January 5, 2003; The Epiphany, Year B

Psalm 72
Isaiah 60:1-6,9
Ephesians 3:1-12
Matthew 2:1-12

January 5, 2003; The Epiphany (transferred from January 6), Year B
The Rev. Harold "Skip" Comer, Rector

How many kings were there in our Gospel reading from Matthew this morning and what were their names? John Hopkins, Jr., the composer of the hymn, “We three kings of Orient are” [i] identifies four kings. Three kings from the Orient, and Jesus, the King born on Bethlehem’s plain.

In early times, the “kings” were not identified by name. But during the Middle Ages they were identified as Melchior, who was said to be the fair-skinned, grey-bearded senior citizen of the three; Balthazar who was mature and black; and Gaspar who was young, beardless, and had a ruddy complexion like an Arab.

In actuality the three wise men from the Orient or East, were not kings at all. It was Tertullian who linked the Magi, which is a Greek word and translates into English as wise men or astrologers, to Old Testament prophecies which foretold of foreign kings bringing gifts to Israel, as we have heard in our readings from Isaiah and Psalm 72.[ii] Eventually the terms Magi and Kings were used interchangeably. Yet the Magi were more than likely priest from deep inside ancient Persia, rather than monarchs of oriental realms as depicted in Isaiah and Psalm 72.

The Magi or wise men have become so enveloped by legends that it becomes difficult to see them as simply as Matthew describes them in his Gospel. Drawing more from legend than fact; fine art, and even Christmas cards, literature and music have brought the Magi to the center stage of the Christmas story. The assumption by many people is that the Magi arrived the same night as Jesus was born. Yet, scholars who have studied the birth of Jesus as recorded in Luke and Matthew state that wise men did not arrive that same night, as a matter-in-fact, it may have been as much as two years after Jesus' birth before they arrived.

Most of us believe that there were three wise men. Yet the early church depicted four. St. Augustine said there were twelve. It was during the second century the number was settled at three, probably because there were three gifts presented. Matthew, who wrote the story, is silent on how many there were.

Matthew mentions that the three wise came bearing gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. Is there any symbolism behind these gifts? Tradition has interpreted the gifts this way; gold is the gift for a king, frankincense is the gift for a priest, and myrrh is the gift for one who is to die. Certainly, Matthew the Gospel writer would have understood the gifts in this way, but we have no way of knowing if the three wise placed these meanings upon the gifts they presented to the Christ child.

So much for the kings - Magi - wise men. Why did Matthew tell this story? Surely there is more to this story than our pursuit to identify exactly who they were?

The Gospel of Matthew has been called "the Jewish Gospel."[iii] This Gospel opens with the genealogy of Jesus, tracing it back to Abraham and King David. Matthew, the author of the gospel, takes great pain to relate the fulfillment of the Old Testament scriptures in the life and events of Jesus Christ, as seen even in the story of the visit of the three wise where he quotes Micah 5:2, "And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah..."

Yet Matthew records the visit of three foreigners, not Jews, but gentiles, who were astrologers that practiced magic arts specifically condemned in the Scriptures of the Jews. They weren't so much "wise men," as they were superstitious stargazers.

When you take the title of king away from these three guys and describe them as they truly were, one begins to wonder why their visit was recorded. I believe that Matthew, by putting these three wise up front, at the beginning of the story of Jesus, wants to tell us something about the nature of Jesus. This baby, this Messiah sent to save, is not the sole property of the Jews, nor is he the sole property of Christians. He is Lord of all. He is the Savior of the world.

The three wise in all probability did not know very much about Jesus. And they were in all likelihood unaware of the Jewish prophecies about a messiah. Yet for some reason they were draw to him. They somehow knew that he was their Savior too. That is the only logical explanation for them falling down on their knees and worshipping him.

Epiphany, the manifestation or revealing of Jesus as the Messiah, the Christ, is what we celebrate today. But this feast and Jesus, are not ours. Even though others do not worship Jesus today, Jesus is for them. Epiphany stands as a reminder that God's Messiah came to the whole world, not just a select few.

When Matthew included the visit of the wise men in his gospel of Jesus Christ, he was treading on some pretty thin ice with the Jewish community. This story challenged the Jewish belief of the day. The messiah was their savior. When he came, he would come to and for the Jews. God’s messiah would come to save them, God’s chosen people, and not the rest of the world.

Today, I believe, this story is a reminder that we do not own Jesus and we do not control him. God has revealed himself in Jesus Christ so that whoever will believe in him will be saved, whether we consider them to be worthy or not.

There are only two kings in Matthew’s story of the visit of the wise men to the infant Jesus. Jesus, "who was born king of the Jews,” and King Herod.

When I look at the characters in this story I am struck by the contrast of people’s reaction. And I believe that this reaction is still being played out today. The wise men represent the reaction of those who are willing to look, willing to seek, and willing to believe that God has revealed himself in Jesus Christ in this world. Herod represents those for whom Jesus poses a threat. And finally, as with Luke’s story of the birth of Jesus, there are those who are not mentioned. Were they even aware that anything had happened. Or did they just refuse to alter their daily routine, thereby ignoring the manifestation of God in Jesus Christ.

We have the same choices as those Biblical characters – the wise men, Herod, or the residents of Bethlehem. We can seek God or we can close our eyes. We can believe and worship Christ or see him as a threat. We can invite Christ into our lives or go on living as though nothing has happened.

Epiphany, the manifestation of God in Jesus Christ, serves to remind us that God is helpless to reach us if we refused to be reached. This is the story of the infant Christ, who is helpless to seek us out, but ready to be sought out by us.

“Arise, shine; for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you,”[iv] and that glory is Jesus Christ.

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