Epiphany of the Lord January 3, 2010

Isaiah 60: 1-6 Ephesians 3: 2-3a, 5-6 Matthew 2: 1-12

I must confess that I took a little bit of unfair delight in a news report I read this past week - perhaps you read it or heard about it. An older couple had become lost in the snow because they had been relying in their GPS (Global Positioning System) device to guide them as they went exploring in a mountainous, desert area in eastern Oregon. After being lost for a couple of days the story had a happy ending as a weak signal was powerful enough to communicate their position and, thus, they were rescued.

I came across this story as I was gathering together my thoughts about today’s feast of the Epiphany or Revelation of the Lord. Perhaps traveling a distance and being guided by an object in the skies is not as unusual or as far-fetched as we might think. The story of Saint Matthew about magi, kings, astrologers - foreign and mysterious persons - seeking the newborn King of the Jews - is certainly colorful, with some colorful characters described. Who were they, where did they come from, what is meaning of their presence in the story of Christmas?

The story of the Magi has certainly given rise to some skepticism because so much is untold, so much is unknown. There have been efforts, for example, to study scientifically whether there was some unusual phenomenon or event in the skies at the time, a conjunction of planets or stars which had gained the interest of some curious individuals. A source I recently read suggested that “magi” were part of a fundamental sect of Zoroastrianism, an Eastern religion of the time that was based in Persia (modern Iran). For educated persons, such as the “magi” might be, being interested in a development in another major religious belief would not be surprising.

But it was the story of the GPS adventure, about the faith being placed in the GPS device, much like the faith placed in a star as a source of guidance, that suggested my reflection. Saint Matthew is the only writer in Scriptures who tells us this story. Perhaps he is asking us to reflect rather than be concerned with an historical event. Perhaps he simply wants to remind us that when we go through life, we may well encounter, as did the Magi, conniving, devious, power-hungry and self-centered ambitious individuals such as Herod who might cause us to lose our way. Because of this, Matthew may be suggesting, pay close attention to the story being told to be warned not to lose sight of our goals in life.

As I focused my thinking on that object in the skies, on that star, I thought that perhaps there was an even simpler but, I believe, more profound meaning Matthew was seeking to convey. A meaning based in the Scriptures, in the tradition of the Old Covenant, of the people Matthew was addressing in his account of the ministry of Jesus. The star in the heavens echoes the words of the Psalms: “The heavens announce the glory of God” As Matthew opens the story of the presence of God that the birth of Jesus announces, he tell us that even the heavens declare God’s glory. This is what will be known by all who recognize what this birth, this coming of God into the world truly reveals. As we come to the end of the celebration of Christmas this year, we hear this story of the Magi once again to remind us of what we have and what we can do.

In a way, what we are being told in the Christmas story is no mystery. The presence of God surrounds us in the creation of which we are a part, in the life which we possess, and in the way we can experience from one another insights and clues about the goodness and love of God. True wisdom, true value, true worth, if we search for it, can be found by placing faith and trust in the announcement of God’s love and care that the Incarnation, God becoming man in the birth of Jesus, proclaims.

As we travel the roads of our lives, searching for and looking for an appreciation of what we have been given; and as we seek to share the richness, the value and the challenges of our lives - the gold, frankincense and myrrh that we experience; our true destination, the true purpose or end of what we are and what we do in life can be found. It will be discovered in a persistent but not trouble-free following of what is given to us as a guide. What Matthew tells us is to place faith and trust in what is being revealed to us in the presence, the ministry and the teaching of Jesus Christ, the wonder-filled and mysterious revelation of goodness and love of our gracious God.