2014-01-05 Daniel Daring 2013 articles 2012 articles
The Epiphany of the
Lord
Isaiah 60:1-6; Ephesians 3:2-3; Matthew 2:1-12
Her name is Arito. She was born into a Buddhist family and educated in a
Catholic school in Japan. “The Lord Buddha was always present in her life, but
Jesus was slowly finding his way into her heart,” she said. A few years ago
she came to the Philippines and worked for a Japanese company. It was in this
country that she discovered the joy and peace of Christian faith. The time for a
decision was drawing near: there could be only one Lord. Despite her devotion to
Buddha, she has chosen to worship Jesus, as the Lord of her life. She was
baptized in a small Catholic church in Japan. “Peace has reigned in my heart
since that very day.” Arito is back in the Philippines, studying social
science and preparing herself to work with the poor. She is often puzzled why
many Christians are so tepid about their faith.
The Gospel of Matthew narrates the story of Magi
coming from the east to Jerusalem, searching for a new born king of the Jews.
The story brings many surprises. First, we would hardly expect a Jew to write
something about stars and astrologists. The Bible carries strong condemnation of
those who try to unveil the mystery of life through any astrological practices.
“Let no one be found among you who sacrifices his son or daughter in the fire,
who practices divination and sorcery, interprets omens, engages in witchcraft,
or cast spells, or who is a medium or spiritist or who consults the dead”
(Deut 18:10-12). The prophet Isaiah laughs at the stargazers of the Babylonian
Empire: “Let your astrologers come forward, those stargazers who make
predictions month by month, let them save you from what is coming upon you”
(Isaiah 47:13). However, this star has nothing to do with astrology but
represents the “glory of the Lord” rising over His people. The darkness may
cover the earth and keep other nations and individual people in its power, but
there are some who, in the midst of darkness, notice the signs of the dawn. This
light of ours, this dawn of ours is the Lord coming to show us His mercy:
“Violence shall no more be heard in your land, devastation or destruction
within your borders; you shall call your walls Salvation, and your gates
Praise” (Isaiah 60:18).
Second, we would expect the people of Jerusalem to
express their joy: the king is born. Instead, King Herod and all Jerusalem were
disturbed at the news. Yes. Christian confession, “Jesus is Lord,” - if
taken seriously – will always be a challenge to our worldly leaders. In 1953,
the Catholic Bishop Conference of Poland in response to the communist
government's plan of interfering in the appointment of bishops wrote a famous
letter known as “Non Possumus” (We cannot), refusing to obey the
government's decree and rather face persecution than allow unworthy persons to
shepherd the people of God. As expected, repression, persecution, and
imprisonment followed.
Third, we would presume that upon knowing the birth
place of the Messiah, King Herod and all Jerusalem would rush to Bethlehem in
order to pay homage to the Messiah. Instead, “Herod called the Magi secretly
and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. He 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’” (Matthew
2:7-8). It is amazing how many of us, when it comes to matters of faith, rely on
the reports of others. We admire our saints, we read amazing stories of people
who encounter God in their lives, but seldom it occurs to us that, perhaps, we
could also go to Bethlehem and see for ourselves. Fr. Anthony de Mello has
something to say about this attitude through a story:
A
disciple once complained to his Master:
'You tell us stories, but you never reveal their
meaning to us.'
Said
the Master:
'How would you like it if someone offered you fruit
and chewed it before giving it to you?' (The
Song of the Bird, p. 2)
And yet, we are so satisfied with with a “chewed fruit” of religious
experience being offered to us and so comfortable with waiting for the reports
of others; only few of us ever make an effort to experience the power of faith
by ourselves.
Guided by the star, the Magi found their way into
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 and of incense and of myrrh. And having been warned in a dream not to go
back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route” (Matthew
2:11). The worship offered to the child Jesus, in the presence of his mother,
brought them liberation from astral determinism and from fear of tyrants. The
star has fulfilled its role; Herod was not worthy to be obeyed. The Magi offered
their lives to Jesus and it transformed them into new persons. “If anyone is
in Christ, there is a new creation. The old has passed away; see, everything has
become new” (2 Corinthians 5:17). They returned to their country by another
route.
With the coming of the New Age Movement, astrology
has once again become fashionable. People read horoscopes. They consult the
stars in order to predict the best day for opening a business, for a wedding,
and so on. They study the signs of the zodiac to find out their personalities
and their fate in life. Everything can serve God’s purpose, but the true
meaning in life and real freedom can only be found in Christ. “Fate” written
in the stars is replaced by “faith” in Jesus Christ. The same is true in
relationship to our leaders. “Fear” of powerful leaders is replaced by
“obedience” to the Almighty God.