from lowly shepherds to learned magi, from inside and outside, a preview of what was to continue to happen throughout his life, and still does. No matter what their class or status, seekers of truth and wisdom, will eventually find their way.
What are you seeking? How are you going about it?
The technique of the wise men can be very helpful to us in our own seeking:
They focused on the right stuff,
they listened to the right voices,
and they trusted the leading of their hearts even in the face of danger....
in the end they were able both to be blessed and to become a blessing.
If you are one of those people who find the challenge of that exciting, but who perhaps have also faced the frustration of feeling that you’ve never really been on the right track, epiphany encourages you to seek new revelations of God’s will for you. A contemporary poet sums it up this way:
Start Over
When you've trusted Jesus and walked his way
When you've felt his hand lead you day by day
But your steps now take you another way, start over!
When you've made your plans and they've gone awry
When you've tried your best and there's no more try
When you've failed yourself and you don't know why,
start over!
When you've told your friends what you plan to do
When you've trusted them and they didn't come through
Now you're all alone and it's up to you,
start over!
When you've failed your kids and they're grown and gone
When you've done your best but it's turned out wrong
And now your grandchildren have come along,
start over!
When you've prayed to God so you'll know God’s will
When you've prayed and prayed and you don't know still
When you want to stop cause you've had your fill,
start over!
When you think you're finished and want to quit
When you've bottomed out in life's deepest pit
When you've tried and tried to get out of it,
start over!
When the year has been long and successes few
When December comes and you're feeling blue
God gives a January just for you, start over!
Author unknown, edited by J. Fisher
We are never too old to learn a new way if only we are wise enough to recognize our need to do so.
The Pastoral Prayer:
Holy and Loving God, you have given us the example of so many people in scripture who felt the call to strike out on a different path in search of truth. We know you to be the way, the truth, and the life, but sometimes we are reluctant to adjust to a bend in the way, a new phase of the truth, or a life beyond the one we have known in our present reality. Give us the courage and the faith to set out into an unknown future with confidence and conviction. Arm us with enough spiritual insight not only to struggle with the issues that life brings our way, but also to be of some meaningful support to those who travel with us. Shape our ministry to be bearers of good news despite opposition, to offer comfort even in the midst of pain, and to reflect the joy of life even to those who are in the valley of the shadow of death. Comfort those who mourn, bless the afflicted, and uphold the downtrodden. Relieve the fears of all of us who shy away from meaningful opportunities just because they are untested. Bring peace to your world, and blessings to all your children. In Jesus’ holy name. Amen