Matthew 2:1-12

Epiphany belongs to the oldest festivals of the church year. In fact it was second only to Easter. Originally the celebration of the Christ's birth, baptism and first miracle at the wedding at Cana all belonged to this day. Only when Christmas moved to the 25 did it receive the emphasis of the visit of the Magi, which very quickly became the dominant theme. The word 'Epiphany' means a 'manifestation' or 'appearance'. Today we celebrate Christ's appearance to the Gentile nations as represented by the Magi.

Probably no other Biblical story is as well known, and yet not known, as the coming of the wise men. I mean, if asked to paint a picture to represent this event, I'm sure that most people would reproduce the Christmas card image of three gloriously dressed Kings kneeling around the manger. The surprising fact is that this is not a Biblical image.

Matthew is the only Gospel writer to record the visit, and he's not interested in any of the details which fascinate us. He's not aiming to give us a nice Christmassy bed time story. Matthew has a message to get across and he gives us only enough detail so that might happen.

And so Matthew doesn't even both to tell us how many Magi there were, let alone their names, where they came from (except the direction, "from the east"). He tells us they were Magi, but there is no explanation as to what that actually meant. It's likely to mean something like, 'keeper of sacred things,' 'priest-scholar', 'astronomer', or even 'astrologer' or 'interpreter of dreams'. Probably the best we can do is categorize them as men who belonged to some ancient school of learning. Hence the traditional translation 'wise men'. However, this means that instead of the dazzling royal robes we normally see, it's more likely they wore academic gowns, probably well worn and dusty from their long trek through the desert.

And this unavoidable long walk through many miles of arid country brings us to the next point. They probably didn't even see the Babe in his manger, arriving months, if not a whole year after his birth. It's possible they could have set out a year earlier, but then it's difficult to explain why Herod ordered the slaughter of children up to the age of 2, "according to the time which he has ascertained from the wise men." as Matthew tells us. Either he was playing it ridiculously safe, or else the magi arrived about a year after his birth. The final indication that this is likely to be true comes from one small detail that Matthew does give us. He tells us that the Magi entered into a HOUSE to see the child. It's just the normal Greek word for a house, there's no mention of a stable or cave.

Now I didn't set out this morning to smash all the nice traditional images of the wise men's visit. And of course the bottom line is that it really doesn't matter how many wise men their were, who they were, or when they arrived. The important thing is what God's word is trying to tell us as we listen to it's message this morning.

Matthew's attention is focussed on the reaction of two different parties to the epiphany of Jesus Christ the King. On the one hand he presents the gentile pagans, the magi, and on the other the King of the Jews - Herod the great.

From the stars the magi are convinced that a great king has been born. So convinced are they that they are willing to drop everything and travel many hundreds of miles just to see him and give him homage. Common sense tells them to go to the palace, but the words of Scripture quoted to them point them towards the backwater of Bethlehem. We're told that as they travel on the final leg of their journey they, "rejoice with great joy" and when they reach the house they worship the child offering their treasures. GOLD - a gift for a King, FRANKINCENSE - a gift usually offered in worship to a god, and MYRRH - commonly used for the anointing of bodies, dead bodies.

They then fade quietly from the pages of scripture. As representatives of the Gentile world and human wisdom, they've done their job. They' shown just how eager the world was for a Saviour, and pointed to his kingship, divinity, and death.

Of course they don't understand the significance of their actions. Perhaps they believe he will be a great king, but they could never have known just how great. They knew he was different from the normal baby, but it would have been well outside their comprehension that he was indeed true God incarnate in human flesh. They would have known that like any man he would have to die, but to give his life for the whole world? They could never have known that! They probably realized that they were the first gentiles to acknowledge him as a King, but they don't understand that their action indicates that God's plan of salvation for the whole world is almost complete. They have simply seen a sign of the birth of an important person and come to give homage, but their actions say much more to Matthew and to us.

Herod, on the other hand, understood more of what was happening, but pretended to know much less. He was, after all the son of a convert to Judaism. He knew how the Jews longed for their Messiah. He knew they looked to God to send a deliverer who would overthrow the oppressive rule of the Romans. He knew that such a person would mean the end of his rule. He knew that by becoming this child's enemy, there was every chance he would be fighting God himself. He understands how he should be acting. He knows what would be expected from him because he says, "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." He knows and understands, but he speaks as a hypocrite with one hand on his sword.

In Herod's world there is room for only one King - King Herod. He wants the position of authority and power and is willing to fight for it, even if it means fighting God himself.

In all this Matthew shows dramatically the willing acceptance of the pagan world to the rule of Christ and the utter rejection of Herod - the King of the Jews. He hints that this will be the general way of things in the future.

We also have also been shows clearly the epiphany of Christ the King. We have just celebrated his coming. We acknowledge his coming to us through the Word and the sacraments of Baptism and Holy Communion. In other words this morning we gather to worship and give homage with the Magi.

And yet, if we're brutally honest we must admit the possibility that at times our reaction and attitudes show that in our worship we are also related to Herod. God's word tells us that within each of us there is a need for our world to revolve around us and our needs. Sometimes others must suffer but, that's life.

After all why should we suffer? We have rights! So we love, when it suits. We welcome refugees into our lives and country, so long as they don't disturb us by living different lives and believing different things. We serve, when the cost isn't too high and the time suits us. We forgive, but only after they've grovelled enough. We live like little Herods plotting how to get our way, while all the time looking good and kind and caring on the outside.

Epiphany's call to each of us today is to live as loyal subjects of Christ the King who "being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness." Only then is the Epiphany star able to shine in our words, lives and actions. Only then will more follow his star to the Babe of Bethlehem. It might mean that like the Magi we fade very quickly from the pages of history, but after all whose glory do we want people to see - Jesus tells us. "In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven." Matthew 5:16

© Copyright Rev. K.W. Stiller.