…On entering the house they saw the child with Mary his mother. They prostrated themselves and did him homage. (Matthew 2:11)
Today we celebrate the second of four great manifestations of God in human history. The word “epiphany” comes from two Greek words and means a “revelation” or “manifestation.” We call today’s feast the Epiphany of our Lord but the term could be applied equally well to each of the other three.
The first great manifestation, of course, occurred at Christmas, when God revealed himself to us in the form of a helpless, new born baby. He was born homeless and in poverty surrounded by the poor and outcast, symbolized by shepherds.
In today’s feast, the second great manifestation, we see the same new born baby but the circumstances of his birth are hardly mentioned. The emphasis is different. Three foreigners of high rank come to pay homage to the infant king. In the early church they were seen as representatives of people from the three great continents of the world; Melchior from Africa; Balthazar from Asia; and Gaspar from Europe, signifying the universal character of God’s saving grace.
The third great manifestation, the baptism of Jesus, we will celebrate next Sunday. Now an adult, Jesus is seen in the Jordan River as the heavens open, the Spirit descends like a dove and God solemnly intones: “This is my Son, in whom I am well pleased.”
The fourth “revelation” is found only is John’s gospel. It occurred during the wedding banquet at Cana in Galilee. Water (symbolizing the Old Covenant) is changed into new wine (symbolizing the New Covenant.) Mary (representing the People of God) is seen as the intermediary at whose request the change is brought about. It’s the first of seven “signs” in John’s gospel by which Jesus reveals his true identity as Lord.
In the Eastern Orthodox Church the arrival of the magi or wise men or three kings is celebrated with great festivity on January 6th. In fact, since ancient times the Eastern Orthodox have celebrated both Christ’s birth and the magi’s arrival on that same day, but the epiphany they emphasize most is Jesus’ baptism.
One important lesson of today’s gospel is that there are no foreigners or outsiders in God’s kingdom. From the divine point of view all people are, indeed, created equal. All people, regardless of physical, cultural or other differences are brothers and sisters of the same family with God as Father, which means there’s no place in God’s kingdom for hatred based on nationality, ethnicity, race, religion, class or occupation.
Obviously, this is still an important gospel message, since there’s so much racial, ethnic and religious intolerance in the world today. Tragically, we live in a time when the attempted systematic extermination of entire minority populations is all too commonplace. The Holocaust in Europe, the genocides in Turkey, Cambodia and Laos, Tibet, Bosnia, Burma, Bangladesh, East Timor and most recently in the Darfur region of Sudan are some notorious examples. Mass violence, torture, violations of fundamental human rights; mistreatment of the defenseless has occurred throughout history, but modern technology has taken these cruelties to new levels.
For the Holy Land, wracked by four years of bloody intifadah, in which more than 3,000 Palestinians and more than 1,000 Israelis have died, “peace on earth, good will to all,” continues to be illusory. Two years ago, you will recall, the town of Bethlehem was under siege by the Israeli army at Christmas. In Iraq Islamic suicide bombers blow themselves up daily slaughtering countless innocent victims, including Muslims. The disappearances in Argentina and Chile; the death squad killings in El Salvador; Stalin’s purges; the killing of Tutsi in Rwanda. And the list of human atrocities goes on and on.
Equally appalling is the widespread apathy toward human suffering throughout the world. Every week in third world countries millions of men, women and children die of starvation and preventable/curable diseases. The overarching theme of the Feast of the Epiphany is the universality of God’s revelation. The signs of God’s presence and love are revealed to everyone everywhere. Unfortunately the ideal too often doesn’t square with the reality.
There’s a delightful and inspiring tale told by Henry Van Dyke, called the “Story of the Other Wise Man.” In this story Artaban, a fourth wise man also sets out to pay homage and bring treasures to the new King born in Bethlehem. However on his journey he is delayed time and time again by people in need. He gives of his treasure in meeting the needs of those he comes in contact with on his journey. Thirty three years later he arrives in Jerusalem having spent his life searching for the messiah, following the light he had first seen.
The earth trembled: it seemed too late. A heavy tile, shaken from a roof fell and struck the now old man on the temple. A quiet voice was heard, and the old man’s lips began to move, as if in answer. “Not so, my Lord, for when did I see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? When did I see you a stranger and took you in or naked and clothed you? When did I see you sick or in prison and come to you? Thirty three years have I looked for you; but I have never seen your face, nor ministered to you, my King.
He stopped speaking and again the sweet voice came to him… “I tell you, inasmuch as you have done it to one of the least you did it for me.” A calm radiance of wonder and joy lighted the pale face of Artaban, like the first ray of dawn on a snowy mountain peak. One long, last breath of relief exhaled gently from his lips. His journey was ended. His treasures were accepted. His dream of paying homage to the Lord was fulfilled. The Other Wise Man had found the King of Kings.
What’s one of the best ways to contribute to world peace? Live peacefully. Another is to respect all people and avoid bigotry or discrimination in any form. And a third, as one of my favorite bumper sticker reminds us: “If you want peace, work for justice.”
Like the Other Wise Man we too must follow the star wherever it leads us in loving and caring for others. Then, like him, when our journey is done, we too will know that our gifts of time, talent and treasure have been accepted by our King. In short, all of us are meant to be more than witnesses to the Lord’s epiphany on earth; we’re meant to be the Lord’s epiphany on earth.
Anthony J. Sciolino
The Epiphany of the Lord. January 2, 2005. (Cycle A)
Isaiah 60:1-6/20
Ephesians 3:2-3a, 5-6
Matthew 2:1-12.